A cootie catcher, also known as a fortune teller or origami chatterbox, is a fun paper game often used for entertainment and decision-making. You can write various messages or predictions inside the cootie catcher’s flaps to create an interactive and enjoyable experience.
Tic-tac-toe, tag, rock paper scissors, cootie catcher; these games are a whole lot of fun to play. I’m pretty sure you have fond memories from your childhood that at times keep you reminiscing, and maybe you still play these games today. Or, if you’re still young, I know you at least find the time to play amidst the tumult of internet technology and smartphones. If not, then you should. Among these games, the cootie catcher game is one of the oldest, dating back to the 17th century. People first played it in Europe before propagating it to the United States and other continents. Anyway, enough with the history. How exactly do you make a cootie catcher and a fortune teller, and how do you play it?
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The cootie catcher is a simple model made from paper, with a simple technique. Well, not hardcore skills but a few basics of chronological folds, and you’re good! You can either make it from scratch with a blank piece of paper or you can use our free printable and editable cootie catcher template printables.
Here are the steps to follow to start from scratch. If you use the printable template then you can still follow the instructions on how to fold a cootie catcher.
• A pair of scissors,
• A perfectly square or rectangular piece of paper,
• Crayons or colored pencils and,
• A whole lot of fortune teller ideas!
Step 1: Get a smooth, clean piece of paper that’s perfectly square. Lay it flat on a table, floor, or any flat surface. If it’s rectangular, place it on a table, hold any corner and fold it while aligning the edge with another. Make sure it forms a triangular shape.
Step 2: Cut out the excess paper falling out of the triangular shape so that you remain with a perfect square after unfolding it.
Step 3: After unfolding the paper, you’ll notice a creasing line cutting diagonally. Take one opposite corner and fold the paper to form another creasing line, such that it results in an X shape.
Step 4: Take each of the four corners and fold them towards the center of the square. Ensure their tips touch the point where the two creases cross.
Step 5: Flip the paper over and repeat the previous step with all the corners. Ensure the tips touch the center where the two creases cross.
Step 6: Grab one side of the paper and fold it in half. Repeat this with the opposite side.
Step 7: With both hands, insert your thumbs in pointing fingers inside the four pockets, such that you can pinch and pull the model. And there you have it, your cootie catcher!
With our free printable cootie catcher template, you don’t have to bother writing anything. You can edit all text before you print (depending on the format you choose). The cootie catcher printable is available in 4 different formats: Powerpoint, Word, PDF, or as an image. Select the format that you find easiest to work with.
