The radio, the television, then video games, and now the high-end gaming consoles. The sources of entertainment have revolutionized incredibly. But kite flying is still popular amongst kids all over the world. Flying a kite is fun, but making your own kite and then flying it is a different experience altogether. Kites have a long, but very interesting history. They first appeared in China, around three thousand years ago, where they had a religious dimension. Later, kites were even a part of some scientific experiments. Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Graham Bell were amongst the scientists who conducted many experiments with the kite. Kites come in different shapes and sizes. The most prominent types of kites are the diamond kite, box kite, sled kite, the barn door kite, bat kite, bumblebee kite, etc. Here, I am sharing some instructions to make a box kite. You can come up with your own ways of making a box kite, as long as you get the aerodynamics right. Material Needed The following box kite material is only indicative. You can decide the dimensions of your kite and select the material as you want. If you are a beginner, try following the material list and instructions as they are. Once you understand the aerodynamics of the kite, you can experiment with different materials of various dimensions for the box kite construction.

• Four wooden dowels 36-inch in length
• Four wooden dowels 14-inch in length
• Regular twine
• Scissors
• Plastic wrap
• Masking tape
• Cutter
• Pencil

Instructions

1. First, a small V-shaped cut at the end of each dowel needs to be made. For which, you may use a small saw or a cutter. This is done to lock the dowels in to each other when they are connected.
2. Now put the two 14-inch dowels together so that they make an X, intersecting each other at a right angle. Connect them at the intersection using masking tape and wrap it up with twine or any other strong thread you have.
3. Do the same for the remaining two 14-inch dowels to get two separate X shapes.
4. 28 inches from the top of the 36 inch dowel, connect one end of an X shape as in the step above.
5. Connect the rest of the dowels at the same point, one to each end of the X shape.
6. About 8 inches from the opposite end of all four 36 inch dowels, attach the second X shape, using the masking tape and twine. The frame of the box kite should now be a box shape with two X shapes inside.
7. Keep the box on flat ground. Wrap up the top and bottom 10 inches of the sides of your box kite with plastic wrap keeping open the14 inch top and bottom of the box kite, and the center space on the kite.
8. We are almost done now. Take the string you want to use for your box kite and fasten it where the long dowels meet the X shapes. The kite string should be at least 20 feet long.
9. Now your kite is fully ready to fly. You may need to do some touch up and some decoration, if you want to.

How to make a box kite or how to make a kite, does not have one specific answer, as kite making is a craft and you can experiment with it infinitely. But while doing so, please make sure you are taking all the necessary precautions. The bamboo sticks or bowels, the cutter, even the plastic, all have to be handled with care. By following the above steps, kids should be supervised by their parents.