100 Creative Ideas & Printables for Fun Cootie Catchers
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Fun cootie catchers (chatterboxes, origami fortune tellers - whatever you call them!) are fantastic ways to have special times with your kids.
These super simple, print-and-go activities make it easy to enjoy interactive activities.
Check out this amazing list of cootie catchers and how you can use for parties, learning fun, and more!
Why I Think Cootie Catchers Are SO Cool!
The day I got hooked on cootie catchers will forever be etched in my memories.
"Hey, you wanna figure out who you're going to marry?"
We had just escaped to the freedom of recess.
The fresh air was exhilarating to this fourth-grade girl who'd been fighting back massive yawns and finding it hard to keep her eyes, open after being cooped up all morning in a classroom with an Eisenhower-Era boiler and steamed-up windows that prevented even a peek at the playground.
But, not as exhilarating as having the cool girl in my class (her name was Kim and she had this amazing assortment of scratch-n-'stiff, glitter, and puffy stickers) actually look my way and invite me into her inner circle.
Dude, finding out who I was going to marry was suddenly on the top of my list of must-know facts. Because, obviously, Kim knew stuff and this would be an epic moment in my life.
Pulling out just a single piece of paper, Kim deftly folded it into a square-thing that resembled a fancy napkin. Then, she took out one of those 4-color Bic pens (how cool were those?!?!) and started to write down numbers and questions and names of the cutest boys in our grade.
"Go ahead, pick one."
Oh, the pressure! What if I chose the wrong number or question and got stuck with a dud? Gulp!
After going through the cootie catcher process, I found out that I was going to marry Chip, my major crush at the time.
We moved on to how many kids Chip and I'd have (3-1 girl and 2 boys), picking my career (a dentist), and having a mansion as a home.
As easy as that, I was hooked on cootie catchers.
Maybe you called them paper fortune tellers?
In my school, it was cootie catchers. I think kids used the word "cootie" for pretty much anything they could. Or maybe that's just my fuzzy memory after enduring all those long days in an overheated classroom, bored out of my mind.
Ahem, I digress.
Have you tapped into the fun of paper fortune tellers with your kids?
Fun cootie catchers are super ways to engage kids and spark interactive joy. You can use these easy and affordable (often free!) paper activities to boost party, classroom, homeschool, family, and any special fun with kids.
Bonus points for being pretty cool in the process. Maybe not as cool as Kim, but it's a start 😉
Get in on the coolness with these 100 creative ideas and printables for fun cootie catchers (also known as paper origami fortune tellers) to use with your kids and students. You'll find inspiration and resources for:
- How to Make Fun Cootie Catchers
- Videos on How to Make Fun Cootie Catchers
- Gift Ideas for Fun Cootie Catchers Kids Will Love
- Ideas & Themes to Make Your Own Fun Cootie Catchers
- Fun Cootie Catchers by Subject
- Fun Cootie Catchers for Holiday & Seasonal Fun
- Happy Times with Fun Cootie Catchers
- Fun Cootie Catchers for Special Interests
- Boost Parties & Storytimes with Fun Cootie Catchers
How to Make Cootie Catchers
Want to get started with the awesome activity of cootie catchers?
Check out these fantastic directions and ideas for making superb cootie catchers (paper fortune tellers):
Craft: Cootie Catchers (Squigly's Arts & Crafts): Step-by-step visual to help you make your own cootie catchers.
How to Make a Cootie Catcher (Instructables): Includes a list of helpful materials and easy-to-follow direcitons with tips on making fab cootie catchers.
A Brief History of Cootie Catchers (Mental Floss): An interesting look at the background of this fun hands-on activity.
Printable Cootie Catcher Template (Printable Paper): Free template that you can use to make your own cootie catchers (and find awesome ideas below!)
Origami: The Magic of Fortune Tellers (Usborne Children's Books): An interesting look at fortune tellers with cool examples.
Videos on How to Make Cootie Catchers
Because sometimes it's just easier when you can see and hear directions 😉
How to make a Cootie Catcher or Paper Fortune Teller, Step by Step
How to Make a Cootie Catcher!
