Kite Building

Kite building is the craft of making a kite that really flies, using a light frame, a sail and a line. Along the way you discover the science of flight: how wind creates lift, why balance matters and what each part of a kite does. It's a hands-on mix of design and engineering, and at the end you get to fly what you made.

A kite flies when wind pushes against its sail. The line holds the kite at an angle, so the moving air is pushed downwards and the kite is pushed upwards. That upward push is called lift. Four forces are always at work: lift, the weight of the kite pulling it down, drag from the wind pushing it back and the pull of the line holding it in place. When lift beats weight, up it goes.

The spine is the long stick that runs down the middle. The cross spar runs from side to side and holds the sail open.

The sail is the covering, often made from paper, plastic or light fabric.

The bridle is the set of strings that joins the flying line to the kite. Where you tie the line on, called the bridle point, sets the angle at which the kite meets the wind.

The tail hangs from the bottom. It adds a little drag, which keeps the kite pointing into the wind and stops it spinning.

The centre of gravity is the point where the kite balances. A well-balanced kite flies straighter and steadier.

The diamond kite is the classic shape most of us drew as children, and a great first build. The delta kite is a triangle that flies well in light winds. Box kites are three-dimensional frames with open ends, while sled kites have no cross spar at all. Stunt kites use two lines, so you can steer them through loops and dives. People have flown kites for many centuries, and they are thought to have first appeared in China.

Your Activity Leader starts with the science: the forces of flight and the job each part of a kite does. Then it's over to you. You design your kite, cut the sail, fix the spars in place, tie on the bridle and add a tail. Finding the centre of gravity helps you get the balance right. Then comes the best part: heading out into the field to launch it, tweak it and try again.

Yes, and it's lovely to do together. Children get to plan, build and test their own idea, and they learn real science without it ever feeling like homework. Grown-ups tend to get just as competitive about whose kite flies highest. If a kite nosedives, that's part of the fun too, as a small change to the tail or bridle can often fix it.

You might also like Toy Making, LEGO Engineering and Explosive Science.

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