Learn How to Play Cat's Cradle for Hours of Fun! (2024)

Jump on the train to memory lane with a serious flashback! Remember when you were little and you played Cat’s Cradle pretty much ALL THE TIME? I always had a piece of string or elastic in my pocket for this very game, and the beauty was that it could be played any time at all.

Now you can introduce your kids to the joys of this incredibly simple game with video and step-by-step instructions below – it really is as fun as you remember!

You will need 2 people and a long piece of strong about 120cm in length, with both ends tied together so it’s one big loop.

Take a look at this video from Mom’s Minivan to see this classic childhood game in action, then read the step-by-step instructions below to get started.

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1. The first person loops the string over each hand, so that the string is running between the thumb and forefinger and behind the palms.
2. The second person loops the string once around the first person’s palm.
3. The first person uses each middle finger to hook the string that runs across each opposing palm. This is the opening figure for cat’s cradle.
4. You will now have two X figures on each side. The second person comes in from each side, pinches the two X figures with their thumb and forefinger, pulls the string outward, dips under and comes back up through the centre so that the string ends up on their thumb and forefinger. Now they will have a figure like an X on their fingers.
5. You should now have two outer X figures. The first person now pinches those two X figures from above, then pull the string outward, dips down under and comes back up through with the string on their thumb and forefingers.
6. You should now have the tram tracks figure, i.e. four parallel lines. The second person now uses their pinkies to hook the two inner strings. Hook the closest string first, pull it away from you and then hook the furthest string and pull it towards you so that it forms a diamond.
7. Second person pulls each pinkie outward so that there are two large triangles on either side of the figure. Without letting go of the string on the pinkies, now point your thumb and forefingers down into each triangle and then come back up through the figure hooking the straight line that runs on each side.
8. You did it! This is the cat’s cradle figure.