Beginner’s picture guide of knots

Kids don’t have much exposure to the variety of knots there are beyond how to tie their shoes. There is so much more to learn, and having a good picture guide of knots to reference helps make that happen. That’s where My First Book of Knots: A Beginner’s Picture Guide (under $10) comes in,

What this book covers

In this book, authors Berndt Sundsten and Jan Jager cover several useful knots, and indicating the appropriate situation and application for each one, which is just as important as learning the knots themselves. When looking for a picture guide of knots, large and color is better. In this book, the illustrations are large, colored, and clear – with appropriate shading so it’s easy to tell where the rope or string should go behind or in front of other parts of the rope.

Regarding the book’s title

As a parent, I cannot help but feel like the book title, ‘My First Book of Knots’, would make me a bit cautious to want to pick it up. The phrasing ‘My First Book of whatever‘ is reminiscent of toddler books that have similar names. Despite that, the book’s material is meant for older kids – as young as 7-year-olds up to 12-year-olds (honestly there is no cap – even adults like this book). If kids find this picture guide of knots interesting, then perhaps they will seek out additional books, but it certainly isn’t a mere introduction – there are a good number of knots covered in this book alone. That said, the book succeeds as a gift to kids in teh 7-12 year range despite the title.

Application of knots

The need for a knots come up in all sorts of situations, and in many times in unpredictable ones. Many people like to know knots for fishing, boating, and camping, but it isn’t limited to those heavily involved in outdoor activities, and knowing how to tie a knot can come in handy in emergency situations. Other applications includes: tying shoes, tying two short ropes together to make one long one, making a bead bracelet, making a sling, tie a bundle of sticks together, or lifting and carrying buckets.

Why a picture guide of knots makes a good gift for a kid

The draw in presenting a kid with a picture guide of knots is that there is an inherent challenge to want to make each knot. And once kids learn how to make various knots, they’ll look for opportunities to put their learning into practice. It’s also a handy skill (literally and figuratively), and could prove useful in a variety of ways. Consider combining this gift with some paracord or other rope to encourage practicing knots.