Flying Kites: A Fun Activity Your Kids Will Love
Kite flying has been around for more than two thousand years. Although the exact origin of the kite remains a subject of debate, some of the earliest written records date back to the Han Dynasty (202 BC–220 AD) when these tethered flyers were used for military campaigns.
Through the years, the popularity of kite flying spread to different parts of the world, but it was long before it was considered fun, pastime activity. People used kites for averting evil spirits, fishing, duelling, researching, and tons of other things.
Nowadays, kiting is a favourite hobby, sport and recreation for thousands of people all around the world. Kids, adults and even the elderly are enjoying this leisure activity. There are international kite competitions and annual festivals which celebrate this beloved heavier-than-air craft. The Guinness Book of World Records is filled with amazing kite flying records and some of them are proudly held by Australians.
While almost everyone wants to chase the colourful wiggling tails, children absolutely adore it. Flying a kite is all about having fun and enjoying the great outdoors, but did you know that this activity has numerous benefits as well?
Benefits of Flying a Kite
First, flying a kite is a fun way for your kid to get the recommended daily amount of exercise. Staying active in the internet era is crucial for good health, and this includes children and adults. Young children and teens should get 60 minutes (or more) of physical activity a day and kiting is a great way to switch things up a bit and break up the routine. Kiting involves a lot of walking, running and moving around, all of which are necessary for healthy growth and development.
Not only that kiting burns calories, strengthens bones and tone muscles, but it’s also good for your child’s cardiovascular fitness. Aerobic exercises are the epitome of cardiovascular health, but they can certainly become boring over time. Chasing the colourful shapes in the sky feels like an adventure rather than mindless, repetitive plodding.
Then, spending time away in nature itself is soothing for the mind, body and soul, but you might need more than words to entice young children and teens away from screens and video games. There’re some quite amazing kites out there that’ll make you and your children eager to try them out ASAP. From dinos and dragons to unicorns and birds, your options are countless. Once your child has its kite up in the sky, the dancing, vibrant flyers and the wiggling tails will do the rest. You’ll spend quality time in nature together and forget all about phones and tablets.
Speaking of screens and video games, it would be wrong to say that they don’t provide certain benefits, but spending too much time in front of displays can break havoc on the eyes. Prolonged exposure to the blue light that screens emit can cause eye strain, retina damage and trouble with focus. This is why it’s very important to take a break from screens once in a while and follow simple preventive measures to maintain good vision.
Kiting provides eye stimulation that’s proven to be beneficial for ocular health. Focusing on distant objects in nature is soothing for the eyes and can help with eye strain. Gazing at the vibrant kite against the blue sky will regulate eye muscles and nerves thus alleviate sore or irritated eyes.
Next, flying a kite boosts creativity. It doesn’t matter if it’s store-bought or handmade, the whole process is engaging and requires a lot of creative thinking. From coming up with cool designs and patterns and assembling the kite to figuring out ways and tricks to fly it in the wind, there’s no doubt that kiting will skyrocket your child’s creativity.
How to Choose a Kite
In order to attain the benefits of kiting, your child needs to have an age-appropriate kite that will allow him or her to fly it without your assistance. While it’s easy to fall in love with big, complex flyers, you should start small and slowly build your way up to the “pro league”.
The best way to start with kiting is with a single-line kite. They’re more affordable than dual or quad line flyers and easier to master. Choose a specially designed kite for children to make sure that flying would be easy and hassle-free. Childrens kites come preassembled or take only a few minutes to set up, so your kid will be having fun in no time. Don’t think that single-liners are boring though, they come in hundreds of different designs, sizes, colours and patterns.
Once your child is old enough and has mastered the basics with a simple kite, you can step it up a notch and look for dual string children’s kites for sale. The dual string design allows for greater control and better performance, but it takes a bit of practice at first. A dual string kite is great for casual flying, but it can also be used for a lot of awesome tricks and manoeuvres.
Top Picks
The Jellyfish Single String Kite is suitable for younger children from age 3 and above. It comes in several different colours including pink, blue, orange, green, yellow and red and it features colourful tails that’ll wiggle and dance in the sky in a wide range of winds. The Jellyfish is 1.8m long and it doesn’t require assembling. It’s strong and durable, made from highly resilient nylon that can withstand different weather conditions.
The Lorikeet Kite is designed for children age 6 and above. It’s an absolutely beautiful flyer that’ll provide hours of outdoor fun. The brightly coloured wings have a 1.4m wingspan and look great in flight. The Lorikeet looks and flies like a bird and suits light to medium winds.
The Stuntmaster Dual Control Kite is suitable for older children, teens and adults. It has a dual string design and it features a 5mm fibreglass frame, hi-tech fittings, durable rip-stop nylon and an eye-catching look. The Stuntmaster is fun to fly and capable of performing incredible tricks.
You can find hundreds of other kites for sale Australia wide and no matter which one you choose, your children will have a lot of fun in the great outdoors and discover the freedom of soaring sky high.
