DIY your way out of the August slump this year.

How to DIY a kite and wind charm to make the most of August winds

Story time:

Almost exactly a year ago, my 6-year-old looked out of the car window one afternoon on his way back from school, sighed and asked: Why is the world dying?

Now, for a bit of background, this kid once turned to me and said: Naartjies are for kids like impalas are for lions. (And then walked away without explanation.) He has also made such prize observations such as: “I often wonder about rocks”; “Why is there time” and “Do fish get cavities?”.

So, me, as responsible mom trying to raise a thinker, immediately jumps to thoughts of climate anxiety, ecological guilt and general environmental distress due to all the David Attenborough documentaries I force him to watch (instead of yet another round of Alvin and the Chipmunks).

Me: “Uhm, buddy, remember about fossil fuels and recycling? How we should try to save the planet…” Him: “No, I mean – when is winter over, the grass looks gross, and the wind is dusty.”

Phew! This was simply a seasonal question, and much less tricky to answer.

“Oh That! It’s just the normal dryness of late winter. When the rain comes it’ll look much better. Don’t worry!”

But this got me thinking – Do we have to accept windy, dry August as one of the worst months of the year? Should we be content with hiding indoors and dodging the (Au)Gusts?

No! It’s time to reclaim this strange in-between season and make the most of its windy offerings.

How do we do this? Well…the easiest way to get your kids excited about the gusty weather is to embrace those very winds. We love the idea of keeping tiny hands busy by building something that celebrates wind.

DIY Kite

Yes, we said this was a kiddy DIY, but honestly its more of a kid-friendly parent DIY…Sorry about that! But just think – IF you do this and the kite flies, you’ll be the talk of the classroom as the cool parent who built their kids a kite from scratch. We promise you, the kids will love you even though the other parents might resent you a little bit.

The components of your kite can probably be found around the house or else bought from a hardware or craft store. You’ll need:

• Thin (but strong) wooden dowels, the length will depend on how big you want to make the kite
• Lightweight plastic sheeting (strong garbage bags, or plastic party tablecloths work well.) Newspaper could work, if you are still able to find a printed copy of your daily paper somewhere.
• Strong, properly sticky tape. We are not talking about weak gift-wrapping tape. Think duct-tape or construction level packaging or masking tape.
• A stick or sturdy piece of cardboard to wrap your kite string around as a handle.
• The actual kite string. Once again, I have no formal kite-building training, but strong plastic-coated twine works well, as does deep-sea or high-tension fishing line. Wool and is pretty, but it has a tendency to snap.
• Something for the tail. This is an important part of your kite build as the tail helps with stability and keeps the kite tilted to achieve proper lift. A long broad ribbon, a strip of the same plastic you used for the kite, or a piece of danger tape can all work.

Now: for the actual build, we think a hands-on demonstration is best, so here is a great video showing you exactly how to build a kite!

Let’s make a Kite!

Here is another, very involved WikiHow about how kids can make their own kite…You decide what works for you!

DIY Wind Chimes

If kite-flying isn’t on your Au(Gust) bucket list, we have a more indoors-y DIY for you.

Building a wind chime is a low-mess, no-glue, only-paint-if-you-want-to project.

Here is more space for creativity, and you can start small. Wind chimes are whimsical things that add a tinkle of joy to any home, and you can alter the noisiness of your chime based on which materials you use.

Because we love a good upcycle, we like the idea of using tin cans to make a wind chime. There are so many online crafters who have done this, but we particularly enjoyed this older video, made during the covid lock down, by our very own Builder’s Warehouse.

If you are ok with a bit of mess, here is a tutorial for super cool kid-friendly wind chimes. Add as much glitter as you can tolerate!

Also read our article on How To Decorate with Seashells.