Groundhog Day Cootie Catcher for Kids (free printable!)

Including Groundhog Day in your homeschool activities is easy with our fun Groundhog Day cootie catcher!

Groundhog Day seems to be one of those silly holidays that you either love or…don’t really care about. In our case, we’re all about finding reasons to celebrate each & every day. No surprise, when Groundhog Day rolls around every February 2, you can bet we’re going to including some Punxsutawney Phil fun into our plans for the day!

Whether Phil declares an early spring or a continued winter, Groundhog Day can easily allow for some fun learning opportunities like learning about:

• animal hibernation
• shadows & light
• origins of Groundhog Day
• traditions & symbolism

If you’re worried that including this “silly” holiday into your February schedule is going to increase your workload as a homeschool parent even more…don’t!

Good news for both of us, I’m always adding new freebies to the Printable Playground. You’ll find lots of educational homeschool printables for kids of all ages, because life is already busy. Homeschooling printables should help, not add more stress.

My Groundhog Day cootie catcher printable is completely free. It also takes just a few minutes to prep, so you and the kids can jump right in and make some sweet February memories together.

In this post, I’m sharing a quick look at what cootie catchers are, how to fold and use the Groundhog Day cootie catcher, and yes, how to grab your free Groundhog Day printable.

Let’s get started!

What are Cootie Catchers?

I’ll be honest, the first time I saw cootie catchers all over social media, I was confused. Aren’t cooties germs? Why would anyone want to catch them? Ew. No thanks.

Then, it clicked. Cootie catchers are those folded paper fortune tellers we used to play with as kids. That’s what we called them in South Jersey in the 1990s, anyway. Did you call them something else? Tell me in the comments because I love hearing the different names.

The phrase “cootie catcher” goes way back to World War I. Quick heads-up if you’re squeamish, the name came from the idea of using a pincer-style grip to grab germs or bugs. Yep, gross again.

These days, paper cootie catchers are just plain fun. Kids move their fingers to open and close them (hello, fine motor practice), and they also get some counting or spelling in. Add a silly challenge or a little fortune inside, and you’ve got an easy activity that still feels like a treat.

My Groundhog Day cootie catcher printable is similar. It gets kids using their hands, counting, and spelling, while completing eight different Groundhog Day-themed challenges in just 5-10 minutes each. Give it a try!

Making a Groundhog Day Cootie Catcher

Including my Groundhog Day cootie catcher in your winter 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 Groundhog Day cootie catcher printable sent right to your inbox.

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Assembling the Cootie Catcher

To make the Groundhog Day 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 (groundhog, shadow, winter, spring)
  • Open and close the cootie catcher once for each letter in the image they chose (e.g., S-P-R-I-N-G would be six 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 Groundhog Day Challenge hidden inside.

For example, a Groundhog Day cootie catcher sequence might go like this:

• The person picks “Spring.” You spell out “S-P-R-I-N-G” 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 Groundhog Day Challenge inside

Get the Groundhog Day 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 Groundhog Day 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 (Groundhog Day 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 Groundhog Day cootie catcher!

Happy Groundhog Day!

When kids can touch, fold, and play, they remember more, and a Groundhog Day cootie catcher gives them that hands-on opportunity. It builds fine-motor skills, supports reading practice, and invites sweet little chats about winter, shadows, and traditions. Print a set, try it after lunch, and tell me what prompt got the biggest laugh in the comments below!

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