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CONGRATULATIONS!
For your prize below are the directions for making the
most awesome Chinese Dragon Kite and its acrobatics would
make a Chinese warrior proud.
Be sure to play level 3 for a really fun and challenging
prize
only a true dragon person can beat this game!
so go ahead and try...
Good Luck!
Chinese Dragon Kite
Constructed of bags, a hanger, and a
dowel, this friendly dragon is cheaper yet just as durable
as its store-bought cousins.
| CRAFT MATERIALS: |
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Plastic trash bags |
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Cellophane tape |
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Ruler |
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Pencil |
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String |
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Permanent markers |
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3/16-inch dowel (14 inches long) |
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Wire clothes hanger (light gauge) |
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Kite cord |
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Heavy needle |
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Large snap swivel |
Time needed: Under 1 Hour |
1. Slice open a trash bag
lengthwise and tape down the plastic sheet. Draw a
14-inch-diameter circle with a centerline and squared-off
bottom, as in figure A. (Tip: Use a foot-long loop of string
as a compass. Anchor the loop in place with a pencil's
eraser end, insert a marker, pull the loop taut, and draw
the circle.) Draw a 1-inch margin around the top and sides
for tabs. Decorate with markers, if desired. Cut out the
pattern and the tabs. Tape the dowel to the centerline of
the kite's back, as shown.
2. Straighten the hanger, bend it
around the top of the dowel and then down along the
perimeter of the kite, as shown in figure A. Use bricks or
books to hold the wire in place.
3. Starting at the top of the
kite, tightly fold and tape the tabs around the wire,
alternating from left to right (figure B). Trim the excess
wire with wire cutters.
4. Place two pieces of tape (for
reinforcement) across the centerline on the front of the
kite, 1 inch down from the top and 3½ inches up from the
bottom. Use a needle to poke the bridle -- a 3-foot length
of cord -- through the upper piece of tape, alongside the
dowel.
5. Loop the cord around the dowel,
send the needle back through the plastic on the opposite
side of the dowel, then thread the cord back through and
around the dowel again. Secure the cord to itself with a
triple knot. Repeat this process with the other end of the
bridle at the lower taped point.
6. Attach the snap swivel 1¼
inches above the bridle's midpoint (figure C). Use a lark's
head knot: fold the cord and thread it through the swivel's
nonopening end; draw the loop of cord over the entire
swivel, then pull tight. Tie the kite cord to the swivel's
clasp.
7. For the tail, tape together
five plastic strips (2 inches by 4 bag lengths each), tape
them to the kite's bottom and decorate.
HOW TO LAUNCH THE KITE: Despite that classic image from
childhood, running is not the best way to launch a kite.
Instead, release it from your hand as you slowly let out
line or have a helper stand 100 feet downwind and release
the kite as you reel in the line. (Be sure to be far away
from power lines.) In strong winds, move the swivel up ½
inch on the bridle; in light, down ½ inch. If the kite spins
and dives, lengthen the tail.
Game Room
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