String Games

Cats Cradle String Game for Kids

Kids Cats Cradle String Game Instructions

Cats Cradle is a two person kids game using string that is free, fun and easy.  All you need is a string (or thin rope) and two children who want to have a good time!  This game can be played indoors, outdoors, in the car, at a party, waiting at the doctors office or anywhere!  It is a great time killer when you need to keep the kids busy.  Keep an extra string in your purse or pocket and surprise the children with this activity when they least expect it.

Do you realize that the Cats Cradle kids game is probably over 100 years old!  Yet the children play it today like it was just invented.  These drawings are loaned by The Chicago Park Commission.  Special thanks to Clarence Squareman for helping to write these wonderful games.

To play Cats Cradle follow these simple step by step instructions.

The first child takes a piece of string and knot the ends together and slip it over your hands as shown below.

Next wind the string round your hands, not including the thumb.

Slip the second fingers through the string on your hands and you have your cat's cradle.

Now the second child puts his thumbs and first fingers through the cradle.

Draw out the string and take it under the cradle.

Slip the thumbs and first fingers again into the side pieces of the cradle, draw the string sideways and take it under the cradle, and you will end up like the figure below.

Now curl the little fingers round the string, slipping one under the other as shown, and draw out the side pieces.

Slip the thumb and first fingers under the side string, bring them up the middle, and you have your original cat's cradle again.

Carry an extra string around to play Cats Cradle anywhere!

If you like to do thing like this the link below will give you many more idea's or just google String games and you can even you-tube it and hind some.

http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/arvindgupta/stringgames.pdf