Free Fall Cootie Catcher Printable for Kids: Autumn Fun and Learning in Your Hands

Homeschooling in fall is even more fun when activities like my free fall cootie catcher printable are included!

Fall is one of our favorite seasons! Not only do we get to enjoy some spooky Halloween fun and family time enjoying a Thanksgiving meal together, but the temps start to cool off and that means cozy leggings and hoodies become my homeschool-mom uniform. Yes!!

As wonderful as the fall season can be, it can also be hectic to incorporate regular homeschooling lessons alongside all the different fall holidays and activities in September, October, and November. We’re all doing our best to make learning meaningful, memorable, and fun for our kids, right?

Well, it’s my hope that my fall cootie catcher (and all the other resources and printables in the Printable Playground) can help to alleviate some of the stress & chaos of the season and help bring a few moments of memory-making to your home! After all, there’s already enough to worry about, and teaching your kids at home shouldn’t add extra stress.

The Fall Cootie Catcher is free, easy to use, and makes a perfect activity for the season. You just need a few minutes to print it, fold it, and start playing, so you and your kids can enjoy some cozy fall fun right away. It’s a simple way to bring a little joy and connection to your autumn days.

You don’t have to hunt around to get the PDF. In this post, I’ll show you what a Cootie Catcher is, how to fold your fall version step by step, and give you plenty of creative tips to add a festive touch to your day. I’ll also include the direct link so you can quickly download and print your free Fall Cootie Catcher.

Let’s enjoy some downtime together and make this fall full of sweet memories!

What’s a Cootie Catcher?

When I first spotted cootie catchers all over my feed, I had no idea what they were about. All I could think of were childhood memories of “cooties” and how the last thing I wanted to do was play around with germs. Not exactly my idea of fun back then.

Turns out, cootie catchers are actually those folded paper fortune tellers most of us made as kids. In South Jersey during the ’90s, my friends and I always called them “fortune tellers.” Maybe people in your hometown had a different name for them. If you did, drop it in the comments—I’d really like to know.

Here’s a little trivia for you: the term “cootie catcher” actually goes back to World War I. If you’re a bit squeamish, feel free to skip this part.

During the war, soldiers called lice “cooties,” and would pinch them off their skin using a motion that actually looks a lot like how we move these old school paper fortune tellers. It’s a pretty gross start for such a playful name, but that’s the story that stuck.

Today, we think of these fortune tellers as a childhood classic, perfect for afternoons with friends. Kids slip their fingers inside and start moving them back and forth, which is great for practicing finger control. There’s always counting, spelling, and giggling over whatever “fortune” or silly prompt turns up next.

I’ve put together this fall Cootie Catcher printable that works the same way. Kids can move the paper, count each step, and crack up over eight autumn-inspired challenges. They’re fast too, so each one only takes about a minute. If your kids are anything like mine, they’ll play with it on repeat until they’ve tried every single challenge (and maybe made up a few of their own). It’s a simple way to squeeze some extra fall fun into your day.

Ready to give it a go? Click to download the Fall Cootie Catcher, print a couple out, and see where it takes you. Did your family have a different name for these? I’d love to trade old stories in the comments.

Fall Homeschool Fun!

Every fall, our house fills up with all kinds of fall activities. I look forward to this season because it gives the kids a chance to get hands-on, make things, and use their imagination. Honestly, watching my kids jump into these autumn traditions lets them stay young a little longer, even as they’re now entering (or currently “in”) their teenage years. Time goes by so fast, doesn’t it?

While you might be tempted to print out my favorite Fall Cootie Catcher to kick off your seasonal fun (you totally should), I have even more ideas to help you and your kids enjoy autumn together this year. From simple crafts to baking or exploring outdoors, fall gives us plenty of reasons to slow down, share laughs, and make some fresh memories.

Ready to mix things up this season? Check out the list below for more ways to make fall extra memorable with your crew. If you want tips or quick guides for any of these, let me know in the comments!

• Read Some Fall Chapter Books…and mark your places with my printable fall coloring bookmarks!
• Encourage creative writing & story telling with my fall writing prompts & themed lined paper!
• Get the wheels turning while completing a fall-themed logic puzzle!
• Have lots of laughs while strengthening the noggins with my printable Thanksgiving Silly Stories!
• Celebrate one…or all…of the National Days to Celebrate in September, October, and November!

Making a Fall Cootie Catcher

Adding a Fall Cootie Catcher to your autumn activities is easy. You’ll get a printable with step-by-step folding directions, so you won’t have to wonder what comes next. I always appreciate when everything’s spelled out before starting a new project. It just makes the whole thing feel a lot more relaxed.

Curious about how to fold and play with your fall cootie catcher? Keep reading, or skip to the section where you can snag the printable and have it sent straight to your inbox. This way, you can jump right in and make the most of your cozy fall days.

That Homeschool Family is a participant in a variety of programs including the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Purchases made from links on this website may result in That Homeschool Family receiving a monetary payment at no extra cost to you. For more details, please see our Privacy Policy.

Assembling the Cootie Catcher

To make the fall 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.

• 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 an Image:
  • Ask the person using the cootie catcher to pick one of the images on the top flaps (autumn, pumpkin, leaves, apple)
  • Open and close the cootie catcher once for each letter in the image they chose (e.g., A-P-P-L-E 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 fall Challenge hidden inside.

For example, a Halloween Cootie Catcher sequence might go like this:

• The person picks “Apple.” You spell out “A-P-P-L-E” 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 fall Challenge inside

Get the Fall 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 Fall 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 (Fall Cootie Catcher included) when you request the monthly password to the Printable Playground.

It’s totally up to you! Either way, I have a pretty good feeling you and the kids will really enjoy the fall Cootie Catcher!

Before you go, print out an extra copy of the fall Cootie Catcher for your friends or neighbors—it’s too much fun to keep to yourself. Little traditions like this make the fall season feel special. If you enjoyed this printable, stick around for even more surprises coming your way soon. Thanks for spending a little of your day with me!

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