String figures are designs formed from nothing more than a loop of string.
Most of the time, people use their fingers to weave string figures, but sometimes, they also use their toes, knees, elbows, and mouth. Cat's cradle is actually a series of string figures made by two-players. No one knows for sure. String figures were once known to nearly all native inhabitants of East Asia, Australia, Africa, the Arctic, the Americas, and the Pacific Islands. In fact, some designs are believed to be ancient, perhaps dating from the stone age.