How to Teach Slip Knot Tying to Children

The noose is a variation on the standard slip knot.

Knowing how to tie some basic knots is a useful skill for a variety of situations. The slip knot is a simple knot with many uses, making it a great knot to teach children. Children can learn things very quickly as long as details are explained clearly in terms that are familiar to them. One way of helping children remember knots is to make up stories, sometimes involving animals, to represent each part of the knot.

Things You'll Need

• Rope or string

Instructions

1. Hold the rope or string about one foot from the end and have the child do the same with another rope.

2. Form two loops, one with each hand and have the child do the same. Tell the child you are making cat ears. The end of each loop should point down toward your body, and these ends pointing toward you should be coming out over the top of the loop.

3. Put the loop farther from the end into the loop at the other end. Tell the child that you are putting one cat ear into the other. Even the simple idea of cat ears makes the knot more accessible for a child.

4. Pull the loop that you put through the other and allow the other loop to tighten around it.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice the knot several times yourself until you are certain you understand it before beginning to teach the child.

References

• Indoorclimbing.com: Tie Slip Knot