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Easy Paper Fortune Tellers (aka Cootie Catchers) for Kids 

Love simple crafts for kids? Grab our 20 free printable fortune tellers, cootie catchers, joke tellers, and chatter boxes for kids!

 

Easy Paper Crafts for Kids

You may remember folding simple paper fortune tellers in elementary school. My childhood friends and I made them with notebook paper and markers.

We called the folded paper games fortune tellers because we used them to "predict" the number of children we would have, determine our spouses, or pinpoint careers.

 

The History of the Fortune Teller

Fortune tellers are a simple paper game made by folding a square of paper into a moveable device with 8 flaps that are filled with messages or “fortunes.”

Never heard of fortune tellers? You may have called them cootie catchers, salt cellars, or chatterboxes depending on where you lived as a child.

The exact origin of the cootie catcher is unknown (some claim they came from 17th century Europe while others believe they are a Japanese origami invention) but it’s safe to say that they were popular with children all over the world by the early 20th century.

This back to school paper fortune teller is a conversation starting game for elementary school students and adults. Use the free printable to get kids talking about their back to school concerns and get a glimpse into their brains. Cootie catchers/ fortune tellers are a easy back to school activity that kids love.

Fortune Tellers for Today's Kids

When my kids entered elementary school I was reintroduced to origami fortune tellers and was amazed at the continued popularity of these simple paper crafts!

As a busy mom I appreciate easy crafts that give me time to interact with my kiddos. Plus fortune tellers:

  • Keep kids off of electronic devices!
  • Teach simple origami folding skills!
  • Are full of fun surprises kids love!

 

FORTUNE TELLERS REINVENTED

I turned the fortune teller of my past into simple crafts that are fun for parents & kids (or teachers & students) by replacing the silly predictions we wrote as kids with jokes for kids, conversation starting questions, and even random acts of kindness.

The themes of the cootie catchers range from holiday jokes to boredom busters. Each comes with a full color version to print, a black and white version to print and color, and complete folding instructions.

 

WANT MORE FORTUNE TELLER FUN?

Get my HUGE 12 Month of Furtune Tellers bundle today!

The instant download e-book contains 39 fortune tellers for spring, summer, fall, and winter. All major holiday are covered!

 

Free Printable Fortune Tellers

The 20 fortune tellers below are available for free download. Simply enter your email address in each post and you'll get an email with the joke teller attached.