[Magic] Easy-to-enjoy trick using string figures (Ayatori)
Cat’s cradle you can enjoy with just one string.
It’s a traditional pastime beloved by children then and now—whether you quietly play solo or enjoy two-person cat’s cradle with a friend.
Here, we’ve gathered easy magic tricks you can do using cat’s cradle.
Along with classics like “Finger Escape” and “Ring Escape,” we introduce a variety of tricks that connect cat’s cradle techniques to magic!
Perfect for everyday play with kids or events in early childhood settings—feel free to make use of them.
If you love cat’s cradle, take this opportunity to give them a try!
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[Magic] Easy Tricks You Can Enjoy Using String Figures (21–30)
cord transfer
Ayatori is a magic trick where the string moves from one finger to another! First, hook the string onto the index finger of your left hand.
Then, wrap the bundled string around both your index and middle fingers.
There are two key points to make the trick work.
First, when wrapping, always keep the string that runs between your index and middle fingers on top so it doesn’t get twisted.
Second, once during the wrapping process, wrap only the lower string.
After you’ve wrapped just the lower string that one time, you can continue wrapping without worrying about which strand is on top or about twists.
When you’re done wrapping, pull the string off in one go.
The string that was on your index finger should have moved to your middle finger!
thimble
It’s a magic trick where the string hooked on your fingers slips off in an instant.
It’s a classic in cat’s cradle magic! First, turn your left palm so it’s visible and hook the cat’s cradle string around your left wrist.
From beneath the front string on your left hand, pass your right index finger through, then go between the left thumb and index finger and pull the back string on the left hand toward you.
Rotate your right wrist, twist the string on your index finger once, then transfer that string onto the left index finger.
Do the same to place strings on the middle, ring, and little fingers.
One important tip: when pulling the back-left string toward you, make sure to pass it between the finger you’ll transfer the string to and the finger immediately to its left.
In other words, if you’re transferring to the middle finger, pass it between the index and middle fingers.
Once all fingers have strings, remove only the thumb string, then pull the slack string beside the little finger.
The strings on the left hand should slip off smoothly!
cord tying
It’s a mysterious string trick where the right and left ends of the string figure end up connected! First, hold the right and left ends of the string and overlap them with the right end on top.
Next, use the index finger and thumb of your right hand to pinch the right end from underneath the left end, and use the index finger and thumb of your left hand to pinch the left end from above.
Keeping that position, slip the bottommost string off your fingers and pull the strings to the left and right—you’ll see the right and left ends connect! Once you remember the steps, even young children can do this magic trick.
If you like string figures, give it a try!
Ayatori combo → Finger escape magic
This is a magic trick where you perform several string figures in sequence and finish with a string escape.
Loop a string around both thumbs and little fingers.
With your right middle finger, pick up the palm string from the left hand; with your left middle finger, pick up the palm string from the right hand.
With your thumbs, pick up the string between the index and middle fingers; with your little fingers, pick up the string between the middle and ring fingers.
With your thumbs, pick up the near string that is on the little fingers, then release the little-finger loops.
With your little fingers, pick up the two far strings that are on the thumbs and release the thumb loops; then with your thumbs, pick up the two near strings that are on the little fingers.
There are two strings under the middle fingers across the palms: pick up the left string with the right middle finger and the right string with the left middle finger.
There will be three loops on each middle finger; release only the bottom loop from both hands.
That completes “Iron Bridge”! Next, there is one string in front of each middle finger.
While pressing that string down from above with your middle fingers, release the two loops originally on the middle fingers to make “Turtle.” Remove the middle-finger loops and slowly spread both hands outward.
You will get two large triangles on the upper left/right and two on the lower left/right.
Insert each middle finger from above into the upper triangles, and each index finger from above into the lower triangles, then bring index and middle fingers together.
Without changing that, pass your fingers up through the triangles directly in front of them from below to complete “Rubber Band”! Next, transfer the right thumb loop to the left thumb, and the right little-finger loop to the left thumb to make “Airplane.” Move the right index-finger loop to the left index finger, and the right middle-finger loop to the left middle finger to make “Kabuto (samurai helmet).” Release the thumb and little-finger loops to make “Necktie.” Finally, pull the string between the middle and ring fingers toward you, and the sequence ends with the string-escape magic!
Elevator
A classic of cat’s cradle magic—the Elevator! Let’s try it.
First, loop the string over the thumb and index finger of your left hand.
From the space between your left thumb and index finger, use your right hand to pull out the string that’s at the back of your left hand.
Once you’ve pulled it all the way out, retrace your path: thread the string you’re holding with your right hand back through the space between your left thumb and index finger.
After you’ve passed the right-hand string through, bring your left thumb and index finger together.
Next, hook the end of the right-hand string onto your left thumb and index finger and pull straight out…
and the string on your left hand slips right off, doesn’t it? That’s the Elevator! There are more complicated versions, but start by mastering this simple method.
Magic Broom
This Magic Broom lets you show off the string figure “Broom” as if it were a magic trick! The method is the same as for the regular broom.
First, loop the string around the thumbs and little fingers of both hands.
Next, use the right middle finger to pick up the string on the left palm from underneath and pull it out—here’s the key point! After you pull the string out, slip your middle finger under that string and give it a twist.
Then, with your left middle finger, reach over the twisted string to catch the string on the right palm and pull it out.
Be careful not to twist the string at this step.
Finally, release the strings from the right thumb and right little finger, and pull with the middle fingers to complete the “Broom.” For the Magic Broom version, clap your hands sharply before removing the strings from the right thumb and little finger.
In that moment, quickly release the strings and pull with your middle fingers—your broom will appear in an instant, making it look just like a magic trick!
ring removal
This is a magic trick where a ring that should be threaded onto a cat’s cradle string slips off.
Gather the cat’s cradle string into a single loop and pass the ring through it.
Then place the left end of the string over your left thumb and little finger, and the right end over your right thumb and little finger.
Next, use your right middle finger to reach from underneath and pull out the string that’s on your left thumb and little finger.
Do the same on the other side: use your left middle finger to pull out the string from your right thumb and little finger.
Do you have the basic cat’s cradle position now? Finally, remove all strings from your fingers except the ones on your left thumb and right middle finger.
When you pull the remaining strings, the ring will slip off.
If you pull too quickly, the ring may fly off, so pull slowly!