Here are five easy tips and great resources to plan a kiting event people will remember and want to do year after year. April is National Kite month and what better time to enjoy the outdoors and celebrate the joy of flying kites!
1. Get creative with colourful designs and patterns.
Imagine a sky filled with colourful, one-of-a-kind kites – and the beaming faces of those who created them. With creativity at the helm, no two kites will ever be the same.
There are so many ready made kites out there, whith themes ranging from Marvel & Disney to insects and animals. But we know that decorating your own kite is a fun and creative activity that adds a personal touch to your flying experience and makes an event something people remember!
When it comes to decorating your kite, the sky is the limit! You can use colorful markers, paints or even wax crayons. Consider themes like nature, geometric shapes, or your favorite colors to inspire your design. Adding your name or initials can also make your kite easily identifiable in the sky.
(Pro-tip: The sight of beautiful personally decorated kites in the air makes powerful imagery for publicity for your cause, a unique backdrop for wedding photos and so much more!)
Once your kite is decorated, head to an open area with good wind and watch as your unique creation soars through the sky, showcasing your artistic flair for all to see.
2. Create fun competitions for all ages with silly prizes.
If you want to inject some friendly competitiveness into your kiting event, hold a kite contest. Done with humour and inclusion, a kite contest can be both fun and motivating. It works better if you have a borad range of categories, or bronze, silver and gold awards in each category so everyone is noted for something.
Here are some pointers and a few rule ideas to make your contest go smoothly:
- Start with a few easy categories like the highest flying kite or the steadiest in the sky, and then get creative with categories like the best birds nest (tangled lines are inevitable, why not celebrate the best ones). Check out our Kite Contest for more ideas here.
- Every kite contest requires judges. Use two or three judges. Ask another prominent community members to help out. Arrange for prizes or ribbons and organize a display the winning kites in real life or online. Have the in-house newspaper interview fliers. Ask the media to your kite day. Everybody likes taking pictures of kites in flight!
3. Invite a local kite club to do a demonstration.
Kite clubs are wonderful resources for your event. Their members are all about sharing their passion for kiting and your participants will be thrilled by demonstrations of skilled stunt kite flyers, massive lingle line kites and more. Children and adults will remember the day they saw a giant Octopus Kite flying high in the sky! The American Kite Flyers Association is a good place to help you find people in your community.
4. Invite members of your community to share stories of kites in their culture.
Kiting is an important part of cultures around the world. Reach out to members of your school community as well as local community associations from Asian, Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern countries to ask if their members might be willing to share stories, pictures and kites from their culture.
5. Include a photobooth!
A photobooth is a popular part of any event these days. People love taking fun and silly photos with thier kites, which can create lasting memories of the event.
Whether you hire a professional photographer, or simply provide a customized photobooth area with themed backdrops, props, and photo frames where guest can take their own pictures is up to you. Guests can instantly share digital copies on social media, spreading the word about the event and creating a buzz online, and an event people will remember for years to come.
(Pro-Tip: why not make your kiting event an annual tradition. Once you’ve planned a kting event once it’s easy to replicate and peole look forward to your event year after year.)
With over 30 years of experience selling our Kite Kits we know how to plan successful kiting events! Head over to our Resources page to download these Guidebooks, which have everything you need from an event time line to free handouts on Kite Safety, Tips for Launching, Flying and Landing Your Kite and more. And if you are an edutcator don’t forget to check out our educational resources too!
