Some parents, like Jennyfer Cordova of Waukegan, have not flown a kite since they were youngsters and their children never had the chance until she made the effort. She took her daughter, Isabella Escobar, and her son, Mateo Escobar, to a park to try it.
Isabella quickly got the wind to catch her kite and lift it into the air. She let out some string and then pulled some in, keeping it aloft. She moved her arms if the kite dipped to keep it moving in the air.
“It’s fun,” Isabella, a fifth grader at Andrew Cooke Magnet Elementary School, said. “It’s like controlling an airplane, but not really as hard.”
Cordova and her children were among 60 people participating in the Waukegan Park District’s 15th-annual Kids to Parks Day Saturday at Bevier Park as part of a national effort to give youngsters a positive outdoor experience.
As people arrived at the park, they received kits to make kites. Besides the kite itself, there was a colorful tail to be made and other decorations available. There was also a spool with a long string to attach to the kite and navigate it through the air.
Jonathan Cochrane, a recreation specialist with the Park District, said along with making kites, nature’s classroom housed at the park was available for exploration. There were also people using play equipment and walking the trails.
Julia Sanchez, a recreation supervisor, said each year the Park District selects a different park for people to explore on Kids to Parks Day. A number of parents said anything that gets their children outdoors and away from electronic screens is worthwhile.
Giving her children an opportunity to get outdoors — the wind was strong for kite-flying Saturday — is something Cordova said she tries to find. Playing outside rather than indoors creates a healthy environment for them. Isabella was getting the knack of kite-flying.
“You have to hold the string tight so the wind lifts it into the air,” she said, “You hold it and watch it go toward the sky.”
Along with kite-making, Rob Booth, who was there was his son, said he too flew kites as a youngster and now he was giving his children the same opportunity. They were busy making a kite’s tail. The boy was eating frozen custard provided by a local business.
“It’s fun to enjoy it with the kids,” Booth said of eating frozen custard at 10 a.m.
Dulce Ortiz brought two of her children and one of their friends to try kite-flying. She, too, did it as a youngster and wants them to have the opportunity. When they felt it was too cold, she took them to the swings.
Gunes Patnett brought her two young children to try kite-flying — Eren, a fourth grader, and Yaren, who is in fifth grade. She likes outdoor activities. Eren was concerned about the wind.
“I’m going to try it again,” Eren said after the kite came quickly to the grounds. “It feels like it is getting windy. I’ll fly it anyway.”
Watching the kite-flying but not trying it himself was Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg. He said he took the time to interact with families and listen to them. He said he wants to “give them a positive view of law enforcement.”
Kids to Parks Day is organized by the National Park Trust to “foster future outdoor enthusiasts and help with developing the next generation of park stewards by engaging kids in memorable outdoor experiences,” according to a Park District press release.
