How to make and use a Cootie Catcher for Reading

Do you remember Cootie Catchers from when you were a kid?  I loved them!  Here is a cootie catcher perfect for the learning to read kiddo in your life!  My preschooler loved making her catcher "talk" and I love anything that helps her learn to read!

What are the steps?
Step 1: Make Fun Paper
Step 2: Fold the "Cootie Catcher"
Step 3: Add words to your catcher
Step 4: Other ideas to enrich this learning activity

Step 1 Make some fun paper

To make our paper we created some shaving cream paint, which is basically a mix of tempera paint and shaving cream, and had a blast fingerpainting.  I love how shaving cream paint is hard to spill, makes the paint go farther, the colors become more vibrant, is super easy to clean up and the paint even smells great!  Our kids got to "decorate" their own cootie catchers paper.  I think this made my kiddos more vested in the finished product - and  I love the gorgeous paper!

Comments

[mistyp]

Fantastic idea; I'm going to do this this weekend!

[NachoMahma]

.  This is soooooo neat! I wish I had seen this when NachoDaughter was a little younger ... about 25 years younger. ;)

[justjonty]

Can't say I ever called these cootie catchers but I liked them as a kid and my kids like them so will have to try this!  Thanks for the instructable!!!

[rennoc]

i chose run!!!!!!                        (first direction- last frame)

[kelseymh]

Most excellent!  And with the choice you made for the "a" shape, you could even do "o" words on the same template.

[QuirkyMomma]

Thanks, it's funny you mention it, I am trying to make a four letter one now... but the word "combinations" are a lot trickier. 

[canida]

Neat - I like the way you've used this addictive form of finger manipulation to teach vocabulary.  And the shaving cream paint is brilliance.