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Go Fly A Kite
Sections
Challenge Areas
Scout Method Elements
SPICES Growth Areas
The Adventure
Get outside and fly a kite! Design and build your own kites and see how well they fly. Compare designs to come up with the best kite.
Plan
- Where do you want to do this adventure?
- You will need a wide-open outdoor space to fly your kites.
- What do you know about how kites fly?
- What are some of the features of a kite?
- What makes a kite fly?
- What do you need to know about flight before you can build a kite?
Materials
Building materials can include (but are not limited to):
- Plastic grocery bags
- Drinking straws
- Clear tape
- String
- Paper (A3 or A4 size)
- Stapler
- Pieces of nylon fabric
- Scissors
- Hole punch
- Bamboo skewers
- Pre-made kite
Online resources
Do
- Examine and fly a pre-made kite.
- What do you notice about how it is built?
- How well does it fly?
- Gather the materials you will need to make your kite.
- Build a few kites and test them out.
- Some kites use tails while others do not. Which kites need a tail?
Review
- What do you know now that you did not know before?
- What did you notice about the different kite styles? How were they different? How were they the same?
- How much wind did each kite need?
- How much does each kite weigh?
- How does this affect how easily it flies?
- What elements of STEM did you use in this adventure? Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics?
- What did you like about this adventure? What did you not like?
- How would you do this adventure differently?
- How will you hold on to the spool of string?
Safety
- See KiteSmart Australia’s Safety Guide
- You must not fly a kite more than 122 metres (400 feet) above ground level or within 4 kilometres (3 miles) of an airfield.
- Check the area for hazards such as powerlines or roads
- Garbage bags and plastic grocery bags can be very dangerous and should never be put over anyone’s head.
- How can you stay safe while flying a kite?