Try your hand at making a kite and take the Mitsubishi Attrage to breezy places in Singapore to “test-drive” your creation.
Easy Steps To Make A Kite
You’ll need:
• Large piece of cellophane wrap
• 64cm X 58cm piece of paper in the shape of a diamond
• Two cane sticks
• Two 3cm pieces cut from a drinking straw
• Nylon string
• Kite line and winder/reel
• Strip of cellophane measuring 60cm X 3cm
• Sewing needle
• Marker pen
• Scissors
• Tape
Step 1: Create the sail
Using a marker pen and the diamond-shaped piece of paper, trace the outline of your kite’s sail on the cellophane wrap. Cut out the sail using a pair of scissors.
Step 2: Make the kite’s backbone
Place the cane stick along the length of the sail and secure it with tape. Next, tape the straw pieces to the back of the sail on its left and right corners. Slide second cane stick in the straw pieces and secure it with tape. Both sticks now form the kite’s backbone, which should be in the form of a lowercase “T”. Check that the sail sits tightly over the backbone, then secure it by applying tape at short intervals along the sticks. Fold the edges of the sail over on its back, then tape them down.
Step 3: Fasten the kite line
Using the sewing needle, pull the nylon string through the sail just above the intersection between the sticks, then make a knot. Next, pull the same string through the sail at a point not too far from the bottom of the sail, then make another knot. There should be a fair amount of slack in the string for you to tie a loop. Attach the kite line and winder to this loop by tying another knot.
Step 4: Attach the tail
Fasten the strip of cellophane to the bottom of the kite with some tape.
The sky’s the limit: Best kite-flying spots in Singapore
You’ve created a kite, what’s next? Visit these windy places in the country!
Marina Barrage
The Marina Barrage is arguably the go-to spot among kite enthusiasts in Singapore, with many descending on the Green Roof on the weekends to take advantage of strong winds coming off the coast by bringing their creations to the skies while having a picnic. Don’t worry about the crowds, the Green Roof is about the size of four football fields. The best time to come would be in the late afternoon and evening, where the weather is much cooler and where kite aficionados come out to light the darkening sky with their LED-equipped kites.
Jurong Central Park
At just 8 hectares in size, Jurong Central Park may be small, but it has nevertheless gained a lot of love among families and kite-flyers, many of whom can be found flying their kites in the breeze coming off the West Coast in the late afternoon on weekdays and weekends. Take caution if you choose to fly your kite here: The park is situated near some MRT tracks and is bounded by the road, so it is best to enjoy this activity on the further end of the park away from this traffic.
Punggol Waterway
This 12.25-hectare park near Waterway Point mall boasts plenty of open space, gentle slopes and cool breeze coming in from Singapore’s northern coast – making it perfect for a picnic and kite-flying day out. Come by on a weekend and you’ll find plenty of families enjoying the open sun and flying their kites. This spot is quite a favourite among kite-lovers, so much so that if you are lucky enough, you may be able to catch professional kite dancers practising synchronised kite flying here.
