*Batteries Not Needed

Cody says that no matter what trick he is trying, he always wears a helmet.

If you would like to see a video of him in action, go to http://www.thepogospot.com, click on "Video Vault" and then "Individual Videos." Cody goes by the nickname Oops.

The site also has tips on how to do some great tricks.

The Kite

Anyone can fly a kite in daytime. Laurel's Midnight Squadron does it at night, often attaching lights so the kites can be seen in the air.

"It makes nice patterns," says the group's leader, Chris Cooke. He is teaching his 4-year-old daughter how to fly a kite. She is the youngest member of the squadron, which welcomes kite lovers of all ages.

"It can kind of grow with you, especially if you are a kid," says Cooke, 38. "There's just a lot of different ways you can go with it."

One of those ways is kite fighting. The object is to knock your opponent's kite out of the sky by hitting it, blocking its wind or cutting its line. The Midnight Squadron competes every year in the Smithsonian's Rokkaku Challenge, in which Japanese-inspired kites do battle. This year, the team finished first.

For a change of pace, club members like to attach cameras to their kites and take daytime photos from above.

For a kite's-eye view, go to http://www.midnightsquadron.org and click on "Photo Gallery" and "Kite Aerial Photography."

If you would like to join in the fun, check the site for information on the next meeting.