The paper fortune teller.
Some kids call it a cootie catcher, some call it a chatterbox. Pick a color, pick a number, and lift the flap. Then fold a real one with the steps below.
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Here is how to make a fortune teller from one square of paper. It is also how to make a cootie catcher or a paper chatterbox. Same folds, different name.
- Start with a square of paper. With the printed template, cut along the outside square.
- Put it face down. Fold it in half corner to corner, unfold, and do the same the other way, so the creases make an X.
- Fold all four corners in to the middle, where the creases cross.
- Flip it over. Fold all four corners in to the middle again.
- Fold it in half one way, unfold, then in half the other way. That loosens it up.
- Slide your thumbs and first fingers under the four square flaps on the outside.
- Pinch your fingers together and push the corners up into a point. It should open two ways.
- If your paper was blank, write a color on each outside square, a number on each inside triangle, and a fortune under each flap.
Printable fortune teller template
Print it filled in and ready to fold, or blank to write your own. Cut along the outside square first.
What to write inside
Colors go on the four outside squares. The numbers 1 to 8 go on the inside triangles. A fortune goes under each number. Here are some to start with.
- You will find money in a coat pocket.
- A friend is about to make you laugh.
- Pizza is in your near future.
- You will win the next game you play.
- Somebody thinks you are really cool.
- A good surprise is coming this week.
- You will learn a new trick soon.
- Tomorrow is going to be a great day.
- You will get a new pet.
- You will travel somewhere far away.
- You will ace your next test.
- Your next snack will be the best one yet.
- You will make a new friend this month.
- Someone is going to share their dessert with you.
Questions
Is a cootie catcher the same as a paper fortune teller?
Yes. Cootie catcher, paper fortune teller and chatterbox are all names for the same folded paper game. It has four colored squares on the outside, eight numbers inside and a fortune under every flap. What you call it mostly depends on where you grew up.
How do you play with a paper fortune teller?
Ask a friend to pick a color and spell it out, opening the fortune teller one way and then the other for each letter. They pick a number showing inside and you count it out the same way. They pick one more number, and you lift that flap and read the fortune.
What size paper do you need?
Any square piece of paper works. To get a square from a regular sheet of printer paper, fold one corner over until the top edge lines up with the side edge, then cut off the strip left over. Printer paper folds better than thick paper or card.
Is the fortune teller template free?
Yes. Playing it here is free and so is printing the template, filled in or blank. There is no account to make and no ads on this page, and nothing you do here is saved or sent anywhere. You can print as many copies as you need for a class or a party.