(FREE) Easter Cootie Catcher Printable for Kids

Including some Easter fun in your Spring homeschool schedule is super easy with our (free) interactive Easter cootie catcher!

Growing up, Easter was always one of my favorite holidays. When Easter showed up on the calendar, it meant that warmer weather was on it’s way (unless you lived in New Jersey in 1994…when it snowed ON EASTER!) along with Easter baskets filled with delicious treats and a delicious, “fancy” breakfast. It also meant that hyacinths, my favorite flower, would soon be blooming and filling the air with the fragrance you either love or hate.

Easter is still one of my favorite holidays and now I get to share it with my own family! While I’ll always include a number of spring activities, along with March & April (depending on the year), I’m happy to include Easter-themed activities…especially when they’re fun & require little to no prep on my end!

Not only is my Easter cootie catcher completely free (yay!), it also takes mere minutes to prep allowing you and the kids to jump right in and make some spring memories together pretty quickly!

In this post, I’ll be sharing a brief history of cootie catchers, how to fold and use the Easter cootie catcher, and…of course…how to grab your free Easter printable.

It’s also worth noting that this Easter resource does not contain any faith-based references. While my family and I are Christians, I did grow up without religion. I created this resource with similar families in mind.

Let’s do this!

What are Cootie Catchers?

I’ll be honest – when I first saw cootie catchers popping up all over social media and the homeschooling world, I was confused. Cooties are germs. Aren’t we trying to avoid germs? Why on earth would anyone want to “catch” them? Hard pass.

Then, it clicked. People were talking about those folded paper fortune tellers we all made as kids. In South Jersey, in the 90s, we definitely called them fortune tellers. Did you call them that, too – or something else? Let me know!

So, the history of the term “cootie catcher” actually dates back to World War 1. It kind of makes me squeamish – the name comes from the practice of using a little pinch, or pincer grip, to grab germs or bugs. Ew. Not the most charming origin story for sure.

Thankfully, today’s paper cootie catchers are just simple fun. Kids use their fingers to open and close the folded pieces of paper, allowing them to build upon their fine motor skills without even realizing it. They also practice counting or spelling along the way. Add a silly task or fortune inside – like the ones in my cootie catchers – and they suddenly become an fun activity!

My Easter cootie catcher printable keeps kids learning with hands-on play, counting, and spelling, plus eight different Easter-themed challenges. Each one takes no more than 5 minutes, so it’s a quick win. Give it a try!

Making an Easter Cootie Catcher

Including my Easter cootie catcher in your spring plans this year is super easy. The printable comes with step-by-step instructions for crafting and using the cootie catcher, but I always think it’s smart to know all the details before jumping into an activity.

It makes sense, right?

Keep reading to learn how to make and use the cootie catcher, or scroll down to the next section to have the Easter cootie catcher printable sent right to your inbox.

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Assembling the Easter Cootie Catcher

To make the Easter cootie catcher, you’ll just need a printer capable of printing in color, standard printer paper (no need to use cardstock for this project!), and a pair of scissors. Just in case you have a need, all of those items (and then some) are included in my shoppable list of homeschool faves!

• Print and Cut out the Cootie Catcher Square

• Fold in Half Diagonally (Both Ways):
  • Fold the square diagonally corner-to-corner, then unfold.
  • Repeat with the other diagonal. You should now have a square with two crease lines that cross in the center.

• Fold Each Corner to the Center:
  • Bring each corner of the square to the center point, creating a smaller square with four triangular flaps meeting in the middle.

• Flip the Paper Over:
  • Just like before, fold each of the four corners to the center. This creates an even smaller square.

• Fold Each Corner to the Center Again:
  • Just like before, fold each of the four corners to the center. This creates an even smaller square.

• Fold the Square in Half Horizontally and Vertically:
  • Fold the smaller square in half to make a rectangle, then unfold.
  • Rotate the paper and fold it in half the other way, then unfold again.

• Open the Pockets:
  • With the folded side facing up, gently slip your fingers under each of the four flaps on the underside of the cootie catcher.
  • Pinch the flaps together with your thumbs and forefingers, and your cootie catcher will pop up into shape.

Using the Cootie Catcher

• Hold the Cootie Catcher:
  • Place your thumbs and forefingers inside the four pockets of the cootie catcher.
  • Move your fingers to open and close it vertically and horizontally.
• Pick a Color:
  • Ask the person using the cootie catcher to pick one of the images on the top flaps (carrots, basket, bunny, eggs)
  • Open and close the cootie catcher once for each letter in the image they chose (e.g., B-U-N-N-Y would be five movements).
• Pick a Number:
  • Show the inside of the cootie catcher where numbers are written on the flaps.
  • Ask them to pick one of these numbers.
  • Open and close the cootie catcher again for each count of the number chosen.
• Pick Another Number:
  • With the cootie catcher open, show the inside numbers again.
  • Ask them to pick one final number.
• Reveal the Challenge:
  • Lift the flap under the final number to reveal the Easter Challenge hidden inside.

For example, an Easter cootie catcher sequence might go like this:

• The person picks “Bunny.” You spell out “B-U-N-N-Y” while moving the cootie catcher in and out for each letter
• They see the new numbers inside and pick “3.” You move the cootie catcher 3 times.
• Finally, they pick “2.” You open up the flap for “2” and reveal the Easter Challenge inside

Get the Easter Cootie Catcher Printable

The moment you’ve been waiting for! I’ve made it super easy to get access to all of my printables! To get the Easter cootie catcher printable you can either:

1. Fill out the form below: Doing so will send the printable PDF straight to your inbox where you can save or print at your convenience.
2. Request Access to the Printable Playground: You’ll get access to my ever-growing collection of free printables (Easter Cootie Catcher included) when you request the monthly password to the Printable Playground.

Happy Easter!

So many kids learn best when their hands are busy, so an Easter cootie catcher is an easy (free) win! They get to cut, fold, and play, and that hands-on fun helps the prompts & memories stick. At the same time, it strengthens fin-motor skills, adds quick reading practice, and sparks simple chats about spring & Easter traditions. Print a set, pull it out after lunch or breakfast, and then tell me which prompt got the best giggle in the comments. Happy Homeschooling!

Until next time, stay safe & enjoy quality time with your family,