So many kites for sale, so little time to fly... Have you ever bought anything on eBay? Like a vast kite shop of new and used kiting gear at bargain prices. Kites online like this are usually in new condition these days. It's just like going to a bricks-and-mortar retailer and selecting children's kites, except the prices are lower!
In the under $30 price range, most of the kites below are suitable for children. The bigger the kite, the more care needs to be taken, however, in ensuring the pull of the string is manageable for the child. Or they can just watch you fly it!
Try thisif you're not living in the U.S.
In the next section there are a few tips for picking a kite for your kid(s)...
Some Kite Selection Tips
For small children, stick with the smaller single-liners. For example Novelty kites of various kinds, and the ever-reliable Diamonds. Oh, and the small Sleds are super-convenient and almost indestructible!
Older kids with a bit more muscle will love the challenge of Sport kites such as 2-line Delta or Parafoils! If you let them have a go, that is ;-) The Parafoil stunters have the advantage of almost zero set-up time. Apart from these, fairly large but cheap single-line Delta kites are a good choice. The line pull on these is usually very manageable, and they can look quite stunning in the air. You might also occasionally find cheap but quite large Diamonds as well.
As for Chinese kites... You might even find some authentic hand-painted silk-and-bamboo examples of these kites for sale here! Something different to fly with friends, don't you think?
Plus there's a whole lot of kite-related gear that doesn't actually fly. DVDs, pictures, ornaments, ear-ring studs, you name it. Maybe your kite-fanatic friend's birthday is coming up ;-)
Remember, keep your distance from power lines and other people, when flying any kind of kite. Those accidents you see on shows like Funniest Home Videos might get a laugh - but the person on the receiving end might not feel like laughing so much... Ouch.