Directions for Cat's Cradle

Place the string around the hands of person one. Insert the hands through the circle of the string, pull your hands apart so the string is taut and keep your thumbs out of the circle. Wrap the string once around both hands, still keeping your thumbs out of the circle.

Insert the middle finger of one hand through the loop on the opposite hand and pull this hand back. Insert the middle finger of the other hand through the loop on the opposite hand and pull this hand back.

Hold the cat's cradle while person two grasps both "Xs" of the cat's cradle. One index finger and thumb grasps one X and the other index finger and thumb grasps the other X. Pinch these Xs while moving the hands out and around the outer strings. Pull the Xs around the outer strings and back up inside them. While still holding the Xs, person two gradually pulls the hands apart as the index fingers and thumbs separate slowly. While person two is pulling the hands apart, person one carefully slides her hands out from the string and lets go. This transfers the string from person one to person two.

Find the two Xs in the center of the strings again. Person one pinches these Xs but this time the hands must come down from the top and not from the sides. Pinch the Xs and pull the hands apart and around the outer strings. Hold the Xs and push the pinched fingers up into the center of the strings. Separate the index fingers and thumbs and pull the hands apart slowly while person two simultaneously slips her hands out from the strings. This transfers the string from person two to person one.

Loop the right little finger of person two around the left inner string and pull this string toward the right outside the two right outside strings. Loop the left little finger around the right inner string and pull this string toward the left outside the two left outside strings. This creates two triangles. While still holding the strings with the little fingers, insert the index finger and thumb of each hand down through the triangles. Insert both index fingers and thumbs back up in the center of the strings (pushing the fingers and thumbs up past the strings). Continue holding the strings with the little fingers and spread apart the index fingers and thumbs while person one lets go of the strings.

Pinch the Xs from the sides with the index finger and thumbs of person one. Pull the Xs out, up and over the side strings and then insert the index fingers and thumbs down into the center of the strings. Separate the index fingers and thumbs with these fingers pointing down.