“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” -George Bernard Shaw

"When children pretend, they’re using their imaginations to move beyond the bounds of reality. A stick can be a magic wand. A sock can be a puppet. A small child can be a superhero. "  - Mr. Rogers

"Smiling is mouth yoga."

“The gift of Play is that it invites us to create without attachment,  explore without a destination, and enjoy without complexity.”   ~ Vince Gowmon

The pessimist fears … how soon their kite will fall.
The optimist wonders … how high their kite will fly;                                       

"Play builds the kind of free-and easy, try-it-out, do-it-yourself character that our future needs.”  ~ James L. Hymes, Jr

“In the sky there is no distinction of east and west; people create distinctions out of their own minds, and then believe them to be true.”

"Play is the highest form of research."  Albert Einstein

In this every evolving section you can explore the passion for creating personal and family memories with kites, lights and other delights.   

From a kite store for a summer 43 years ago, to a kite museum on Pelee Island, to the  a warehouse full of junk, to festivals and exhibitions that continue to be a part of the madness, it is a blessing to be able to work with a great and evolving group of volunteers who are joy junkies too in trying to create healthy experiences for people's heart and soul.

Some quick top of mind questions to get out of the way:

I do not know why kites.  Maybe it's like love-sometimes it just happens and we can't explain it.  Why not kites?

How many kites?  I don't know.   A lot.  Enough to be one of the largest private kite collections in the world.  I look forward to reducing it as I get older.  I am 65.

No favourites.  Like a child from every race and creed, each is beautiful and has their own interesting story.  My oldest is from 1880's, a Rogers Walking Stick, basically a silk kite with the silhouette of a predatory bird which would be pulled of the cane tube and flown to flush out quail and grouse as they were hunted.

Still really skeptical about the Ben Franklin story, as I am about kites originating in China.

Alexander Graham Bell is an unknown kiter of historical proportions,  Sir George Cayley and George Pocock are fascinating figures.

Biggest mistake I see people make is not letting out enough string to launch their kite - let out at least 50 feet.  

You meet the happiest people with kites. When you see these kids with these huge beaming smiles and raised eyebrows you know are doing something worthwhile.