String Me Along

String me along

The lowly string has a long history and many purposes. It is fun to play with (just ask a kitten) and it can save lives when you need to get stitched up from an operation. Try this string of activities below.

CONNECT:

• How do stringed musical  instruments work? Research it at http://www.ducksters.com/musicforkids/string_instruments.php
• What do sheep intestines and violins have in common? Watch how gut strings are made: at http://www.kansastravel.org/balloftwine.htm
• String theory: you may have heard about it on the Big Bang Theory TV show; here’s an 11 year old’s version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXqvwGT8l9w
• What is a quipu? It’s how Incas communicated. See how to share information with string at http://www.ancientscripts.com/quipu.html
• Watch the history of string in art: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-By5ZAFCmwE

CREATE:

• The famous French writer Guy de Maupassant said he could write about anything, so he was challenged to write a short story about a piece of string. Here it is: http://www.classicshorts.com/stories/string.html. What story could you write about string?
• Try weaving with string: http://www.handsoncrafts.org/002.htm
• Have fun playing string games: http://www.kidspot.com.au/kids-activities-and-games/Activity-ideas+30/5-top-string-games-fun-string-figures-for-kids+11984.htm
• Make your own stringed instrument by following the directions at http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/make-guitars-crafts.html
• Strings can help you learn math. Making your own string art picture, and you’ll be connecting the dots about math at the same time: http://www.mathcats.com/crafts/stringart.html

CARE:

• Entertain a sick friend by making string figures: http://www.alysion.org/figures/introkids.htm
• Wrapping packages often uses string. See how 4-Hers wrapped gifts as a community service project: http://elkhartcounty4h.org/Manuals/GiftWrappingManual.pdf. You might try this activity as a fund-raiser too.
• In Kansas you can visit the largest ball of twine (a kind of string): http://www.kansastravel.org/balloftwine.htm   Maybe you can raise money with a string-collecting contest, and then give the balls of string to service agencies.

CAREERS:

No, I’m not stringing you along. There are a string of careers that use string: musicians, packaging and delivery services, manufacturing. You might even stretch the idea to including dentists (floss daily!). Look at some of these career sites:

https://www.careersinmusic.com

http://www.packworld.com/what-i-have-learned-%E2%80%A8about-career-packaging

http://www.bakercheese.com/   (string cheese!)

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/physicians-and-surgeons.htm

http://www.ada.org/en/education-careers/careers-in-dentistry/