List of string figures facts for kids

String figures are amazing designs you can make using just a loop of string! It's like a puzzle or a game where you use your fingers, and sometimes even your toes or a friend, to create cool shapes. One of the most famous string figure games is called Cat's cradle. People all over the world have been playing with string and making these figures for thousands of years!

What are String Figures?

String figures are patterns or shapes made by looping and twisting a single piece of string, usually tied into a circle. It's a bit like origami, but with string instead of paper! These figures can look like animals, objects, or even abstract designs. They are often part of games, stories, or cultural traditions in different parts of the world.

How String Figures are Made

Most string figures start with a basic setup called an "opening position." This is the first way you hold the string on your hands. From there, you make a series of moves, picking up loops with your fingers or passing the string over and under other parts. Each move changes the shape of the string, leading to a new figure. Sometimes, you can even change one figure into another with just a few more steps!

Famous String Figures and Games

One of the most well-known string figure games is Cat's cradle. This game is usually played by two people, where each person takes turns making a new figure from the one the other person just made. It starts with a simple shape called "Cradle" and can go through many different stages, like:

• "Soldier's Bed"
• "Candles"
• "Diamonds"
• "Cat's Eye"
• "Fish in a Dish"
• "Grandfather Clock"

Other famous figures include "Jacob's Ladder" (also known as "Diadem" or "Fence"), which looks like a ladder, and "Cup and Saucer," which looks just like its name! Many figures are named after things found in nature or daily life.

String Figures Around the World

String figures are played by people in many different cultures, from the Inuit in the Arctic to the Navajo in North America, and people in Hawaii, Papua New Guinea, and the Gilbert Islands. Each culture often has its own unique figures and names for them.

For example:

• The Navajo have figures like "Apache Door," "Arrow," "Butterfly," and "Hogan."
• In Hawaii, you might find figures called "Bird House," "Net," or "Maui's Lasso."
• The Inuit people have figures like "Caribou," "Hunter Stalking a Seal," and "Polar Bear."
• In the Torres Straits, figures include "Canoe with Two Masts" and "Fighting Head-hunters."
• From Japan, there are figures like "Sake Cup" and "Japanese Butterfly."

Some figures are known by different names in different places, even if they look similar. For instance, "Diadem" in Europe might be called "Osage Diamonds" by the Osage or "Quebec Bridge" in Quebec. This shows how string figures are a truly global pastime!

Images for kids

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  "Opening A", seen from below

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  "Two Diamonds"

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  Heraklas' "Plinthios Brokhos" made in a doubled cord. Resembles "A Hole in the Tree" with different crossings.

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  "Cradle", the first (and opening) position of Cat's cradle

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  "Soldier's Bed" from Cat's cradle

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  "Candles" from Cat's cradle

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  "Diamonds" from Cat's cradle

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  "Cat's Eye" from Cat's cradle

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  "Fish in a Dish" from Cat's cradle

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  "Grandfather Clock" from Cat's cradle

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  Inuit string figures reindeer, wolf, and pig

See also

• Notable string scholars