Stories About Flying Kites

What child doesn't love flying a kite? Kite flying is not just fun either. It can teach a child about wind and aerodynamics. Of course, before a child can love flying a kite, he has to actually fly one. Kids today seem to be too busy and maybe even see themselves as a little too "sophisticated" to fly a kite, so they don't even get started with this activity. Start your child's interest in kite flying early with these books for young children from preschool age to third grade.

A Kite Day (Bear and Mole Story)

Kite Day
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Is your child a fan of Bear and Mole stories? If so, this book is ideal. One windy day, Bear and Mole decide to fly a kite. They don't just fly any kite. They build their own! They have to gather the materials, design their kite and put it all together. All goes well with the kite flying high in the air until a storm arrives! The wind is too strong and the string breaks, allowing the kite to fly away. But Bear and Mole don't want to lose their homemade kite, so they run after it and finally find it. Where? In a tree. If you've ever flown a kite, you know how easily a kite can get stuck in a tree. But Bear and Mole's kite was performing a useful job. It was serving as an umbrella, keeping the rain off of baby birds in their nest.

Kite Flying

Kite Flying
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This is another story about building and flying a kite. What's nice about this one is that the whole family participates in all the activities, from going to a craft store to get kite-making supplies to flying the kite. When they get home with the supplies, the family builds the kite together. Each family member has a different job to do, so everyone contributes to the kite. It's a wonderful story not just about building and flying a kite, but about how a family can share the activity together.

Ages 3 to 7

The Berenstain Bears: We Like Kites

The Berenstain Bears: We Like Kites
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The Berenstain Bears books are loved by many children. You can find one on almost any topic, too, so it's no surprise to find one about kites and kite flying. Even if your child isn't already a fan of the Berenstain Bears, she will still love this sweet story. The rhymes and illustrations combine to create a story about Sister Bear, Brother Bear, and their friends out one windy summer's day to fly a kite on a hill. It's sure to get your child interested in flying a kite to enjoy the same kind of pleasant day.

Ages 4 to 6

The Magic School Bus Rides the Wind

The Magic Scholo Bus Rides the Wind
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The Magic School Bus books were among our very favorite books when my son was young. He couldn't get enough of them. All the characters are so much fun to read about and Ms. Frizzle! Who can forget her always saying, "Get messy. Make mistakes!" But it's not just that the characters were all fun to read about. It is also that the Magic School Bus books are packed with great information, just what gifted kids need to feed their thirst for knowledge! In this book of the series, Ms. Frizzle starts out with a lesson about the wind. Naturally, the kids go out to fly kites. If you are familiar with these books, then you know all Ms. Frizzles lessons end with an adventure - in the magic school bus! This time the bus takes the kids on a trip in the sky to retrieve Wanda's kite, which had been taken away by a strong wind.

Ages 4 to 8

By Carol Bainbridge
Carol Bainbridge has provided advice to parents of gifted children for decades, and was a member of the Indiana Association for the Gifted.