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Computer Use:
Offline Activity |
Exhibit Connection:
Oh, Seuss! Off to Great Places |
Grade Level:
3rd to 5th Grade
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Subject:
Science
Art & Music
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Download a printable version as a .pdf file (220 Kb)
In The Cat in the Hat, much mischief abounds
When, unwanted, the Cat and his friends come around!
They fly kites in the house! They make such a mess!
I don't think they can clean it all up, I confess.
But they do, just in time, before grown-ups get back.
I think I'll fly my kite outdoors, that's a fact!
So, join us today--you can make your own kite,
You'll be trying and flying-up highing--you might!
What you'll need:
"Now here is a game that they like,"
said the Cat.
"They like to fly kites,"
said the Cat in the Hat. -- Dr. Seuss
To create your own kite, fold one piece of paper in half the short way. Position your paper so that the fold is at the bottom.
Take the top left corner of the paper and move it down toward your center fold, creating a flap and a new diagonal fold.
Turn your paper over and fold the opposite corner down below the center fold also, creating a flap and a diagonal fold opposite your first flap. (It doesn't matter how big your flaps are. This is one of the things that you can experiment with as you make new kites with the extra paper.)
Open your flaps out again and tape the two diagonal folds together. Put tape all the way along the folds.
Tape a bamboo stick or straw from one corner to the other of the flaps. This will create the wings for your kite.
Punch a hole in the front of your kite and attach a piece of string. You might want to reinforce it with a piece of tape.
Using a plastic bag, make 1 inch strips and tape or staple them to the back of your kite as a tail. Decorate it too, if you'd like.
Go outside and try out your kite. How does it fly? Do you think it would fly differently if the tail were longer? If the flaps were smaller? How would you make your kite differently if you were to start again?
Try it again starting with a new piece of paper. This time, make the flaps a different size. How does it make your kite fly differently?
This activity was developed by Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose for the San Jose Mercury News in Education program.
More Oh, Seuss! activities:
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