My Facebook Post for September 22 reads as follows:

“That awesome feeling when you teach sixty-three kids how to make their own kite, then go outside and listen to their squeals and watch their smiles as they fly those kites.”

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First thing in the morning I had a workshop with the Grade One class at St. Gabriel’s School in Biggar.  There were twenty students and we had an hour to assemble our kites.

My knowledge from a previous Culture Days Activity–the Windscape Kite Festival in Swift Current–came in handy. I had the parts pre-cut and ready to go, and I had the confidence of two days of kite-making behind me.

Next, I did a workshop with forty-three students from Biggar Central School.  Because they were an older group of students I included them in the process a bit more.  No pre-cut parts for them.  I gave them templates to trace as well as ribbon and string to cut.  We still had an hour to assemble to the kites, so it was a bit more intense considering the size of the group and the added workload.  But, just like the Grade One class of St. Gabriel’s this group of Grades Four and Five assembled their kites in a little over the allotted time.

While the kids finished up I took a lunch break.

When I returned to the school my chaperone and I walked in the direction of a large field that connects the two schools, which is hidden behind a hill.

As we walked up the hill I heard the students before I saw them–squeals of delight, laughter, running, and play.

I rushed to the top and was thrilled to see sixty-three students enjoying the simple pleasure of flying a kite (and, indeed, most of the kites did take flight).

Some of the students were running and laughing out loud, while others stood still and enjoyed the experience in silence with grin.

Either way, it was an enjoyable afternoon.  And the students learnt how much fun can be had with a little string, ribbon, a plastic bag, and a couple of sticks.