Gift Ideas for Fun Cootie Catchers That Kids Will Love!
Klutz The Cootie Catcher Book Craft Kit: Get all you need to make cootie catchers! Great idea for gifts 🙂
American Girl Crafts Cootie Catcher Kit: Make it super easy to make cootie catchers with this kit for girls.
Origami Fortune Tellers: 15 themes for super fun for kids!
Fortune Tellers to Fold: 50 paper fortune tellers for kids to enjoy, especially as a gift.
Ideas & Themes to Make Your Own Fun Cootie Catchers
Use the free templates and instructions found in the above resources to make your own fun cootie catchers that kids will love.
Here's a list of ideas and themes for fun cootie catchers that my boys worked on with me (and are eagerly looking forward to making with me).
Of course, I'll be sharing here so you can enjoy with your kids:
- Back to Homeschool
- Back to School
- Columbus Day
- St. Nicholas Day
- Jack Frost Fun
- Cootie Catcher Fun with the Bard (Learning Fun with Shakespeare)
- April Fool's Day Fun
- Fun with Flowers
- What Will Summer Bring? (An Origami Fortune Teller for Summer Fun)
- Around the World Cootie Catcher Fun
- Cootie Catcher for Your Favorite Sport (find soccer below!)
- Music Fun with Cootie Catchers
- Predict the Weather with Cootie Catcher Fun
- Nutrition with Food Groups & Cootie Catchers
- Foreign Language Practice-Vocabulary & More!
- Days of the Week with Cootie Catchers
- Months of the Year with Cootie Catchers
- Sing a Silly Song Using Cootie Catchers
- Favorite Movie Characters Featured on Cootie Catchers
- Cootie Catchers for What Are Your Super Hero Powers?
- Exercise Prompts to Get You Moving Using Cootie Catchers
- Getting to Know You Cootie Catchers for Interactive Fun
Fun Cootie Catchers by Subject
Free Scientific Method Cootie Catcher for Learning Fun (Rock Your Homeschool): Have fun chats about the scientific method with your kids as you boost your homeschool.
Multiplication Cootie Catchers (multiplication.com): Wow! Free cootie catchers for multiplication facts through twelves plus tough facts.
Make Math Fact Practice Fun with Cootie Catchers (There's Just One Mommy): Love these ideas for math fact-themed cootie catchers!
Nature Game Cootie Catcher (Nourishing My Scholar): Make nature study extra fun with this special cootie catcher.
Phonics Cootie Catchers (Top Notch Teaching): Oh my stars! LOVE these ideas for pairing cootie catchers with practicing phonics!!
Teacher Tools: Fortune Tellers and Cootie Catchers as Study Tools (Getting Nerdy with Mel and Gerdy): YES! Pair cootie catchers with secondary science for the win!!
Cootie Catchers-Grade 3, Science (Creative Teaching Press): 20 cootie catchers to practice standards-based science.
Ancestor Cootie Catcher (Growing Little Leaves): Mix a bit of history and genealogy with this hands-on DIY fun activity.
Amendment Cootie Catcher (National Constitution Center): Free cootie catcher to test your knowledge of the ten amendments.
Boston Tea Party Cootie Catcher (Tes): Add this cootie catcher to your American History studies for some fun.
Cootie Catchers to Review Grammar (Composition Classroom): Ideas to make grammar review for middle school and beyond.
Cootie Catchers Freebie (Classroom Compulsion): Review Common/Proper Nouns & Contractions with this free activity.
-ed & -ing Endings Fortune Tellers (The Curriculum Corner): Practice those tricky endings with your kids!
Learning to Read with a Cootie Catcher (Kids Activities): Fun ways to help your kids learn how to read using a cootie catcher.
Chatterboxes for Speech & Literacy (Childhood Beckons): We're super excited to use these ideas for pairing cootie catchers with speech practice for Xman!
