Kids Craft: How To Make Cootie Catchers... starring Brooke and Sydney

This weeks cute kid craft is Brooke showing Sydney how to make a cootie catcher (basically that's a paper fortune teller).  




For each cootie catcher you'll need:

- a square piece of paper 8.5" x 8.5"
-scissors
-markers, crayons, or colored pencils

Basic directions (in the video Brooke shows you easily how to make the folds, but I'll also type it out for you to follow along):

-you can decorate the backside of the paper or use patterned paper if you want.
Step 1: on the white/front side, fold all 4 corners in so they meet in the middle of the square (you now have a 6" square).









Step 2: turn the square over so the folds are facedown and once again fold all 4 corners in so they meet in the middle (the square is now 4.25")





Step 3: fold the square in half





Step 4: insert your thumbs and index fingers into the four flaps (2 on front, 2 on back) and push together until the cootie catcher shape is made.

step 5. write a word or draw a picture in the outer corners I have marked with 1, 2, 3, 4

Step 5: flatten it back out. In each of the outer four corners write a word - whatever you want. Brooke did dessert theme "cupcake, cheesecake, pie, donut". Sydney knows some letters but can't write very many words yet so she drew a picture in the 4 corners instead :)
Step 6: in the 8 triangle spaces next to each corner square write a number - any number you want. Brooke did 2, 3, 8, 12, 11,  23, 14, 7 on hers.
Step 7: In the large middle white 4.25" square write whatever category of fortune you are telling. Brooke did "your future job".
Step 8: draw a line down the remaining 4 triangles to create 8 smaller triangles. In these spaces write the answers to your fortune telling. Brooke wrote 8 future jobs you might have (nurse, principle, no job (think she means unemployed!), teacher, lawyer, engineer, farmer, and "famous").

Brookes completed cootie catcher unfolded

Now fold it all back up. Have whoever's fortune you are telling pick one of the four words you first wrote (in this case: cupcake, cheesecake, pie, or donut). The person chooses and you count out however many letters are in the word - for instance if you pick "cupcake" that is 7 letters, open and close the cootie catcher (fingers spread apart one way and that's one letter, close fingers together then open away from you for the next letter - does that make sense? Watch the video for better example) 7 times.

After opening and closing 7 times have them pick one of the 4 numbers that are visible (in this case I was left with 2, 7, 11, 12), and then open and close the catcher that many times. I pick the number 11 so open and close 11 times.

I'm now left with the numbers 3, 8, 23, and 14 showing. Pick a number (I'll say 23) and open that triangle to reveal what job you will have in the future (under 23 is a nurse).

You can tell whatever fortune you want - the answers under the flaps could also be "yes", "no", "maybe" "we'll see" "doubt it", etc. if the fortune category is more of a question ("will I become a movie star" or "will I have a cute boyfriend"...whatever!). You could make it so instead of fortunes they have to act out whatever is under the flap ("do 10 jumping jacks" "stand on your head"), or truth or dare...use your imagination!


I know this seems like a lot of instructions but these are quite easy to make. I just took lots of pictures to try to help explain in case you have questions.

Steps 6-8. Follow this template to fill in the cootie catcher.

Step 6: follow numbers 5 thru 12

Step 7 is shown by the number 13

step 8: draw a line down the triangles shown and follow numbers 14 thru 21