Historic Folk Toys: Games, 'Cat's Cradle and Other String Games'

Cat's Cradle and Other String GamesOur Cat's Cradle and Other String Games uses the Haddon and Rivers terminology for defining the strings on the fingers and features jumbo yarn. Included are directions for four classic string games: Cup and Saucer, The Witch's Broom, Cat's Cradle, and Jacob's Ladder, as well as a brief history of string games.Historical Background: String games such as Cat's Cradle have been played around the world for thousands (if not millions) of years. It does not appear that this game has a particular origin; rather, it was developed independently by many cultures around the same time. Anthropologists began studying string games between 1880 and 1900. During the 1890s, two anthropologists -- Dr. Alfred C. Haddon and Dr. W.H. Rivers -- invented a language to use when describing string games which made collecting and documenting string games easier. Other anthropologists continue to use this language in their travels.It seems that string figures were familiar to mo