Today we are making a paper fortune teller math game for kids needing to practice their fractions and multiplication facts. Do you remember paper fortune tellers? They were *the* rage when I was a kid. We are going to use a paper fortune teller to introduce my kiddos to the joy of Cootie catchers while reviewing math lessons.
Make a Math Fortune Teller Game
Today we made two math paper fortune teller games, one to review fractions and another to review times tables. The first step is to make a basic paper fortune teller…
Supplies Needed to Make a Paper Fortune Teller
- Square piece of paper
- (Optional) Pencil
- Marker
Video Instructions for Paper Fortune Teller
How to Make a Paper Fortune Teller
- Basically, you start with a square piece of paper.
- Fold the corner into the center.
- Repeat for all four corners folding into the center.
- Until you have all four corners folded to the center.
- Flip it over and fold the corners into the center again.
- Until you have all four corners folded to the center.
- You then fold it like a hot dog – with the thumb flaps on the outside. Your kids stick their fingers into the flaps and move them to reveal the inside. Your kids can lift the inside flaps to see another message.
- Write the messages or numbers on the flaps. We used math as our “messages” inside the classic fortune teller.
- Place fingers into the paper fortune teller and move both in and out.
Related: Check out our reading fortune teller game: Learning to Read CVC words
Times Tables Game on Paper Fortune Teller
- For our multiplication cootie catcher, we wrote each “family” of math problems on the outer flaps.
- The tables we are working on with our second grader are 2, 3, 4 & 5s – so I wrote those numbers on the outside.
- Inside the flaps we have the numbers written out by skip counting.
- So as your kids move the paper game, they choose between the different “groups” of skip-count numbers. When they lift the flap, there are four multiplication problems for them to solve.
Paper Fractions Game on Paper Fortune Teller
- For the fractions game, draw a circle on each of the four main sections. Break the circle apart into “fractions.
- We did the following fractions on our catcher: 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, & 1/5.
- The next level of flaps the kids had to figure out which “flap” matched the circle. Even though my kids are learning just the fractions, I wrote the decimal number beside “the answer” to try to help them begin matching the two numbers together.
- When the kids pull up the flap, they see another “problem”. They had to color in the fraction amount on the bar using their finger.
I loved seeing the kids put their math lessons into their pockets and carry them around practicing them throughout the day!
Yield: 1
How to Make a Paper Fortune Teller
Let's make a paper fortune teller with these easy steps. Once you have the basic paper fortune teller finished you can make different games with the origami fortune teller!
Active Time
5 minutes
Total Time
5 minutes
Difficulty
Medium
Estimated Cost
$1
Materials
- Square piece of paper
- (Optional) marker
Tools
- (Optional) pencil
Instructions
- Start with a square piece of paper - we used an 8 1/2 x 11 paper folded into a square and then torn or cut along the line so it is an 8 inch square piece of paper.
- Fold the corner into the center - it can be helpful to mark the middle of the paper with a pencil or marker
- Repeat for the other 3 corners resulting in another square.
- Flip over the square and repeat by folding in the four corners to the middle.
- Fold it in half with the thumb flaps on the outside.
- You can write messages on the inside and outside.
DIY Math Games for Kids to Make Math Fun
Math is one of those subjects that very few people enjoy. It is tedious and hard, but it doesn’t have to be if you make it a fun game. We have come up with so many ways to make math fun:
- From our fidget spinner ideas
- To elementary math puzzles
- Oh so many fun games with math
- Cool math & cool math games
- Soon your kids will love math! Plus we have activity printables for all subjects!
More Math Games & Ideas from Kids Activities Blog
- We have plenty of kids worksheets to help aid your child’s learning.
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- The easiest way to practice math is with this splash math dashboard.
- Help your child learn simple addition with these fun activities.
- This kid math puzzle will engage any child in their math lesson.
- Teach your child how to count money at an early age with this play money printable.
- Need math activities for your little one? These kids counting games are a great place to start!
- Be creative and learn math with this subtraction color by number.
- Take a break from math with these shark week coloring pages.
- Make math colorful with these math coloring worksheets.
- This is so cool! Here are ways to earn screen time by doing math problems.
- These kindergarten math games will make learning fun!
- Learn how to subtract with this baby shark color by number.
- These shark worksheets are a great way to learn addition.
- More math fun with place value games
- Check out these other cool math games!
- Check out these free printable math sight words flashcards.
- Check out these awesome math counting beads activities.
- We also have scissor activities to learn and practice how to use scissors!
How did your kids like the paper fortune teller math game?
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