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.
3. Fold the other corners
and crease again. Unfold so you are back to the square.
4. Next, fold each
corner point into the center of the paper. Use the creases as a guide to
help keep your folds straight.
5. With all four corners
folded it should look like this.
6. Next, flip the
whole thing over to the other side
7. and fold all four
corners points into the center again.
8. With all of the
corners folded in it will look like this.
9. Lift up the flaps
and write the fortunes under here.
10. Write the numbers
1-8 on each of the triangles.
11. Flip it over and
color or write the name of a different color on each flap.
12. Crease it along the flap
lines, then flip it back over and stick your two thumbs and two forefingers
into each of the four flap pockets. Fingers should press center
creases so that all 4 flaps meet at a point in the center. Now you
know how to make a cootie catcher!
How to play the Cootie Catcher game
(Paper Fortune Teller):
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:
Cootie Catcher Fortune ideas:
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 need to study harder.
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.
These have many uses these days.
One reader wrote in to tell me she's making cootie catchers with scripture
verses for her Bible group, and another wrote to share how they use "actions"
instead of fortunes for a pre-school group. This has also become a popular
activity to have at wedding receptions. Put some "love" messages or actions
in for the fortunes such as "someone has a crush on you", or "dance the
next dance with the bride" or "kiss the person to your left".
Printable Cootie Catcher Personally I think it's
the most fun to make your own cootie catcher, but some people like to print
a ready-made item, so I created some printable templates of cootie catchers
for printer-happy people.
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!
----------------------- 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 road trip games and activities for kids at MomsMinivan.com
