I often receive requests for information about simple workshop kites for children, which are cheap and easy to construct.

This kite is the easiest I know, and flies great in light to moderate winds.

The only materials you need are as follows:

2 sheets of A3 paper (420mm x 297mm). A nice crisp 80g/m2 copying paper is fine.

1 length of bamboo 2mm diameter x 285mm long. (a drinking straw will do instead).

Cotton thread for the flying line.

Clear self adhesive tape.

Make a card template as above, it's much easier to draw or cut around the template when making more than one of these kites.

1 & 2. Fold one sheet of paper down the centre.

3. Lay the template onto the folded paper, with the lower edge of the template against the fold. Mark and cut around the other three sides of the kite template.

4. Fold open one side of your kite to make the shape into a traditional diamond. It's easy to decorate the underside of your kite at this stage, brightly coloured marker pens or crayons are ideal.

5. Put self adhesive tape down the centre on the top of the kite. Place the bamboo across the kite, and fix with tape at each end only.

6. The underside of your kite will look like this. Attach the end of a length of cotton thread to the towing point on the keel, using layers of tape, also tape over the front open edge of the keel.

Cut the second sheet of paper into long strips about 25mm wide. Fix these all together using more tape to create a long tail, and attach to the rear of the kite. Your kite is now ready to fly !