cat's cradle
A traditional children's game played with a loop of string, making various shapes by passing it between fingers.
When I was a child, I often played cat's cradle.
She showed me how to make a broom shape with the cat's cradle string.
The word is usually written in kana; this is the most common spelling.
Kanji spelling using standard okurigana; less common than kana.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; seen occasionally.
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.