National Kite Month
April — specifically March 26th-May 1st — is National Kite Month. Established in 1999 as a joint effort between the American Kitefliers Association (AKA) and the Kite Trade Association International (KTAI), focus of the National Kite Month celebration is to encourage kite events worldwide, stressing safety and wholesome family fun.
Kites have evolved from the days of sticks and newspaper to take advantage of modern materials. They can be lightweight controllable designs that are flown indoors with no wind to traction kites that can propel you on land and water. Modern designs can also be found with elaborate artwork or realistic representations of creatures that we are familiar with. Kites can range in size from smaller than a postage stamp to hundreds of square feet.
April is the perfect month to celebrate the history and enjoyment of kite flying. The dawn of warm sunny days in spring, not to mention many windy ones, makes for excellent kite-flying conditions. In addition, with so many children on spring break from school, flying kites offers inexpensive fun for the entire family.
The kiting world has changed over the years. Kiting has become an active, passionate sport with regular events like festivals and competitions. It’s a hobby for some, an amusement for many and both rich and culturally diverse in nature.
From an educational perspective, kites make a terrific vehicle for learning about a variety of subjects. Topics can range from creative uses of graphics and colors, all the way to history, physics, aerodynamics, and mathematics — from crafts to fine art, as well as exploring the more inspirational thoughts associated with kite flying.
Kites are generally thought of as toys for children. In reality, there is a whole world of kites out there just waiting to be discovered. Anyone who might be interested in learning more should check out the following resources:
National Kite Month
www.nationalkitemonth.org
American Kitefliers Association
aka.kite.org
Kite Trade Association International
www.kitetrade.org
The Drachen Foundation
www.drachen.org/default.html
Happy flying!