How to make a cootie catcher
The playground favorite: fold it, write numbers and messages inside, and play. In the classroom it becomes a fun quiz game for times tables, spellings or any topic.
- Medium
- Age 6+
- About 10 minutes
- 6 steps
- No scissors
- Moves: Watch it open and close
Lesson at a glance
- You need
- A square of paper. No scissors or glue.
- Time
- About 10 minutes (allow longer the first time)
- Level
- Medium · age 6+
- How to teach it
- Show the 3D folder on the board and pause after each step, or print the step sheet for each table. Both show the same folds.
Finished!
Step 1 of 6Start with the square white side up. Fold it in half from corner to corner and open it, then fold and open the other way. You now have an X of creases.
Keys: left and right arrows go back and forward, Space plays or pauses, R plays the step again, B shows the back. On the 3D picture, the arrow keys turn it and + and − zoom.
How to fold a cootie catcher: step by step
You need: one square of paper, 15 cm (6 inches) is ideal. Origami paper is easiest. To make a square from A4 or US Letter paper without scissors, fold one corner down to the opposite edge, crease the leftover strip firmly both ways and tear it off slowly. A 20 cm square is easier to play with.
Start with the square white side up. Fold it in half from corner to corner and open it, then fold and open the other way. You now have an X of creases.
Fold all four corners in so their points meet in the middle.
Turn the paper over.
Fold the four new corners in to the middle again. You now have a smaller square.
Fold the square in half and open it, then fold it in half the other way and open it. Write a number on each of the 8 triangles, and a secret message under each flap.
Turn it over and color the four squares. Slide a thumb and finger of each hand under the squares and push the four corners up together. Your cootie catcher is ready!
Finished!
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What kids learn
- Fractions: the creases split the square into halves, quarters and eighths.
- Counting and number: spell a color or count a number while you open and close it.
- Shapes: squares inside squares, and triangles.
- Speaking and listening: taking turns and following game rules.
Classroom tips for teachers
- Quiz game: instead of fortunes, write questions under the flaps – times tables, spellings, capital cities or key words.
- Math: after step 1, ask what fraction each triangle is. After step 5, how many triangles are there?
- Kindness version: write kind challenges inside (“Say something nice to the person on your left”).
- Hands: show children how to put a thumb and finger of each hand into the four pockets before they play.
- SEND tips: use a 20 cm square and pre-crease all the lines; a partner can hold it while the child writes.
Standards links
- Math (1.G.A.3, 3.NF.A.1): see halves, fourths and eighths of a whole.
- Math (3.OA.C.7): use it as a quiz for multiplication facts.
- ELA (SL.1.1, SL.2.1): take turns and follow agreed rules for discussions.
- ELA (L.2.2): use it to practise spelling words.
Links to the Common Core State Standards, NGSS and the National Core Arts Standards. Check against your own state’s standards.
Safety
No scissors needed. Keep the messages kind – agree class rules for what goes inside before children write.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a cootie catcher the same as a cootie catcher?
Yes. In the UK it is usually called a cootie catcher (or chatterbox); in the US it is often called a cootie catcher.
How do you play?
A friend picks a color; you spell it while opening and closing. They pick a number; you count it out. Then they pick a number inside and you lift the flap to read the message.
How can I use it in class?
Write questions instead of fortunes – times tables, spellings or topic words – and let pairs quiz each other.