Cootie Catchers for Learning (and you just thought they were annoying nuisances)

Cootie Catchers. Fortune Tellers. Little paper foldable weapons of attention destruction.

Or maybe not.

Have you ever thought about harnessing the power of Cootie Catcher? Maybe something like this....?

Here is what they look like flat, when they are first printed:

Trim the edges, do a few folds...

And you end up with a tool that can be used individually or with a partner....

These Cootie Catchers are being used to practice math fact fluency. The player not holding the Cootie Catcher chooses a math fact on the outside, and the holder moves the Cootie Catcher the number that equals the answer. This continues on with choosing facts from the inside, until the fourth turn when the player not holding the Catcher chooses a fact on the inside and the other player opens the flap. They ask the other player for the answer to the fact hidden inside. 

Cootie Catchers are quite simple to make, but if you don't remember how to fold them from when you were a kid, you can grab these printable instructions. 

Or you can get the whole kit here, that comes complete with full color math fact Cootie Catchers for numbers 1-9. Included are instructions for play and folding, and a black and white set for easier copying and more affordable printing.

Your students will put your on a dais and sing praises of your abilities to make learning fun.