Crafts & Fun

Scout around for an appropriate site: an open area without tall poles, overhead lines, busy streets or kite-eating trees. Ideally, you want a day with moderately strong, steady winds.

Step 1
The launch. Have your child hold the spool and let out line, while you back away from her holding the kite by the bottom. You should face into the wind, and your child should have some running room behind her.

Step 2
The lift. When she’s peeled off about 9 or 12 m (30 or 40 ft) of string, have your kite flyer tighten her grip and gently pull on the string. As she pulls on the string, you should feel the kite begin to lift. On the count of three, release the kite just as she takes a few steps backward. If there’s not much wind, she may have to backpedal at first, letting out line a little at a time as she goes.

Step 3
The flying. As she lets out string, the kite will dip a little. She should let out a few feet at a time, then stop to let the kite climb back up before she lets out any more.

When it’s time to bring the kite in for a landing, make sure the kite is coming in over an area where it can land safely, and wind up the string just until the kite starts to become unstable. As it nears the ground, walk towards it to take the tension off the string and let it flutter down gently into a soft landing.

Originally published in Today's Parent, July 2005