Join us on January 19 as we celebrate National Popcorn Day! Buttered, salted, kettled, drizzled with caramel, popcorn is one of those snacks perfect anytime, anywhere. It’s great on the go, in the theater, or in your living room! Just be prepared to dig some of it out of your teeth.
I’m actually a huge fan of Weekly Popcorn Day. My Aunt and Uncle were very busy at their local church on Sundays and there just wasn’t time for anyone (read my aunt!) to cook dinner. Somewhere in their marriage, they decided that popcorn on Sundays would be the meal of choice. As I recall, they may have eaten it like cereal with milk and sugar.
As a child, I thought this was the best thing ever. My parents didn’t agree, though 🙁
They didn’t have fancy microwave popcorn but made it on the stove.
History of National Popcorn Day
(adapted from https://nationaltoday.com/national-popcorn-day/)10 Popcorn Day Activities
Thank you to Leslie F, a teacher from Concord, Illinois, who sent the following suggestions for Popcorn Day Activities:
1. Stringing Popcorn: These can be hung outside for birds to eat
Need: sewing needles, string, popcorn
2. Guess the Amount Fill container with kernels and have students guess)
Need: popcorn kernels, container
3. Popcorn Air Hockey: Can you “volley” the kernel back and forth 20 times without letting it fall?
Need: flat surface (table), straw (to blow), coffee stirrers (as paddles) or hands (as paddles)
4. Popcorn Relay Race
Need: popcorn, spoons
5. Popcorn Basketball: Can you flick a piece of popcorn into the basket?
Need: popcorn, baskets (i.e. muffin tins, small cups), backboards (wall, cardboard)
6. Popcorn word search (puzzle maker)
Use these words: popcorn, pop, kernel, explode, heat, moisture, grain, snack, crunchy, butter, oil, salt, fiber, bag, hull
7. Write a Popcorn Haiku (5, 7, 5 syllable pattern poem): Like this!
Oil, kernels, heat, time
Many loud explosions heard
Pop, crunch, snack time. Yum!
8. How many words can you make from this phrase?
“Fresh hot popcorn”, “Popcorn tastes good”, “I like popcorn”, “Hot buttered popcorn”
9. Popcorn coloring pages
10. Read facts about popcorn and write about the history of popcorn
