Sci Fri: Fire Kites

Fire Kites were a great lesson in brainstorming, problem-solving and collaboration (and by default, fire safety!).

We started by making several, so we had multiple opportunities to experiment with wind, design  and the technical details of burning all four corners at the same time.
I was concerned that my scientists would be hesitant to essentially burn their creations, but they were eager and full of ideas about how to make it work best.

The scientific concept being that the kite (turned seam-side down) will temporarily rise due to the heat trapped inside.

A few kites flipped over while burning, stiffling the 'rise'. 

Some were hard to light, due to wind.

Some lit, but burned before the other corners could be reached.

A few successfully 'bounced' their way across the lane.

One kite made some visible height, followed by lots of cheering!

Overall, a successful science project with lots of trial and error attempts.

This is a great read for those who love contraptions!