Why do kites fly?
Kites fly because moving wind pushes up under them. Whoosh!
Pip’s answer
- Kites fly because moving wind pushes up under them. Whoosh!
- The string holds the kite tipped up, so wind slides under and lifts it.
- When the wind blows harder, more air rushes past, and the kite climbs higher.
- Ooh, people have flown kites for thousands of years!
Try it together
Can you sway your arm high like a kite in the wind?
For grown-ups
A kite flies when wind pushes against its tilted surface. The string holds the kite at an angle so air is deflected downward, creating lift, while the string resists the drag. Steady wind of about 10 to 25 kilometers per hour is ideal for most kites.
Ask your child: What shape kite would you design?
More questions kids ask
- 🌬️Why is it windy?
- ✈️Why do airplanes stay in the sky?
- 🐦How do birds fly?
- 🍎Why do things fall down?
- 🧲Why do magnets stick?
- 🫧Why are bubbles round?
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