STREAM Activity: Kite

Create your own kite!

Activity best for children ages 5 and up with adult supervision

Today you will engineer a kite! This is a great hands on engineering activity that will be fun for the family. Ask your kids how they think a kite can fly around the sky, then explain how the aerodynamic structure of the kite causes air to exert pressure on it and push it around the sky. The kite uses a similar idea to Bernoulli’s Principle. To learn more about Bernoulli’s Principle, watch our Inside Out three-part series all about our Bernoulli Tables exhibit and the Bernoulli Principle.

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Materials:

2 sticks, one slightly shorter than the other. There is no size limit or restriction, but recommended between 1-2 feet. Sticks can be made out of wooden skewers, wooden rods, or even actual sticks from outside!

Scissors

Marker

Glue

String

Knife

Directions

Step 1

Place the shorter stick perpendicular on the larger stick, about three fifths of the way up. 

Wrap a piece of string around the two sticks until they stay in place and tie off.

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Step 2

Using the knife, create a notch on the ends of each stick. Wrap the string around notch so that it stays in place. Tie at the beginning, making your way around the frame. Tie at the end.

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Step 3

Place your kite frame onto a piece of newspaper and trace a line that leaves about an inch from the string. 

Cut out the shape and then cut small triangles into each corner of the newspaper. This will help the paper fold better.

*At this point, feel free to add any color or decorations!

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Step 4

Glue the newspaper border over on the string. Let dry for 5 minutes.

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Step 5

Tie the remainder of your string to the kite where the two sticks cross. 

Your kite is now ready to fly!

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