Sunny days, blues skies, and warm weather equal perfect conditions for flying a kite. You can pretty much find any open field or a beach to launch your kite, but some places offer extra reasons to go. If the wind dies down, the kite gets tangled in a tree, or interest wanes, the places I’ve listed below offer other charms to keep the kids happy.

While you can certainly go buy a kite at any toy or hobby store, a really fun family project is to make your own. If you want to add a little history lesson as well, check out the instructions here on PBS’s website, which details how Benjamin Franklin made his kite for his famous experiment (tip: skip the key!).

All you need are some dowels (or long sticks), a large piece of paper or a heavy duty trash bag, tape, string, knife, ruler, pencil, scissors, and ribbon, and voila! Smaller kids will need supervision with the construction.

If your family really gets into flying kites, check out the group Kites Over New England, a kite club for kite flyers of all ages. The club has family-friendly events scheduled throughout the year and all over New England.

Five Favorites for Kite-Flying

Lars Anderson Park in Brookline offers walking paths, sports fields, a playground, a lagoon, plenty of places to picnic, and an auto museum. The highest point on the main ridge has fantastic views of Boston and is always windy, perfect for kites.

Millennium Park in West Roxbury, built on top of a former landfill and capped with dirt from the Big Dig, has great views and can get quite windy, making it a popular kite-flying spot. There are two playgrounds and six miles of walking trails including a short, paved nature trail.

Nantasket Beach in Hull is a stunning setting for flying kites with more than a mile of beach. There’s a promenade to stroll and the iconic Paragon Carousel.

Danehy Park in Cambridge also built on top of a former landfill, has 50 acres with plenty of space to run around in, hills to launch your kite, plus a playground and water sprinkler if kids get hot.

Nahant Beach in Lynn, another popular spot to fly kites, is recommended by Kites Over New England. There are two miles of beach, a tot lot, a promenade, and of course, swimming.