Looking for a fun Halloween activity that the whole family can enjoy? Look no further than this Halloween cootie catcher! Thus, this free printable comes in three different languages – English, French, and Chinese (Traditional, Simplified, Zhuyin, and Pinyin) – so everyone can join in on the fun. Hence, the Halloween cootie catcher is filled with festive activities, questions, and a few jokes to keep things lighthearted. So gather your friends and family, and prepare for some spooktacular fun!
When I was younger and living in Hong Kong, we didn't have cell phones or tablets like today. Therefore, to keep ourselves entertained, my friends and I would often play “東南西北” (East, South, West, North), which is a Chinese variation of the cootie catcher game.
First of all, I started by writing the four cardinal directions (東,南,西, and 北) in the four squares. Then, in the triangle flips, I would write anything I wanted. This is where creativity begins. We often wrote jokes or made it as a fortune-teller activity; those were always fun times.
Seeing my 6-year-old daughter enjoy this Halloween Cootie Catcher activity allows me to reminisce about my childhood memories. This is a great activity to do with your family and friends, not just for Halloween but for any occasion.
Have you ever attempted this when you were a child? Why not reminisce about your past and re-enact it with your children? Click on the download link. Then, follow the instructions on how to fold the Halloween cootie catcher.
Download: Free Halloween Cootie Catcher
What is a Cootie Catcher?
In the 1980s, cootie catchers were commonly known as “hexbugs.”
The cootie catcher, also known as a fortune teller, originates from the United States and is commonly used as a children's toy. It is made from a rectangular piece of paper divided into 16 sections. Each section has a different design, such as stars, circles, or flowers. The user puts their fingers in the center of the cootie catcher and unfolds it to reveal one design at a time. As the designs unfold, they soon reveal different fortunes or jokes.
What is in the Halloween Cootie Catcher Printable?
Age Recommendation: 5+ years old
This Halloween cootie catcher printable is available in 3 different languages:
- English
- French
- Chinese (Traditional, Simplified, Zhuyin, and Pinyin)
Full Version
The first Halloween cootie catcher includes Halloween activities, jokes, and educational fun.
Here are the 8 phases (activities/instructions/jokes) in the English Halloween Cootie Catcher:
- Pretend to be a witch!
- Pretend to be a Frankenstein!
- What do you like about Halloween?
- Think of 5 Halloween Costumes!
- What's a ghost's favorite fruit? I scream!
- How does a witch fix her hair? With scare-spray!
- Name two activities you can do on Halloween!
- What are you scared of the most?
In contrast, here are the 8 phases (activities/instructions/jokes) that are in the Chinese Halloween Cootie Catcher:
- 假裝女巫!
- 假裝科學怪人!
- 吸血鬼最害怕什麼？光
- 餐廳的骨架訂單是什麼？排骨
- 說出你可以在萬聖節做的活動！
- 想想五件萬聖節的服裝！
- 你最害怕什麼？
- 你喜歡在萬聖節做什麼？
At last, here are the 8 phases (activities/instructions/jokes) that are in the French Halloween Cootie Catcher:
- Faites semblant d'être une sorcière!
- Faire semblant d'être un Frankenstein!
- Pourquoi les bonbons? Parce que sinon les vampires vont vous mordre!
- Pourquoi les momies? Parce que sinon les zombies vont vous manger!
- Nommez 2 activités que vous pouvez faire à Halloween !
- Pensez à 5 déguisements d'Halloween !
- De quoi as-tu le plus peur ?
- Qu'est-ce que tu aimes à Halloween ?
Blank Version
The second version of the Halloween cootie catcher is blank, so your children can fill it with whatever they want inside the number flaps.
Ideas on What to write
Forecast The Future
You may make the Halloween cootie catcher “forecast the future.” After opening the cover, your child may learn the answer to each new inquiry.
The following list of suggested answers:
- Yes
- It is most probable that
- You can count on it.
- All evidence supports the idea that the answer is positive.
- Definitely
- Without question, I think so.
