Why You Should Take Your Child Kite Flying

“Let’s go fly a kite!” The words immediately bring thoughts of sunny days with cool breezes and fun. Nothing stimulates the imagination quite like kite flying. Additionally, there are many benefits for your child in an afternoon of kite flying, including the following:

Kiting is a healthy activity

• Vitamin D comes from sunlight. Just make sure your child wears sunscreen for protection.
• Kiting provides exercise for your child’s eyes as they focus far and near observing and controlling the kite’s flight.
• Your child will get moderate exercise towing their kite higher to find faster air.

Kiting is a social activity

• Kite flying provides quality family time with mom or dad providing the necessary assistance to get the kite off the ground.
• Many cities, towns, schools, parks, and recreational centers have kite flying areas and activities. Participating with friends teaches your child valuable social skills.

You can increase your child’s enjoyment of kite flying by helping them learn to get their kite off the ground and in the air. The following tips and suggestions will help you do so:

Picking a Good Spot for Flying the Kite

The best place to fly a kite is a wide open space without trees, power lines, or other obstructions that can catch your kite. Stay away from hills, because the wind will make kite flying difficult. Parks and beaches are both ideal places for kite flying.

Getting Your Kite into the Air

Probably the hardest part of kite flying is getting the kite into the air. Avoid running as it is dangerous and seldom works. The best way is to help your child by having them hold the kite 60-90 feet downwind and then give it a gentle pull when they release it. Once the kite is in the air, you can let out more line.

You can also teach your child to get the kite in the air on their own by standing with their back to the wind, lifting the kite up in the air and letting a gust of wind catch it. Once the wind does so, they release the kite gently and it should begin to climb.

Keeping Your Kite Aloft

Different kite designs need different amounts of wind for successful flying. That is because their material, style, and size are different. Some kites come with wind recommendations on the package. If not, your child will need to use trial and error to find the best wind speed for successful flying. Kites flying in too much wind may loop and dive and be difficult to control. Too little wind and the kite will not stay up in the air. However, once the kite is flying high and smoothly, keep the string at a comfortable tightness and it is not hard to keep it up. If the string is too slack, reel some in; but if the kite pulls, let some out.

Bringing Your Kite Down

Generally speaking, your child will find landing the kite easier than getting it up in the air. Have your child reel the kite in slowly while walking toward the kite. Remind your child to wind up the string slowly and carefully so it does not get tangled or knotted.

Kite flying is not only good exercise and an excellent social activity, but it also provides a fun time to share with your child. Watch the weather for those beautifully breezy days, particularly in the fall and spring and take your child kite flying.