Mean, Median, Mode, Range Cootie Catcher (i is a number): Super fun way to practice these math concepts.
Elements of Art Cootie Catcher Game (Glitter Meets Glue Designs on Teachers Pay Teachers): Wonderful for helping kids learn the fundamentals of creating art and talking about it.
Cootie Catcher Writing Prompts: Emoji (Primary Planet by Hilary Gard): Add a bit of fun to writng time with this cootie catcher.
Instrument Family Cootie Catcher (Jena Hudson at Sew Much Music on Teachers Pay Teachers): Make music lessons fun with by adding a hands-on activity about instruments.
Cootie Catcher Comprehension (Runde's Room on Teachers Pay Teachers): For grades 3 and up.
Library Skills Cootie Catchers (Kathryn Garcia-Made for Learning): Learning about the library can be fun with this printable cootie catcher found on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Fraction Cootie Catcher Memory Tool/Game (Math to the Core on Teachers by Teachers): Free cootie catcher to practice fractions.
Fun Cootie Catchers for Holidays & Seasons
Cootie Catchers for Seasonal & Holiday Fun Activities (Rock Your Homeschool): 14 different cootie catchers to help you have fun all year round! Find cooties catchers for the four seasons and major holidays.
Halloween Cootie Catchers-Origami for Kids (Easy Peasy and Fun): Total of eight Halloween-themed cootie catchers, with two of them as freebies!
Free Halloween Fortune Teller (Craft Your Happiness): Comes with written and visual instructions for super Halloween fun!
Halloween Cootie Catcher (Lil' Luna): Another fabulous cootie catcher for Halloween fun. Great for parties and non-candy treats.
Christmas Cootie Catchers-Fortune Teller Characters (Easy Peasy and Fun): All of these Christmas-themed cootie catchers are free and awesome ways to add fun to your holiday celebrations.
Random Acts of Kindness for Kids: Christmas Cootie Catcher (Bren Did): Boost your holiday celebrations with these fabulous ideas for helping kids think of others. Free printables with color and black & white versions!
Easter Cootie Catchers-Bunny and Chick Origami for Kids (Easy Peasy and Fun): Adorable cootie catchers to make this holiday or storytime special.
St. Patrick's Day Joke Teller for Kids (Bren Did): Share some giggles with your kids using this cootie catcher.
Gratitude Activity for Kids: Thanksgiving Day Cootie Catcher (Bren Did): Another awesome cootie catcher for kids! This one helps them express all that they're grateful for 🙂
Free Printable Valentine Joke Teller for Kids (Bren Did): Use for non-candy treats for this special holiday.
Valetine Cootie Catchers-FREE (Runde's Room on Teachers Pay Teachers): Free printable cootie catcher to make this holiday even more lovable 🙂
New Year's Eve Cootie Catcher (Nourishing My Scholar): Make this special night extra fun with your kids using this cootie catcher!
American Flag Cootie Catcher (Red Ted Art): Be patriotic and have fun with this activity.
Mother's Day Flower Fortune Teller (Red Ted Art): Lovely activity to do with kids and moms 🙂
President's Day Cootie Catcher (Kelly Avery Mrs. Avery's Island on Teachers Pay Teachers): Great hands-on activity to get your kids chatting about this holiday.
Father's Day Cootie Catcher Free Printable (The Country Chic Cottage): Fun activity for kids to use with dads.
Happy Times with Fun Cootie Catchers
Growth Mindset Fun with this Free Cootie Catcher (Rock Your Homeschool): Have interactive fun while you chat with your kids about growth mindset themes!
Free Printable Cootie Catcher (The Idea Room): Enjoy these challenges and riddles with your kids.
Kindness Cootie Catchers (Coffee Cups and Crayons): Make your own cootie catchers with Random Acts of Kindness themes for kids.
