String Games

One of the things that I love about Waldorf is that, even though I've been trying to do it for many years, there's always something more to learn! And it is always so exciting for me when something "clicks" and I can figure out how to fit it into my routine.

This week's example is String Games. I went to a workshop at the Washington Waldorf School where there was a woman teaching string games and she had these lovely thick string loops that she had for sale afterwards. Well, I couldn't afford to buy any of them so I went home discouraged and never tried to implement the games into my classroom. This week I was looking in Games Children Playfor a new game to teach my students this week and I came across "The Dragon" on page 32.



Even though it was a string game, it looked doable. I went to get a piece of yarn from the basket to try the game out when suddenly I realized... I am going to teach my students finger knitting this week. Why not have them each make a string for the string game as a first finger knitting project!!!! We have a nice fat wool yarn (Bernat Felting Natural Wool) that would be perfect.

I went online for more info on string games and guess what I found? A free online book: String Games by Arvind Gupta. It recommends using a string that reaches from your arm to the ground when you hold your arm in the air. Tie this string into a loop and it will be right length for you. Sounds easy enough. I'll just have the children finger knit until their string reaches from their arm to the ground, we'll tie the strings into loops, and we will be all set. I think my boys will like this verse, too, because the dragon spits fire at you!