noun
cat's cradle
A traditional children's game played with a loop of string, making various shapes by passing it between fingers.
子供の頃、よくあやとりをして遊んだ。
When I was a child, I often played cat's cradle.
あやとりの糸でほうきの形を作ってみせてくれた。
She showed me how to make a broom shape with the cat's cradle string.
Irregular okurigana usage; rarely used.
The origin is uncertain. The kanji 綾 (aya, 'pattern' or 'design') and 取る (toru, 'take') suggest the idea of taking or forming patterns with string.