I would like some under $50 kites, or some dowels, tape, a roll of tyvek, and a book of kite plans.
When I was a kid I loved my radio shack 50-in-one kit, my chemistry set, my bicycle, and kites. Kites are what I'm mostly still playing with today. You can do a lot of experimenting with kites for cheap.
My brother and I built what was for us a huge kite from trash bags and fiberglass poles from bicycle flags. We built a wind-powered ferry to tow Stinkor and Man-E-Faces up the kite line and drop them with parachutes.
Older kids might be more interested in something like kite aerial photography. You can definetly build a kite and rig for this with disposable cameras for under $50.
Slashdot Mirror
When I was a kid I loved my radio shack 50-in-one kit, my chemistry set, my bicycle, and kites. Kites are what I'm mostly still playing with today. You can do a lot of experimenting with kites for cheap.
My brother and I built what was for us a huge kite from trash bags and fiberglass poles from bicycle flags. We built a wind-powered ferry to tow Stinkor and Man-E-Faces up the kite line and drop them with parachutes.
Older kids might be more interested in something like kite aerial photography. You can definetly build a kite and rig for this with disposable cameras for under $50.