How to make a kite

It's time to start coaxing your kids into getting outside. Are you having trouble getting them to shake off those winter cobwebs? If so, kites are a surefire way to get that job done. But instead of buying a ready-made kite, help your kids make their own. It's a great project you can work on together, and your kids will feel a sense of accomplishment once it's complete.

Children of any age can participate in kite making – toddlers can help decorate the kite paper, preschoolers will love cutting up string as well as gluing the paper to the kite frame, and your school-age kids can practice their math by measuring with rulers, gauging balance and tying ribbons evenly onto the tail. Then, everyone can fly it together.

Here's what you'll need to start your kite project:
• Two doweling rods, or two straight bamboo or wooden sticks. One should be 16 inches, the other 24 inches.
• String or twine (the tail should be made from string as opposed to heavy twine)
• Ruler
• Utility knife
• Strong string
• One sheet of strong paper (about 102 cm by 102 cm)
• Glue
• Scissors
• Ribbons
Optional: crayons, markers and spray paint to decorate the paper

How to make a kite:
1. Form a "t" shape using the two rods (the short one goes horizontal and over the long one, at about one-third of the way down).

2. Using either string or twine, fasten the two sticks together so they are at right angles to each other. For added durability, dab glue onto the joint you have made.

3. You will need to cut notches on the ends of the sticks (there will be four notches in total), and they must be wide enough to accommodate the string or twine that will be used to form the frame.

4. To make the kite frame, cut a single piece of string long enough to go around the kite frame, along with some excess. Starting at the top of the kite frame, insert the string into the notch and wind it around the rod a few times to fasten it. Continue to draw it around the rest of the notches to make the frame. When the string is back at the top, tie the two ends together in a knot.

5. Lay out your sail material flatly on the floor or a table. Place your kite frame on top of it face down. Cut out your sail material to match the shape of your kite, but make sure to leave a margin of a few centimetres around the frame.

6. Fold the margins over the string and tape or glue the material to the frame, ensuring it is taught.

Page 1 of 2 -- Get the kids to help! Ideas on page 2.