Cat's Cradle Club
String figures are universal games played with a simple loop of string. From the Canadian Arctic to the tip of Africa, each culture has its own treasured repertoire of string figures and stories, handed down from generation to generation. Playing with string figures invites problem-solving, builds fine motor skills and algorithmic thinking, and creates connections between cultures. Playing with string is great fun for young and old alike.
Dr. Parker Glynn-Adey, a mathematics professor at the University of Toronto, brings this ancient art form to life in interactive workshops, showing students and educators how string figures combine cultural richness with dynamic learning. Through Cat's Cradle Club, he introduces people of all ages to the joy and curiosity that these patterns inspire. Dr. Glynn-Adey’s workshops offer a unique chance to explore history, mathematics, and art all in one — an engaging experience for any classroom or group setting.
Workshops
Anyone can benefit from, and enjoy, playing string games. Parker runs workshops for classes starting as early as Grade 4. To schedule a string workshop, please contact: parker.glynn.adey@utoronto.ca.
The Department of Computer and Mathematical Sciences at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus is a registered educational partner with the TDSB. To obtain copies of Dr. Parker Glynn-Adey's vulnerable sector police check, and our memorandum of understanding with the TDSB, please contact: gwen.wang@utoronto.ca.
To get a sense of a string workshop's contents, you can check out the notes for a short introductory workshop.
Contents
Teaching Young and Old