Fortune Teller Fun (A Word from Aunt B): Absolutely gorgeous cootie catcher that your kids get to color. Great activity to keep them busy and make them smile 🙂
When I Grow Up...Fortune Teller Fun with Preschoolers (Pink Stripey Socks): Super cool cootie catcher activity for preschoolers and any age! Help your kids figure out what they'll be when they grow up 🙂
Fairy Tale Cootie Catcher (Downloadable Cootie Catchers): Free cootie catcher to create (or mix up!) fairy tales.
Cootie Catcher Drawing Game (Dilly Dali Art): Encourage your kids to use their creativity with drawing prompts provided by a cootie catcher.
Personalized Kindness Cootie Catcher for a Special Friend (Mindful Littles): Beautiful idea for creating special cootie catchers for dear friends.
Emoji Fun with Cootie Catchers (DLTK's Craft for Kids): Use emojis for some interactive fun with kids.
Fun Cootie Catchers for Special Interests
2 Free Star Wars-Inspired Origami Paper Fortune Tellers (Rock Your Homeschool): Stellar fun with some of your favorite space-themed characters.
2 Free Dr. Seuss-Inspired Cootie Catchers (Rock Your Homeschool): Have spectacular fun with some of your favorite Dr. Seuss characters using these fun cootie catchers.
Free Soccer Cootie Catcher for Easy Fun with Kids (Rock Your Homeschool): Got a soccer fan? This printable cootie catcher is an excellent way to include their favorite sport for parties and everyday fun.
Harry Potter Sorting Hat Origami Fortune Teller (Nourishing My Scholar): My boys and I love all things Harry Potter! This cootie catcher is fabulous fun for being sorted into a Hogwarts house.
Shark Cootie Catcher-Origami for Kids (Easy Peasy and Fun): Excellent addition to your Shark Week fun!
Free Printable Minion Cootie Catcher (The Country Chic Cottage): Have cootie catcher fun with these adorable cuties!
Free Printable Wizard of Oz Cootie Catcher/Fortune Teller (B. Nute): Absolutely awesome activity to pair with reading the book and/or watching the movie!
A Wrinkle in Time Cootie Catcher (Nourishing My Scholar): Fun cootie catcher to pair with the book and the movie.
Choose Kindness: Wonder Book Cootie Catcher (Nourishing My Scholar): Fabulous activity to encourage kindness while reading this inspirational book and watching the movie.
Boost Parties & Storytimes with Fun Cootie Catchers
Creativity In a Box Boredom Buster Cootie Catcher (The Dating Divas): This cootie catcher is awesome for parties and holidays, especially when you want to keep your kids busy. Check it out plus the other free printables that go with this activity.
New Year's Eve Party Game for Kids (Bren Did): Wonderful activity to keep kids busy and having fun! Free printable!!
Pig Cootie Catcher Craft (Red Ted Art): Such a cute cootie catcher to jazz up your storytimes!
Forest Animal Cootie Catchers-Origami for Kids (Easy Peasy and Fun): Adorable critters to make storytime extra special.
Teddy Bear Cootie Catcher-Origami for Kids (Easy Peasy and Fun): This teddy bear-themed cootie catcher would be excellent for bedtime or any story with bears.
Cootie Catcher Book Questions (McElhinny's Center Stage): Make your own cootie catchers with fun questions about books you're reading with your kids.
Party Challenge Cootie Catcher (Downloadable Cootie Catchers): Add this cootie catcher for some party fun!
Happy Birthday Cootie Catchers (Creative Teaching Press): Colorful and fun cootie catchers to make birthdays a delight.
Get These Free Kids Party Giveaways-Cootie Catchers (Kids Entertainer Hub): Fun for parties and favors.
Fairy Tale Cootie Catchers (DLTK's Crafts for Kids): Eight different cooties catchers to have extra fun with fairy tales and children's songs.
Story Teller - Cootie Catcher (A Teacher's Treasure on Teachers Pay Teachers): Free printable cootie catcher to help kids chat about stories.
What types of fun cootie catchers will you make with your kids?
Do you have a fun cootie catcher to add to this collection?
Drop it in the comments section & I'll make sure to add it 🙂
And please share this post with anyone who loves to have interactive fun with kids!