Cat's cradle

What to do with this activity?

Cat's cradle is a very old game that's played in lots of different cultures across the world. It's a game to play in pairs. It needs concentration and is good training for little hands.

All you need is a piece of string around 140 centimetres long (over 4 feet long). For smaller hands reduce the length of string to suit your child. Turn the string into a loop by tying a neat little knot.

The first person puts the loop of string over their hands with their thumbs outside the loop. From here follow these instructions and videos from Wikihow. This video on youtube also shows you how.

Print these instructions

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Why am I doing this?

Talking and listening helps your child build their language and thinking skills – this is a great foundation for them to learn more. Asking questions, finding out answers and looking up words together will help build your child’s vocabulary and knowledge of the world around them.
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How can I do more?

Encourage your child to give their opinions and to ask questions about things they see around them. Help your child to make decisions by discussing their ideas. Check if your child understands different things they hear. Encourage your child to teach you new words and phrases they have learnt.