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Finger & String Games for Kids

Kids enjoy playing finger and string games. They enjoy exploring their sense of touch and fiddling with the world around them. Songs and games with fingers and string help children to enhance memory, concentration and language skills. Finger and string games can develop fine motor skills while passing rhymes and songs to a new generation.

String Finger Games
- Those in England played the Cat's Cradle as early as 1782.
  
  Jacob's Ladder is a basic string finger game that builds a ladder of string between the hands. This game is often integrated into the Bible study of Jacob and Esau.
  
  The Thumb Trap holds both of the thumbs in loops of string. This game is often used to enhance a young magician's magic trick. The Great Escape often goes along with the Thumb Trap. It demonstrates the knotting of a pair of scissors into string and then pulling the scissors free.
  
  Cat's Cradle and Cup and Saucer are string finger games often played at children's parties. They create shapes corresponding to their names.
Games Including String
- Telephone is a fun game using string and cleaned cans.
  
  Kids enjoy playing games that include string. Toys don't need to require batteries or electricity to be fun. Toys using string such as a yo-yo, a paddle ball or a kite provide positive entertainment for kids to enjoy on lazy afternoons.
Finger Games
- Finger plays, including "Little Bunny Foo Foo," "Here's the Church," "Itsy Bitsy Spider," "Three Little Ducks," and "Where is Thumbkin?" are effective finger games that can be enhanced with sound effects and facial expressions (see Resources). Finger plays work together with rhyme and song to help improve children's memories.

Kids Games