Finger Strings

Finger Strings: A Book of Cat’s Cradles and String Figures

All it takes is a loop of string and a little patience, and a child holds a whole world of quiet play in two hands. Finger Strings gathers more than eighty cat’s cradles and string figures — the games that travel from one pair of hands to another — clearly illustrated with step-by-step colour diagrams, and thoughtfully laid out to need as little page-turning as possible mid-figure. Two brightly coloured strings come tucked in the book, so a child can begin the moment they open it.

Michael Taylor makes the case that these old games are anything but trivial: they give today’s children a chance to practise meaningful movement, explore space, interact with one another, and exercise their creative spirit. He notes too that string figures can be especially valuable for children who struggle at school, who are dyslexic, or who are working to grasp concepts like left and right, up and down. Asking for no screen, no batteries, and almost no room, it’s the ideal thing to tuck into a bag for a long car ride, a waiting room, or a slow summer afternoon in the shade.

C O N T E N T S:

Meet the String Man

1. About String Games
2. Simple Figures
3. Stars
4. Popular Figures
5. Stories
6. 3d Figures
7. Moving Figures
8. Other Figures
9. Partner Games
10. Tricks
11. String Things
12. Children’s Inventions
13. Very Simple Figures
14. Stringing Stories Together

About the Author

Michael Taylor has many years’ experience working with children and has shared his string figures at schools and camps around the world. A teacher at Philpots Manor School in the UK, he is a champion of the traditional childhood games of movement and agility — for the classroom, the playground, and the gym.