Kites from Kabul, V&A Museum of Childhood

From Mary Poppins' wards to the children in Afghanistan and across South Asia, children take pleasure in flying kites. They take it rather more seriously in Afghanistan and South Asian then we do here, however, and they have flown kites for over a century, allowing their hovering little square of colour to dominate the Kabul skyline of an evening.  

Until January, London's V&A Museum of Childhood's is celebrating the moment of care-free abandon offered by kite flying that happens in one of the world's most troubled countries, with a new exhibition.

Handmade kites, inspired by Afghan and Islamic design motifs are on display courtesy of Turquoise Mountain, a British charity in Kabul, alongside kites made by the artists and children of the Old City of Kabul. Photos and videos also bring life to the rich history and culture of kite-fyling, giving a glimpse into another world, many miles away, where families and children fly kites just as we do on our green and pleasant lands.