Kites are often regarded as a universal device that are present in the culture of most nations of the world. As evidence of this, one only needs to look at stamps that depict kites which have been issued in a multitude of nations.

Russ Mozier of Florida has compiled an outstanding set of over 300 kite stamps from around the world. Russ' Picasa page of kite stamps shows them in both individual photos and in a slide show format.

The site is well worth browsing. You will see a wide variety of stamps with kites on them. Many show the kites that are indigenous to the culture of the nation issuing the stamp. These stamps are another interesting source of learning about kites around the world. Other kite stamps in the collection show significant events in the history of kite design (e.g the Australian kites of kite pioneer Lawrence Hargrave).

I first met Russ and his wife Pat Mozier at a Kite Festival in Wildwood, NJ in 2004.  At that time Russ and Pat were members of the South Jersey Kite Flyers. They conducted a workshop on small kites that can be used with children in classrooms and which can be built at almost no cost. I have used the Sode kite design that Russ and Pat so capably demonstrated in hundreds of workshops since that event. The kite is now a staple of workshops given to children by both the Niagara Windriders Kitefliers Association and by the Toronto Kitefliers who adopted it after I introduced them to the design in 2011.

Recently Russ and Pat moved to Florida where they are now membera of the Central Florida Kite Club. Russ and Pat have their own web site, Kids Kitemaking, where you can learn more about their work with children and kites.