Making pictures with a loop of string is an ancient game which is still practised today. The North American Indian tribal groups in particular have many figures, some of which are very complex. The web site International String Figure Association has published a number of traditional figures in the Jenness Collection of Arctic String Figures, though the instructions provided assume a knowledge of expert level string figure language. In any case these pieces are not for beginners.
More commonly, children can sometimes be seen playing the two person Cat's Cradle game in which a series of figures is formed as one person lifts the figure off the other's hands. String figure crazes occasionally develop in schools and it's well worth taking the opportunity to learn a few figures for such occasions. Manipulating a loop of string to form different figures is an excellent means of developing dexterity, and can also help in understanding the difference between the right and the left hand.
Learning to make string figures is very worthwhile and can provide many hours of entertainment at very low cost. Although by the time children are at school it's usually the girls who make them, boys can too and will enjoy the game just as much.
Materials Needed for Making String Figures
All that is needed for this ancient traditional game is a loop of string. It's a good idea to glue or sew the ends together overlapping them rather than tying a knot, because the knot can catch when not wanted. If the cord being used is man-made nylon or polypropylene, the ends can be melted in a flame and then pushed together till they are heat sealed together. This is something that children should not attempt unsupervised.
How Long Should the Loop of String Be
Some string games require two loops of string but most of the descriptions of patterns for beginners use one loop. It's a good idea to make several loops of string, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 12 feet long respectively. The latter will probably not be needed right away but when complex patterns are made they often require longer loops of string. Remember that in order to create a string loop the length of cord will be folded in half so the length of string needed will be twice as long as the loop.
Where Can Kids Learn to Make String Figures
There are some excellent web sites on the internet. The ISFA site mentioned above contains good resources and links, and the organisation publishes all sorts of materials for those interested in string games and figures. The best web site for beginners is The WWW collection of Favorite String Figures. The book String Figures and How to Make Them: A Study of Cat's Cradle in Many Lands by Caroline Furness Jayne remains in print to this day as one of the seminal works of the subject. It was first published by Charles Scribner & Sons in 1906 and is now published by Dover Publications Incorporated in a new edition prepared in 1962. There are of course numerous other sources including videos on sites such as Youtube, but these will serve as an introduction.
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