Making Maths: Go Fly a Kite

Challenge Level: Challenge Level:1

  1. Take a sheet of A4 paper and fold one corner over to make a square.
    Step 1

  2. Cut the spare rectangular piece around and around in a spiral, leaving it joined at the bottom of the kite, to make a tail.
    Step 2

  3. Now fold a side flap to the right as shown. Then fold the small flap to left as shown.
    Step 3

  4. Do the same folds to the other side. Opened out, it looks like this...
  5. Cut a piece of strong sewing cotton (button thread) a bit longer than the width of the kite and tape it to the corners of each flap. Tie the rest of the reel of thread to the middle. Poke a pencil through the cotton-reel to make a kite reel that will kite pull unwind the thread it needs as the wind blows it up.
  6. The kite should fly at about 45 degrees. If it's up too straight it means the tail is too heavy or too long. If the kite waggles about too much, try making the tail longer or heavier by putting a paper clip on it.
Happy flying!