Kites?
If you are flying kites with kids, might I recommend the Parafoil Kite? The one I have was made by the "Go Fly A Kite" company.
They have no sticks, you store them by shoving them into a little pouch, they're indestructible, and will soar into the air if a cow in the next field farts. I found it a great, dummy-proof kite for little kids.
Unfortunately, they run about 20 bucks, which is a bit more expensive than the two-stick jobs you can get in the toy store. They last longer though.