A quick and easy craft is the perfect (free!) gift for dad! This cootie catcher (aka Fortune Teller) is a great way to shower dad with hugs, kisses, snacks, and more! Y’all loved my printable cootie catchers for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day, so I made one for Father’s Day.
Crafts are a great way for kids to show their family members they love them! If you need other ideas for Father’s Day, there are plenty of handcrafted gifts on my site. Anything made with their little hands is a treasure!
Here are some more ideas:
If you’re feeling more adventurous, you could create customized message on a grilling apron or t-shirt using a Cricut.
How to Make a Cootie Catcher
What is a Cootie Catcher?
A cootie catcher (also called a fortune teller), is where a piece of paper is folded in such a way that can be moved back and forth while counting out a number or spelling out a word. It’s great fun for kids, and they come up with all sorts of funny “fortunes” for their friends.
I remember when these were popular as my daughter was in grade school. Back then, the girls folded up paper to create their own make-believe version of the future…like, they would be a famous movie star, marry Josh Hartnett, and live in a mansion. You know, silly daydreams!
Thanks to that child-like inspiration, Dad can have his own future told with the guarantee it will come true! This version has fun things on each corner, like “Hug your dad!” or “Play a game with dad.”
Supplies needed to make a cootie catcher
- Cootie Catcher printable (see how to download below)
- Scissors
- Printer (see which printer I recommend here)
- Copy paper
Print Your Father’s Day Cootie Catcher
To print, you will need to sign up for the newsletter in the box below and the cootie catcher will be sent to your email address. From there, you can download and print this file as many times as you would like. Look for a form below that has a picture of the download that you want. If you already get the newsletter, just add in your information again as you will not be signed up for anything further. Please note that this file is for personal use only. You can contact me if you have any issues with your download.
For this version of the cootie catcher, the kids pick a tool then move it back and forth while spelling the name. Then pick a number and again go back and forth but this time while counting. Pick another number and lift the flap to read what is inside. Then dad gets to collect his “gift” from the little ones.
Steps to make a cootie catcher:
- Print and cut around outside of the cootie catcher.
- Fold in half and in half again.
- Open out, turn over so the top is blank, and fold each corner into the middle.
- Turn over and repeat.
- Turn over so you can see the pictures.
- Slide your thumb and your finger behind 2 of the pictures and press together so they bend round and touch.
- Turn over and repeat with the thumb and finger of the other hand for the other two pictures.
- All the pictures should now be at the front with centers touching and you are ready to use your cootie catcher!
There are folding instructions on the bottom but if you have trouble there is also a great description over on wikipedia (yes cootie catchers are even on wikipedia).
This is THE printable that you can help your kids complete for their dad! He will win every time!
All for the price of one sheet of paper and some ink? Priceless I tell ya! Enjoy your free printable Father’s Day cootie catcher today!
Instructions
- Print and cut around outside of the cootie catcher.
- Fold in half and in half again. Open out, turn over so the top is blank, and fold each corner into the middle. Turn over and repeat.
- Turn over so you can see the pictures.
- Slide your thumb and your finger behind 2 of the pictures and press together so they bend round and touch.
- Turn over and repeat with the thumb and finger of the other hand for the other two pictures.
- All the pictures should now be at the front with centers touching and you are ready to use your cootie catcher!
This is awesome !!