Make a simple paper kite

Spring is here! Let's go outside! Let's go fly a kite! What? You don't own a kite? No worries, we can make one! Today I'll share with you this really simple DIY paper kite. It's easy to make, fun to play with, and my young son loved decorating his very own kite.

Spring, spring, la la la! (Can you tell that I have a bad case of spring fever? *Twirls around and leaps*)

Make a Simple Paper Kite

Now the only warning I have about this craft is that you have to make more than one paper kite. Seriously. Each kid should get have his own. And, be prepared for kites to break or float away. (One of our floated away.)

Alright, let's make some paper kites!

Materials to Make a Simple Paper Kite:

Printer paper
Scissors
Yarn (This worked ok with me, but I wish I used a lighter string.)
Tape
Popsicle Stick
Markers
Hole Puncher
Stapler
Ruler

Directions to Make a Simple Paper Kite:

(I found the directions to make this kite from this wonderful video showing how to make simple paper kites .)

1. Draw a design on both sides of your paper. (Chuck and I did this collaboratively.)

2. Fold your paper in half. (Half the length.)

3. Using your ruler, make a mark at 2 1/2 " and a mark at 3 1/2" on the folded edge.

4. Now curve both corners of your paper down and staple them at the 2 1/2" mark. (Don't fold them down, make sure the paper is curved.) Your kite should now look like this.

5. Punch at hole at the 3 1/2" mark. Then, cut a long piece of string and tie it to your kite.

6. Tape the other end of your string down to a popsicle stick. Wind your excess string around the Popsicle stick so it doesn't get tangled.

That's it. Now go fly your DIY kite! It takes a strong gust of wind to lift your kite, but if you run around (or ride your bicycle really fast), your kite will float along beside you too.

Note: It was super hard taking photos while we were doing this activity. Both kids kept running around in different directions and both needed a bit of help with their kites. Here are two shots of Chuck riding his bike and flying his kite at the same time. Sometimes the kite got stuck in his wheels, but other times it flew behind him nice and high.

Happy kite making!

Psst- Interested in making more toys that fly?

Check out these crafts below:

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Friday, March 21, 2014