National Popcorn Day is celebrated at the end of January, although its exact date is a matter of debate. Various sources report it as January 19; others claim it takes place on whatever day the Super Bowl falls on. The Popcorn Board is often asked about the origins of this day; unfortunately, we do not know how or when this celebration began. Some other individual or organization (with obvious good taste) began this tradition.


The connection to the Super Bowl seems natural enough. It’s a highly regarded annual sporting competition pitting the top two national football teams against each other. Millions of viewers from around the globe hunker down with bowls of their favorite snack—popcorn—in heated anticipation of who will win the battle.


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 could 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)

Popcorn word search (puzzle maker)

Popcorn, pop, kernel, explode, heat, moisture, grain, snack, crunchy, butter, oil, salt, fiber, bag, hull

Write a popcorn Haiku (5, 7, 5 syllable pattern poem)

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 (download from www.popcorn.org)

10.    Read facts about popcorn at www.popcorn.org and write about the history of popcorn