Cahootie Review & Giveaway

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Remember making cootie catchers in grade school? Those little origami-like finger-toy thingies, where you’d write colors on the outside flaps, numbers on the inside, and you’d ask your friends to “pick one” then spell out the choices, ultimately landing on a pithy fortune like, “You will find a penny today” or “Billy is your boyfriend.”

Ground Zero by Shannon Hurst LaneWell, a clever entrepreneur (and screenwriter who penned Agent Cody Banks!) has mass-manufactured these cootie-catchers, dubbed “Cahooties.” He’s created a collection of themes just for girls, including Birthday Wishes, Sporty Girl, Wishes & Dreams and Truth or Dare.

What’s cool is that the games come with stickers that you can peel off and stick on the Cahooties to customize them. When you get tired of hearing the same fortune over and over again — in Wishes & Dreams, it’s phrases like, “Your beauty will make you a STAR in someone’s eyes” or “Watch your foot — it’s heading to your mouth soon.” — you can swap them out for different ones.

My tween-age daughter and her cousin played with a couple of samples the Cahootie folks sent me, and far and away they had the most fun with the Truth or Dare themed toy: Truth: “How many days have you gone without taking a bath or shower?” and Dare: “Sing loudly the silliest song your friends can come up with.”

I’m thinking, though, that if you’re bringing these along on a road trip, you’d go for the games that are fortunes only. (Other “dares” include dancing, spinning, and “Make the loudest, most irritating sound you possibly can” — not ideal for the driver who might veer off the road after that one.

The only complaint my daughter and niece had was that they had a hard time sticking the triangle-shaped fortunes just right back on the 40-sticker sheet. Perhaps that was just a little-hands problem; as I’m fiddling with the games now, it seems AOK to me.

With an in-store retail price of about $6, Cahooties make great birthday gifts (or add-ons to birthday gifts if you’re one of those generous little-kid gift givers), report card rewards or, as we look toward the holidays, stocking stuffers. Support your local brick-and-mortar shop around the U.S. or purchase (cheaper) online at Amazon.

And just in time for the November election, Cahootie has also introduced Republican and Democrat themed games, designed to test American History and politics knowledge: “What does GOP stand for?” and “True or False: The First Lady is paid a salary of $50,000.”

Lucky you, Cahootie is giving away three products to Traveling Mamas’ readers. All you have to do is suggest a new theme for an upcoming game in the comment section below. My suggestion is Marvelous Music, or something of that nature, for girls who take piano lessons, participate in musical theater or are otherwise musically inclined.

But Cahootie would love to hear your ideas! So, comment away until 6 p.m. (EST) Tuesday, September 16. I’ll announce the three randomly drawn winners on Winning Wednesday, the 17th. U.S. residents only. No relatives of Traveling Mamas eligible. ETA: Only one entry per person, please.

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September 12, 2008 | Filed Under The Cookie Jar, Travel News 

Comments

38 Responses to “Cahootie Review & Giveaway”

  1. SANDY says:
    September 12, 2008 at

    sing a song – make up a song like country,sad about a dog

  2. Jaclyn says:
    September 12, 2008 at

    The first theme that popped into my head was a game where kids can run a store or little yard sale. My kids love handling play money and feeling like they’re in charge!

  3. Adrienne Gordon says:
    September 12, 2008 at

    A game where they can use their imaginations to create a story based on given cards with characters and settings

  4. Mia J. says:
    September 12, 2008 at

    Maybe some sort of drama theme where they could act out certain scenes or answer movie themed questions.

  5. susan varney says:
    September 12, 2008 at

    crackers and cracks

  6. Jenn S. says:
    September 13, 2008 at

    Something about art/music would be nice.

  7. Clifton Wade says:
    September 13, 2008 at

    Dreams and Wishes sounds like a wonderful choice for children.
    Thanks for all the great contests and prizes!

  8. Erma Hurtt says:
    September 13, 2008 at

    Something about art.

  9. Sharon Jones says:
    September 13, 2008 at

    Spectacular Sports….for the girls…we need more things to encourage and to talk about girls and sports. THANKS

  10. M.A. says:
    September 13, 2008 at

    Something about U.S. history or state capitols.

  11. Candice Owrey says:
    September 13, 2008 at

    Something about feelings. Kids sometimes have a hard time expressing themselves.

  12. Kim Allen-Niesen says:
    September 13, 2008 at

    Literary Lass – one with books

  13. Kari Follett says:
    September 13, 2008 at

    Something about yoga or relaxation, my kids have been doing that since they were babies!

  14. M.A. says:
    September 14, 2008 at

    Manners!

  15. Chrysa says:
    September 14, 2008 at

    An animal theme would be fun.

  16. Kathy says:
    September 14, 2008 at

    I think world geography/travel would be fun with questions about dream vacations at the same time learning about other countries and capitals. I’m sure the Cahootie people could incorporate something like that together where learning and fun take place simultaneously.
    Kathy
    bigfamily8 (at) yahoo (dot) com

  17. Felicia L says:
    September 15, 2008 at

    My children and i play I see games in the car, someone gives a fast description of what they see and everyone guesses.

  18. Sylvia Belle says:
    September 15, 2008 at

    I like games that teach the children and are fun.

  19. Lori Weaver says:
    September 15, 2008 at

    How about a game about taking care of your pets and buying new ones.

  20. sharon says:
    September 15, 2008 at

    something about countries and cultures throughout the world

  21. dean says:
    September 15, 2008 at

    how about a humorous game that plays upon itself

  22. jan koontz says:
    September 15, 2008 at

    just to cool

  23. Kirsten says:
    September 15, 2008 at

    Careers

  24. Veronica Garrett says:
    September 16, 2008 at

    Blind Man’s Bluff

  25. sherri says:
    September 16, 2008 at

    something fun and multicultural, for our global world

  26. Monique Rizzo says:
    September 16, 2008 at

    I game about visiting different countries would be neat!

  27. marilyn says:
    September 16, 2008 at

    anything multicultural

  28. Leslie Longoria says:
    September 16, 2008 at

    Darling Dancers. For those little girls who love to dance and or take lessons.

  29. Janet says:
    September 16, 2008 at

    animal games sound fun!

  30. kathy pease says:
    September 16, 2008 at

    some kind of garden game :)

  31. kathleen says:
    September 16, 2008 at

    I think a game about careers and how they contribute to the world community would be educational and fun.

  32. Heather C says:
    September 16, 2008 at

    How about something to do with art and/or artists?

  33. charline s says:
    September 16, 2008 at

    Spectacular Sports

  34. Michelle Rosborough says:
    September 16, 2008 at

    Holidays

  35. Donna Kozar says:
    September 16, 2008 at

    Something about different contries.

  36. Frances Watson says:
    September 16, 2008 at

    anything having to do with animals would be great

  37. Cindi says:
    September 16, 2008 at

    Hello! I hope I get picked to win one of the fun games. A few of my ideas are: “What do I Want to be When I Grow Up?”, “Book or Movie Trivia” and “Favorite Singer or Musical Group?” Please enter me in your fun contest. Thanks, Cindi

  38. Lily Kwan says:
    September 17, 2008 at

    I think a “Movie Mania” theme would be fun!

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