Handmade Kites I Bought After My Kids Said Outside Was Boring

My youngest used to throw a fit every time a kite nosedived into the grass. These fly easy enough that a four-year-old can hold the line and actually feel like they're doing something.

Nothing gets a reluctant kid off the couch faster than telling them there's a giant octopus flying over the backyard. These animal kites did more for screen time reduction than any parenting book I read.

Something about a handmade traditional kite feels different from those cheap plastic ones at the drugstore. These remind me of the ones my grandfather used to make in his garage.

When we showed up to the beach with one of these, people literally stopped to take photos. If you want to be the coolest family at the park, this is your section.

Once my ten-year-old mastered regular kites, he got bored immediately. These dual-line stunt kites gave him something to actually work at, and watching him figure out tricks kept him busy for hours.

Half the fun turned out to be building the kites together. These kits saved us on rainy afternoons — we'd build inside, then fly them the second the sun came back out.

After my first kite string snapped mid-flight and we watched a twenty-dollar kite sail into the neighbor's tree, I learned to invest in decent accessories.

Sometimes the wind dies or the kids need a break from running. These ground-level wind toys kept the outdoor time going even when actual kite flying wasn't happening.

I ruined two beautiful handmade kites by shoving them in the trunk loose. Learned that lesson the expensive way, so now everything has its own bag.