All About Kites

All About Kites

Introduction A kite is one of the oldest toys. And it's very simple to make. Kites come in many sizes, shapes, and colors. Did you know that kites can be both toys and tools?

History of Kites Kites were named after the kite bird. The kite bird has wide wings and easily floats high in the sky. No one knows who made the first kite. But one famous Chinese story about a kite was written over 2, 000 years ago. The story is about a man who used a kite to attack a fort. He couldn't find a way to get inside the fort. So he tied himself to a huge kite. He flew over the wall of the fort and scared the soldiers!

The inventor Ben Franklin had the idea that lightning was made of electricity. He wanted to prove his idea. One day when it was stormy, he tied a metal key to a kite string. Then he flew the kite up into the storm clouds. Lightning from the storm hit his kite. The electricity ran down the wet string to the metal key. When he reached for the key he got a surprise. The electricity jumped from the key and gave him a shock! Do not try this yourself. It's not safe to do. When Ben Franklin tried to do it again, he was hurt badly.

Many Uses for Kites Some people have used kites for fishing. They put a fishhook and bait on the long kite tail. The kite tail dragged in the water. When a fish saw it, it bit the bait and was caught on the hook. Then the kite was pulled in.

Weather kites carried scientific gauges into the sky. The gauges measured how fast the wind was blowing and how cool the air was.