Take It To The Sky! 

Pick a great place for kite flying in a flat open space, away from buildings and roadways and free from power lines.  Never fly your kite in a rainstorm or bad weather.  The kite lines should always be metal free (no wire) and you want a kite that fits you so you can manage it.  Don’t ever grab the line; you might get a rope burn!  If your kite goes into a tree and gets tangled, it really is best to leave it there. 

You Will Need:

- The kite pattern below.
- A rectangular piece of strong plastic. This could be a tarp, vapour barrier, tablecloth or garbage bag. Dimensions should be 24 inches x 30 inches.
- Two wooden dowels, 24 inches long and 1/8 inch thick. If you buy one dowel that is 48 inches, you can cut it in half.
- Strong tape, 1 inch wide. Can be filament, duct, cloth or packing tape.
- A ball of braided nylon string, garden twine or kite string.
- Scissors sharp enough to cut the plastic or a thin utility knife.
- Ruler or measuring tape.
- Single hole punch.
- Permanent markers or stickers (optional only, for decorating).
- Two streamers for a tail, 1 inch wide, 30 or 40 inches long.  Strips of plastic, paper or ribbon can help to balance the kite while it flies.

To Do:

1. Lay out your plastic so that you can have the kite’s measurements of 24 inches going top to bottom and 30 inches from side to side.
2. Use the pattern and your ruler to draw the kite outline onto the plastic.
3. Get help to carefully cut out the kite shape. Be sure to include the circular vent hole.
4. Decorate both sides of the kite.
5. Place a small amount of tape on the corners labelled C and F.  Using the hole punch, make a small hole in each of these two tape-covered corners about ½  inch away from the edge of the plastic.
6. The kite “face” is the side that you will see when you fly it.  Attach the wooden dowels using tape from point A to E and from B to D on the face.  Fold tape over the top and bottom so the dowel doesn’t come off.
7. Now you have to make the bridle (the line attached to the kite that is then attached to the flying line.)  Measure and cut a 5 foot length of twine or string.  Tie one end securely to hole C on the right side.  Tie the other end of the bridle to hole F on the left side.  Use more tape to secure the knots. 
8. Fold the kite in half lengthwise, (point F to C), run your hand along the bridle to find the exact mid-point.  Tie a knot so that you have a small loop now on the end of it.
9. Unfold the kite and tape the streamers to the non-face side of the kite at points D and E.
10. Take the string that is still on the spool or ball and knot the end directly to the bridle, just behind the knot you tied at the midpoint. This now attaches the flying line to your bridle.
11. This kite is ready to fly!  It is best to use it in light to moderate winds up to 30 km/hr. Run with the kite so it fills with wind and it should get airborne!

It may help to draw the grid onto your plastic, but note that the sections are not equal. 
The plastic is 30 inches across.
Point A is 9 inches from the left corner.
Point B is 9 inches from the right corner.

Other Measurements:

Line A to B: 12 inches
Line B to C: 12 inches
Line B to D: 24 inches
Line A to E: 24 inches
Line F to C: 30 inches
Line C to D: 18 ½ inches
Line F to E: 18 ½ inches
Line E to D: 12 inches
Distance from Points A and B to where they meet the Line F to C: 8 inches
Vent hole: 5 inches straight up from the bottom, directly between point E and D. The vent hole is then 3 ½ inches across.