- This is definitely the case.
- You’ll be lucky
- Maybe
- I'm not sure. Can you ask again?
- Ask again later
- Please focus and ask again.
- It's difficult to say what will happen in the future.
- Don't expect it.
- No
- According to my sources, the answer is no.
- It's extremely doubtful.
Undeniably, there are infinite ways to fill in your Halloween cootie catcher.
Moreover, you may include your bucket list jokes, riddles, trivia, and even educational activities.
Jokes
Here are some Halloween jokes your child can use on their cootie catchers:
- Why did the skeleton cross the road? To get to the other side!
- Why was the witch scared of Halloween? Because she didn't want to get a trick or a treat!
- How does a witch fix her hair? With scare spray!
- Why did the skeleton go to the Halloween party? To have a boo-journ!
- What's a vampire's favorite fruit? Blood oranges!
- What's a mummy's favorite fruit? Pardons!
- What's a ghost's favorite fruit? I scream!
- How do you catch a cheetah? You tie him to a post and wait for Halloween!
- How do ghosts like their eggs? Scared!
Trivia Questions
Additionally, here are some Halloween trivia questions your children can use:
- What is the world's largest pumpkin weight? 2,702-pound gourd grown in Italy in 2021.
- What country was Halloween first celebrated in? Ireland.
- How many Halloween costumes does the average person own? One.
- What is the most popular Halloween candy in America? Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.
- What percent of Americans decorate their homes for Halloween? b
- When did black cats become associated with Halloween? Their direct connection to Halloween began around 2,000 years ago, among the Celtic Tribes based around Ireland.
- How many pounds of pumpkins were produced? About 100 million pounds of pumpkins.
How to Fold the Halloween Cootie Catcher?
Materials:
- Halloween cootie catcher printable
Instructions:
1. Print & Cut the Halloween cootie catcher template (square).
2. Secondly, fold the square horizontally in half and then unfold it.
3. Then, fold the square vertically from the left to the right and unfold it again.
4. Fold each corner of the square towards the center, as shown below.
5. Flip the paper over and bring each corner to meet in the center.
6. Next, fold the square along the center line and crease it firmly. Once you've done that, go ahead and unfold it.
7. Fill in your Halloween cootie catcher if you choose the blank template. Then, open each number flap and write a joke/activity/fortune.
8. Finally, slip your thumbs and pointer fingers into the four flaps at the bottom.
How to Use the Halloween Cootie Catcher?
- Find a playing partner and ask them to pick one of the Halloween creatures.
- Begin by carefully spelling out the creature name of the cootie catcher.
Hence, spell out the word by opening and closing the cootie catcher as many times as there are letters in the word's spelling.
E.g. If the word “Mummy” is chosen, you will open and close the cootie catcher five times since there are five letters in the word “Mummy.”
For the Chinese version, you can break them down by the number of characters. E.g. If the word 吸血鬼 is chosen, you will open and close the cootie catcher three times since there are three characters in the word 吸血鬼. - You will then reveal some of the numbers on that particular flap.
- Show it to your playing partner and ask them to choose a number.
- While counting out the chosen digits on step 3, close and reopen the Cootie Catcher.
- Ask your playing partner to choose a second number.
- Finally, read the hidden phase under the number chosen by your playing partner.
Want More Halloween Cootie Catchers?
Here are additional resources for Halloween Cootie Catchers in the links below:
Conclusion
Halloween is a time for spooky fun, and what better way to enjoy the season than with a Halloween cootie catcher? This printable includes activities, jokes, and educational fun in three different languages. Also, you can choose to fill it in with your ideas. Fold it up and get ready for some Halloween fun!
Click the link below to download the free Halloween cootie catcher.
Download: Free Halloween Cootie Catcher
What are your thoughts about this Halloween activity? Do you think your kids would enjoy it? Let me know in the comments below! And don't forget to share this post with your friends if you think they'll like it too. 🙂
Here are other Halloween activities you can enjoy with your kids:
