Go Fly an Upcycled Kite
A plastic bag, some sticks and string are all you need to craft up a kite.
- Conservation
Spring brings perfect kite-flying weather, and it's a fun outdoor activity for one or two people in a wide-open space. And you can make your own simple, kid-friendly kite using recycled and household materials.
Materials:
- Plastic bag
- String
- Two thin sticks
- Tape
- Scissors
- Markers
- Popsicle stick or another short, sturdy stick
- Ruler or other straight edge
Step 1
Make a kite frame by laying the sticks on top of each other to form a cross, then secure them by winding some string around the point where they intersect.
Make sure the string is wrapped in a diagonal crisscross pattern so the sticks remain in place.
Step 2
Cut the grocery bag on one side and across the bottom, and lay it out flat. Place the sticks on the grocery bag. Using a marker and straight edge, draw lines on the grocery bag connecting the corners of the sticks to make a template for your kite. When you are finished with this step, you should have drawn a full square on the grocery bag.
Take your scissors and cut along the guidelines you just drew. Then, tape the grocery bag to the sticks at each corner. If your square is big enough, you can fold the corners slightly over the sticks and tape it that way for extra strength.
Step 3
If you have any scraps from your grocery bag, cut them into streamers of various lengths and attach them to the tail of your kite with tape.
Finally, tie the string around the intersecting sticks and make several secure knots. Unspool several feet of string, then tie the other end of the string to the middle of the popsicle stick to create the line for the kite.
Then, get out there and fly that thing!
If you're looking for creative ways to fill these at-home days, we have some kid-friendly, National Aquarium-approved ideas for crafts and activities that use upcycled and recycled materials.