Knots Every Kid Should Know

In Simple Terms

A knot holds because the rope rubs against itself. That rubbing is called friction.

Different jobs need different knots. Learn a few and you can help put up a tent, tie down a tarp or hang a bird feeder.

What you need: two pieces of soft rope or thick shoelace, each about an arm’s length long, ideally in two different colours so the steps are easier to follow.

Jump to: Rope words · Overhand · Square knot · Bowline · Two half hitches · Clove hitch · Taut-line hitch · Sheet bend · Checklist

Rope words to know first

• Working end: the end you move around to tie the knot.
• Standing part: the long part of the rope that stays still (or goes to the tent, the post or the load).
• Loop: a circle made where the rope crosses over itself.
• Bight: a U-shape in the rope, where the rope bends back but does not cross itself.
• Dress the knot: neaten it so nothing is twisted, then pull it snug.

1. Overhand knot (the stopper)

What it’s for: the simplest knot of all. Tie it near the end of a rope to stop the rope slipping out of a hole, or to keep the end from fraying.

1. Hold the rope in one hand. Make a loop by crossing the working end over the standing part.
2. Push the working end through the loop from the back.
3. Pull both ends until snug.

Check it: you should see a small, round lump in the rope. Pull on the long part. The lump should stay put.

Try it: thread a rope through a ring or a cup handle, then tie an overhand knot in the end. Can you pull the rope back out? (You shouldn’t be able to.)

2. Square knot (reef knot)

What it’s for: tying two ends together around something, like a bundle of sticks, a rolled-up sleeping mat or a bag.

1. Hold one end in each hand.
2. Cross the right end over the left end and tuck it under, like the first step of tying shoes.
3. Now cross the left end over the right end and tuck it under.
4. Pull both ends to tighten.

A handy saying: “Right over left, then left over right.”

Check it: the knot should look like two loops hugging each other and lie flat. Each short end should come out on the same side as its own long part.

Try it: tie a square knot around a bundle of pencils, then a granny knot. Spot the difference?

3. Bowline (say “BOH-lin”)

What it’s for: making a loop at the end of a rope that does not get smaller when you pull. Use it to loop a rope over a post or around a tree.

Use the story: “The rabbit comes out of the hole, runs around the tree, and goes back down the hole.” The working end is the rabbit. The standing part is the tree.

1. Measure out enough rope from the end to make the big loop you want, plus a bit extra. There, make a small loop in the standing part. The part going toward the working end should lie on top. This small loop is the hole.
2. The rabbit comes up through the hole from underneath.
3. The rabbit runs around behind the tree (the standing part above the hole).
4. The rabbit goes back down the hole, the same way it came up.
5. Hold the rabbit and the side of the big loop together in one hand. Pull the tree with the other hand to tighten.

Check it: the short end should sit inside the big loop, next to the side of the loop. There should be a little “collar” of rope wrapped around the standing part. Pull hard on the big loop. It should not shrink. Leave a tail about as long as your hand.

Try it: tie a bowline around a chair leg, then pull hard on the rope. Does the loop stay the same size? Now try tying it with your eyes closed.

4. Two half hitches

What it’s for: tying a rope to a post, ring or tree quickly. Good for a clothesline or a tarp corner.

1. Pass the working end around the post or through the ring.
2. Bring the working end over the standing part, around it, and back through the gap you just made. That’s one half hitch.
3. Do the same thing again, a little farther along the standing part, going around in the same direction. That’s the second half hitch.
4. Slide the two hitches up toward the post and pull snug.

Check it: you should see two neat coils, side by side, wrapped around the standing part. If they twist the opposite way from each other, untie and try again.

Try it: tie a rope to a chair with two half hitches and hang a light backpack on the other end. Does it hold?

5. Clove hitch

What it’s for: grabbing a post or pole fast. It’s quick and easy to untie, but it can loosen if the post turns, so use it for light, short jobs.

1. Wrap the working end once around the post.
2. Cross the working end over the first wrap, making an X on the front.
3. Wrap it around the post a second time.
4. Tuck the working end under the second wrap, so it comes out right under the middle of the X.
5. Pull both ends to tighten.

Check it: from the front you see an X. From the back you see two straight wraps side by side. The two ends point in opposite directions from under the X.

Try it: tie a clove hitch on a broom handle, then add two half hitches with the short end to make it hold better.

6. Taut-line hitch (the tent knot)

What it’s for: tent and tarp guy-lines. This knot makes a loop you can slide to tighten or loosen the rope, but it holds when the wind pulls. On the windy prairie, this is the knot that keeps a tent standing.

1. Pass the working end around the tent peg (or a chair leg for practice).
2. Bring the working end back up beside the standing part, making a big loop around the peg.
3. Wrap the working end around the standing part two times, inside the loop (working toward the peg).
4. Now bring the working end past those wraps and wrap it around the standing part one more time, outside the loop (on the side away from the peg).
5. Tuck the end through that last wrap and pull snug.
6. Slide the knot up the standing part to tighten the line. Slide it down to loosen.

Check it: you should see two wraps inside the loop and one wrap outside. Pull on the standing part like the wind would. The knot should grip and stay in place. Push the knot by hand, and it should slide.

Try it: tie a line from a chair leg to a table leg with a taut-line hitch. Slide the knot to make the line tight enough to hang a tea towel on.

7. Sheet bend (joining two ropes)

What it’s for: tying two ropes together, even if one is thicker than the other. Use your two colours here, for example blue and red.

1. Take the end of the blue rope (the thicker one, if they are different) and fold it back to make a U-shape (a bight).
2. Push the end of the red rope up through the U from underneath.
3. Take the red end around behind both sides of the blue U.
4. Tuck the red end under itself, where it first came up, but not back through the U.
5. Hold the blue U and pull the red rope to tighten.

Check it: both short ends (the blue tail and the red tail) should come out on the same side of the knot. If they are on opposite sides, it’s weaker. Untie and try again.

Try it: join a shoelace to a thicker rope with a sheet bend and play gentle tug-of-war.

Rope safety

My knot checklist

Print this out or copy it. Tick each knot when you can tie it three times in a row without looking at the steps.

• ☐ Overhand knot
• ☐ Square knot (and I can spot a granny knot)
• ☐ Bowline
• ☐ Two half hitches
• ☐ Clove hitch
• ☐ Taut-line hitch
• ☐ Sheet bend
• ☐ Bonus: I taught one knot to someone else

For parents

Knot tying builds patience, hand skills and the habit of checking your work. Practise on a chair leg or broom handle before trying a real tent.

Supervise anything involving a load, water, height or vehicles. Treat climbing and rescue knots as a separate skill that needs proper instruction and equipment. On your next camping trip, let your child tie the guy-lines and check them in the morning.

Keep exploring

• Programs and clubs for kids and teens: courses, after-school programs and sports clubs
• Kids’ Science Corner — more hands-on things to try
• Family adventures — places to camp and explore around southern Alberta
• Tying down a tarp for prairie wind
• Everyday carry and vehicle kit — a bit of rope is always handy
• Preparedness
• Lethbridge forecast — check the wind before you pitch a tent