Paper kites scattered along the skyline are a typical summer image in Egypt.  This popular folk handmade paper game is played all over Egypt. Be it Delta, Upper Egypt, villages, or urban communities, especially the popular areas and alleys where children compete and adults help them to fly their kites high and also compete in decorating them and adding additions of their creativity, which facilitates the development of the element and gives it dynamism and the ability to survive. It is a paper game that is hand-made from reeds, fine colored paper cover, strings, starch ( as a handmade traditional glue)

Practitioners cut the reeds in either the shape of a square or two triangles with the same base, and bind it with strings, they cover the shapes with colorful paper and stick them with handmade glue (made of starch). Then they make the long tail of the paper kite, which is in the form of small parts of colorful paper to keep it balanced while flying calling it “ Mezan” referring to its function.

The second phase is the game one. Players gather in a high place, usually the rooftop, where there is plenty of room for wind. They slowly let go of the kite to sail in the sky and gradually it goes up. The winner is the one whose kite stays up the most.In some areas, the game takes on another level, as the players would try to take the opponent’s and claim it as his own. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the string paper kite game was revived to entertain children after it almost disappeared and was replaced by modern games

Reference:
The book of children folk games in Egypt by Medhat Mahmoud Ali Hussien