Kite Making Workshops

This will be my sixteenth year running kite making workshops in schools.  As a project, kites and kite making can fit into many areas of the National Curriculum, especially Flight, Forces and Weather, Art, Design and Technology, and generally History, Geography, Maths, Science, Literacy and PSHE.  Having run the workshops in different formats over the years the best way seems to be to start with an assembly for all the children involved when I can talk about the history of kites, how they are made and how they fly.  I illustrate this talk with my own kite designs and kites from around the world.  These include Chinese silk kites, Japanese kites and windsocks, Indian fighting kites and examples of my own bird, pteranadon, ghost, angel and devil kites. The children can then ask me questions about the kites I have shown them.

After this I work with the children in their classes, with their teachers, class by class.  When each child has made and test-flown a kite then I fly some of my bigger kites to end the workshop.  This kite flying display includes giant pteranadon and ghost kites, angels and devils, carp windsocks and long trains of small diamonds (40 kites strung together on a line).

I provide all the materials for each child to go home at the end of the workshop with a kite they have made themselves (with the help of me, their teacher and possibly other helpers according to their age).  The kites are designed so that all children can make a part of the kite.  So reception children can do some sticking together and year 6 children can usually make the whole kite on their own.

For further information, please ring me on 0117 9511247 or contact nickjames@blueyonder.co.uk
www.nickjameskitemaker.com.