Nothing says “spring is here” better than a kite gliding gracefully through the air! Kites are an awesome way to get family and friends together. Even though flying kite is not always simple, it may be rewarding for both children and adults and can be a good learning experience. Moreover, your kids may select a kite that suits their age and skill level thanks to the wide range of styles available.
Things to Consider Before Buying
With this in mind, you may be wondering which kite is best for kids or what types of kites are there. To make the right selection you should keep an eye on the important features. Moreover, looking into these features will ensure that your flying is as safe and successful as possible!
Ease of Assembly
When looking for a kite that will best suit your youngster’s needs, opt for little to no assembly kites for kids as they’re the easiest ones to use! Parafoils, sled kites, and novelty kites without frames or spars are just a few popular options. However, there are also other well-known kite varieties with simple-to-assemble spars or frames!
The Ideal Size
Allowing your child to set up an excessively large kite by themselves might be risky since they might become entangled in the sail(s) or kite lines. Large kites can easily pull too strongly for your child to handle, which might cause harm if a sudden burst of wind causes the kite to take up your child. For the convenience of usage, you should buy a kite no larger than your child. To have the peace of mind regardless of the size you choose, always watch your child while they fly the kite!
Number of Kite Lines
Young children should begin kite flying with a single-line kite as they can easily comprehend how to manage it. On the other hand, two handles are needed for several lines, which can be challenging and unpleasant for a young child to comprehend and manage.
With or Without Kite Tails
Very often children are way more interested in kite tails than the actual kite because they are frequently eye-catching! With a brand-new kite, you might not require a kite tail because kite tails help to keep the kite steady in the air.
On the other hand, when purchasing kites for kids online, they might come with a tail. In case you ever need to create a tail to help balance your kite, we advise keeping ribbons or material in your kite flying gear.
Spool/Handle versus Winder
One of your primary concerns should be the device utilized to hold and release the kite line. This is because your youngster will be holding it for a large chunk of the kite-flying session.
For kids between the ages of 5 and 12, we advise using a spool or handle where the kite line is coiled around. Children can usually simply release the kite line from these spools or handles as well.
On the other hand, teenagers should use winders. The kite line is reeled in or let out using a winder mechanism, which is often in the middle of the tool. Winders retain a kite line in a circular casing. However, winders aren’t suitable for youngsters since they could unintentionally get their fingers caught in the winding mechanism.
Types of Kids Kites
Delta Kites
One of the most common kinds of kites, if not the most popular, is delta kites. It is made to fly well and will perform better than the majority of other kites, even in light wind. Deltas are popular because they are simple to manage and can be rather attractive.
Delta kites have a keel, which is a triangular flap to which the kite line is attached as opposed to a bridle line and are formed like triangles. To help keep it balanced in the air, a tail can be installed. To maintain its triangle shape, the delta type often has spars and a spreader spar in the middle. Additionally, these may be folded down to fit into a small tube and are simple to set up.
Being flown by the pool or beach, delta kites usually feature vibrant colours or illustrations because of their large sail area. Some may even have an additional tail that makes them resemble manta rays!
Diamond Kites
The next most popular and straightforward to fly kite is the diamond one. Its recognisable design features four sides with two pairs of sides that are each the same length.
Moreover, making diamond kites is a fantastic hobby to get kids interested in the activity. Diamond kites can be created at home from lightweight materials like freezer bags, plastic sheets, and even thin fabrics. Skewers could be too light for spars, so look for some flat bamboo pieces that are no wider than 0.8 inches.
However, when creating your own diamond kite, keep in mind that diamond kites typically need a tail to maintain their bottom pointed downward when flying. This stops them from crashing or spinning out of control.
Parafoil or Sled Kites
Parafoil kites are also known as soft kites. These kites don’t have hard spars and rely on the wind to fill the chambers or cells to keep their shape while flying. Due to this they are significantly less prone to break on contact and are simple to fold down for travel.
As you might expect, the wind is necessary for foil kids kites to stay open and floating. The upper and lower surfaces of parafoil kites are further divided into smaller cells by vertical ribs. When these pockets of air are filled, the kite stiffens and starts to fly.
Sled kites, on the other hand, are soft kites that depend on the wind to keep them open, much like parafoils. Along the entire length of the kite, there are several spines. This kids kite frequently has vents cut into the sail near the bottom of the kite which serves as a stabiliser and eliminates the need for a tail. They are incredibly simple to fly and can be easily kept aloft with enough wind.
Both parafoil and sled kites are excellent for kids since, if brought down improperly, they are less likely to shatter on impact. Because they don’t require spars, assembly is very straightforward.
However, given that these are soft kites, we advise that you assist your youngster in preparing them for flight. This will stop your child from unintentionally being entangled in the sails. Keep an eye on your youngster at all times because this kind of kite may pull fairly hard.