Māori Kite

Kites have always played an important role in the Māori culture of New Zealand. "Manu tukutuku" means "kite" in Māori. "Manu" means both kite and bird, and "tukutuku refers to the winding out of line as it ascends. Have students explore its history and tradition. Have them find out other uses for kites besides recreation. How was or is it used for communication and in ceremonies?

Have students create a manu tukutuku. They will begin by constructing the spine and the spar. The spine is the long stick that attaches to the length of the  kite, and the spar is the shorter horizontal stick that crosses it about a third of the way down. Ask them to use strong string to ties these two sticks together and then further stablize it with glue.

Next, ask students to use the length of the spine as a guide and cut a large sheet of newspaper or craft paper into a diamond shape, letting a small portion of each end of the spine stick out. They will later tie a long piece of string to each end.

Have students look at images of traditional manu tukutukus to inspire them as they create a bird on a large piece of paper. Ask them to paint the bird and then cut it out when it is dry.

Now have students assemble the kite. They can glue the bird on the newspaper and then measure a length of string longer that the height of the kite and attach it to the ends of the spine. If they wish they can add a tail created with another length of string and decorated with pieces of tissue paper, but this is not part of a traditional Māori kite.

Students can enjoy flying their Māori kites on a breezy (not windy) day when there are no thunder storms. Adult supervision is recommended. Remind students that kites should not be flown near power lines, trees, antennas, moving traffic, or within five miles of an airport.