Books
Some familiar characters:
978-006-223-7019
978-006-207-1972
978-081-242-3679
And some newer friends:
978-082-341-6035
On a windy spring day, what do Bear and Mole decide to do? Why, fly a kite, of course! But first they have to build one. They design, measure, and finally construct their kite. With a zoom, zoom, zoom the kite soars up, up, up in the air. But when a storm rumbles in? SNAP!? the kite string breaks! The chase is on as the two friends tear after their kite and find it in a tree, protecting a nest of baby birds from the rain.
A classic, available in paperback:
978-069-811-6443
Largely ignored by her own family, Princess Djeow Seow spends her days playing with a kite made from paper and sticks. But when the Emperor is imprisoned in a high tower, only the Princess can save the day, flying her kite high up into the sky to rescue her father
Kids LOVE to dream about being the hero and saving the day. After reading the story, brainstorm about ways you could rescue each other from a high tower, or other improbable predicaments (What if a dinosaur chased me into a cave? What if a bear fell in love with Daddy and wanted to marry him?) You know your child best as far as what he may find too scary, but I think you and they will find this exercise empowering more than anything! You may come up with your own story, worthy of copying down and illustrating.
978-039-925-7377
When Floyd's kite gets stuck in the tree, he throws his shoe at it. When that shoe gets stuck as well, he throws his other shoe...and then there was the passing whale...
This very silly story is a crowd pleaser for all ages. A natural art extension is to draw a tree and kite, then have fun cutting out magazine pictures of things you could throw up to knock your kite out - the wackier the better!
For nonfiction, sometimes the old standbys are the best bet:
978-031-630-9967 (PB)
Simple explanations of kite history, types of kites, and how kites fly. Instructions for building your own flat kite at the end - or try this one at Instructables.com (using a plain old plastic trash bag!)
Songs
978-069-811-6443
Largely ignored by her own family, Princess Djeow Seow spends her days playing with a kite made from paper and sticks. But when the Emperor is imprisoned in a high tower, only the Princess can save the day, flying her kite high up into the sky to rescue her father
Kids LOVE to dream about being the hero and saving the day. After reading the story, brainstorm about ways you could rescue each other from a high tower, or other improbable predicaments (What if a dinosaur chased me into a cave? What if a bear fell in love with Daddy and wanted to marry him?) You know your child best as far as what he may find too scary, but I think you and they will find this exercise empowering more than anything! You may come up with your own story, worthy of copying down and illustrating.
978-039-925-7377
When Floyd's kite gets stuck in the tree, he throws his shoe at it. When that shoe gets stuck as well, he throws his other shoe...and then there was the passing whale...
This very silly story is a crowd pleaser for all ages. A natural art extension is to draw a tree and kite, then have fun cutting out magazine pictures of things you could throw up to knock your kite out - the wackier the better!
For nonfiction, sometimes the old standbys are the best bet:
978-031-630-9967 (PB)
Simple explanations of kite history, types of kites, and how kites fly. Instructions for building your own flat kite at the end - or try this one at Instructables.com (using a plain old plastic trash bag!)
Songs
To the tune of "The Farmer in the Dell":
My kite is up so high,
My kite is up so high,Oh my - just watch it flyMy kite is up so high.
My kite is falling down,My kite is falling down,Oh no - it's down so lowMy kite is falling down.
The wind has caught my kite,The wind has caught my kite,What fun - I'm on the runThe wind has caught my kite.
My kite is up so high,My kite is up so high,Oh my - just watch it flyMy kite is up so high.
Watch "Mary Poppins" as your after dinner movie, or just this clip for inspiration:
So many learning extensions from this classic film - women's suffrage, how banks work, imaginary worlds - and so many wonderful quotes!
Math
- Practice drawing or cutting out kite (diamond) shapes. Look for that shape everywhere you go.
- Cut out diamonds in different colors, or with different designs (solid, striped, polka-dotted, etc.) Start a pattern (red, blue, red, blue) and ask your child to continue it.
- Cut out a larger kite shape and fold it in half the long way. Talk about symmetry: how both sides are the same size and shape, just flipped. Fold it from top to bottom: are both parts still symmetrical? (No - same shape, but top half is smaller.) What if you do the same with a perfect diamond (equal on all sides)?
Science
Turn on a box fan and experiment with different types, sizes, weight, angles of paper.
Social Studies
- Where is China? Find it on a map or globe, and note how far it is from where you live. Check out a few books from the library about the people and culture. Grab some cookbooks while you are at it - mmm, Chinese for supper!
- Talk or read about Benjamin Franklin's famous kite experiment. Others who tried this experiment were seriously injured or killed - talk about why we need to pay attention to safety when we try experiments. This experiment led to the lightning rod, which saved many lives. What other inventions of Franklin's are still helping us today?
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