Rainy Day Projects

Paper Fortune Teller Folding Game

The paper fortune teller — sometimes called a cootie catcher — has been folded by American children since at least the 1950s. At this age, you do the folding while your child watches, helps press creases, and chooses what goes inside. You end up with a toy you made together that can be played with again and again at the table.

Ages
3–5
Time
20 min
Adult help
Adult alongside
Mess
No mess

Before you start

Cut and crease the square before you call your child over — a perfectly square sheet makes the folds much easier to work with. Plan the eight inner 'fortunes' yourself in advance: at this age, keep them simple and physical, like 'hop three times' or 'give a hug', rather than written words your child can't yet read. Draw small pictures instead. The activity usually stalls when children want to control the folding steps that genuinely require adult dexterity; redirect them to pressing down creases with a flat palm or choosing which color goes where. Wind down naturally by playing a round or two together at the table once it's finished.

You will need

  • One square sheet of paper8.5 x 8.5 inches works well; trim a sheet of printer paper
  • Washable markersAny colors; for drawing pictures and coloring flaps
  • ScissorsAdult uses these only to trim the paper to a square

    Adult cuts the paper to size before the child sits down; scissors stay out of the child's reach.

Steps

  1. 1

    Trim the paper to a square

    Before your child joins you, fold one corner of a sheet of printer paper diagonally to the opposite edge to find the square, crease it, and cut along the fold. You need one clean 8.5-inch square. Set the scrap aside.

    Tip: A slightly off-square sheet will make later folds uneven — take a moment to get this right.

  2. 2

    Fold and crease together

    Sit beside your child and fold the square in half both ways, then open it back out so you can see the center point. Fold each corner into the center. Let your child press each crease down firmly with the flat of their hand — this is a real job they can own.

    Tip: Say: 'Press as hard as you can so it stays flat.' Giving them a concrete task keeps them engaged.

  3. 3

    Complete the fortune teller shape

    Flip the paper over and fold all four new corners into the center again. Then fold the whole thing in half, slip your thumbs and forefingers under the four square flaps, and gently push the center up to open the classic pincer shape. Let your child watch this last step closely.

    Tip: If the shape won't open easily, the inner flaps may not be fully tucked under — check each one.

  4. 4

    Decorate the outside flaps

    Open the fortune teller flat and let your child color each of the four outer triangles a different color with washable markers. Name the colors together as they color. You can write the color name lightly yourself if you want, but the picture is enough.

    Tip: Keep marker caps nearby so one color at a time is open — easier to manage at this age.

  5. 5

    Draw the inside fortunes

    Open each inner flap and draw a small picture for each fortune: a stick figure hopping, two hands clapping, a pillow for 'rest time', a smile face. Describe what you're drawing as you go. Eight little pictures total, one per triangle.

    Tip: Say: 'This one means you have to spin around twice — want to watch me draw the spinning arrows?'

  6. 6

    Play a round together

    Reopen the fortune teller into its pincer shape. Ask your child to pick a color, spell it out while you open and close the fortune teller that many letters, then pick a number, move again, then open the chosen flap to reveal the fortune. Act it out together.

    Tip: Go slowly on the first round so they learn the pattern — once they get it, they will want to run it themselves.

Try it another way

  • For a child closer to five, draw numbers on the inner triangles and let them count the moves themselves instead of you counting aloud.
  • In Japan, a similar folded-paper pincer shape called 'parachute' or 'fox' (kitsune) is used as a finger puppet rather than a fortune game.
  • Make a second fortune teller using a piece of wrapping paper or a page from a magazine for a different look using the same fold.

What they get out of it

Children practice following a sequence, learn that folding flat paper can make a three-dimensional toy, and get comfortable taking turns in a simple back-and-forth game.

Take it to the table

Materials checklist, the steps and the variations on one Letter page.

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