How to Make a Cootie Catcher by Laurel Smith (Road Trip Mom)

Pick a color. Now pick a number, and another number.Your fortune says, "Today is your lucky day!" Just show them how to do this once, and your kids can create all sorts of cootie catcher fortune games. And you'll have an activity that will keep your kids busy and filled with creativity!

You need a square sheet of paper and a pencil or pen to make a Cootie Catcher.
Here's how to make it:

1. If you start with a standard sheet of paper you will need to make it square by folding one corner over to the edge and cutting off the extra flap.
2. Unfold it and you have a square. Fold the other corners and crease again. 
3. Unfold so you are back to the square.
4. Next, fold each corner point into the center of the creases.

5. With all four corners folded it should look like this.
6. Next, flip it over and fold all four corners points into the center again.
7. With all of the corners folded in it will look like this.
8. Write the numbers 1-8 on each of the triangles.

9. Lift up the flaps and write the fortunes under here.
10. Flip it over and color or write the name of a different color on each flap.
11. Flip it back over and stick your two thumbs and two forefingers into each of the 4 flap pockets. You may need to crease it along the flap lines first.  Fingers should press center creases so that all 4 flaps meet at a point in the center.

How to play Cootie Catcher game:
 

Have a player choose one of the top four squares. Spell the color they chose while you open and close the Cootie Catcher once for each letter in the color they selected. The player then selects one of the four visible numbers on the inside.  Open up and down and side to side as you count the right amount they picked. When you've stopped counting, look inside and let the player choose again. Open and close the right number of times, then choose once more. Open the panel under the number and read the fortune under the panel. Play again and again.

There are all kinds of variations to this game. Just use a little imagination when making your cootie catcher. Instead of colors on the top squares, you can put just about anything -- animals, weather, planets, people, anything! Also, come up with your own fortunes. Here are a few fortune ideas to get you started 

• You have a secret admirer.
• Someday you will be the President of the United States. 
• Today you will find something you thought was lost. 
• You will have great wealth.
• You will travel somewhere new. 
• You will do a good deed today. 
• You will receive an award this month. 
• You will make a new friend soon. 
• You will make straight A's on your report card. 
• You will forget something important!
• You will learn a new game. 
• Watch out for vampires
• You'll succeed at something you didn't know you could do. 
• Watch your step!
• You will receive a nice surprise soon.
• Someone thinks you're cool.
• You're sweet.

Printable Cootie Catcher
Personally I think it's the most fun to make your own cootie catcher, but some folks like to print a ready-made item, so I created some printable PDF images of cootie catchers for printer-happy people. 
 

Printable cootie catcher (with fortunes) Blank cootie catcher (write your own fortunes)

These are also posted on the Printable Car Games page with all the other printable activities.
 

It's as much fun making Cootie Catchers as it is playing with them! Have fun and remember, Cootie Catcher "fortunes" are just for fun, and that only you can determine your future!
 

~ ..· ´¨¨))   -:¦:- 
        ¸.·´  .·´¨¨))
      ((¸¸.·´  ..·´   Road Trip Mom -:¦:- 
     -:¦:-    ((¸¸.·´* 
 

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Laurel Smith is a former schoolteacher and mother of three who has logged thousands of road trip miles both as a kid and a mom.  Visit her website for more than 101 travel games and activities for kids at MomsMinivan.com
 

This article is copyright ©2003, 2007 Momsminivan.com. All images associated with this article are also copyright © Momsminivan.com and may not be republished on other websites or print media without permission.  If you would like an article to use on your website, please see the articles available for reprint here.
 
 

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