18 Fun Games with Popcorn
All activities should be supervised by an adult. This post contains affiliate links which help support One Simple Party. As always, we only recommend things that we truly love. Full disclosure here.
One of our favorite winter gatherings is to host a family movie night. It’s great sharing some “classic” films selected from our Family Movie Bucket List, tubs of popcorn and, most importantly, family time together.
This winter, we are adding another layer to our monthly movie night. Games. Specifically games with popcorn. Because I figure if I am popping it anyway, we might as well play a little with it.
There are lots of fun popcorn games and activities that you can play together. All except one – the popcorn taste test – DO NOT actually involve eating the popcorn.
Instead, these games with popcorn are more playful and fun. They involve tossing, stacking, creating and guessing. It turns out that there is more than one way to enjoy popcorn.
Best Way to Pop the Popcorn
Since you will be handling the popcorn when playing these games, it’s best to have the most natural popcorn possible. Microwave popcorn, my usual go to for family movie night, can be on the greasier side for these popcorn games. This of course makes it taste super yummy, but that isn’t the goal of these games.
Bring in the air popcorn maker. We received this air popcorn maker recently and I loved the results. I used basic popcorn kernels, which makes a simple natural popcorn. (affiliate)
It took about five minutes to make 16 cups of popcorn, which is a huge bowl and plenty to use to play these popcorn games. The popcorn is very dry – the perfect consistency for game play. If you wanted to eat this popcorn, I recommend following some popcorn recipes to make it tastier. But it’s a great neutral palette.
Favorite Games with Popcorn
Although each of these popcorn games needs different items, I tried to include games that were easy to set up and play. This popcorn games are recommended for ages 5 and above, but use your best judgement. Some require more hand eye coordination and are more appropriate for older kids. And, as always, make sure there is adult supervision for any game play.
Most importantly, before starting, be sure to gather the materials needed. You won’t want guests waiting around for the popcorn to pop or while you search for necessary game supplies.
Active Popcorn Games
Popcorn Blowing Race
Supplies Needed: pieces of popcorn; paper straws (one per a player); flat table surface
Set Up: Give each player a piece of popcorn and paper straw. Mark the start and finish lines.
How to Play: On “Go!”, players blow their piece of popcorn towards the finish line. The first player’s popcorn to reach the finish line, wins.
Other Notes – If a player’s popcorn blows off of the tabletop, they are out for that round. You can play multiple rounds and even have a championship round, if desired.
Popcorn Toss
Supplies Needed: Smaller bowls of popcorn; plastic cups (affiliate)
Set-up: Mark the distance players will stand during play (5 to 10 feet should work – maybe further apart for older kids and adults).
Pair up the players. One person is the thrower, and one is the catcher. The catcher has the plastic cup.
Decide on a time limit – probably 1 to 2 minutes depending on ages.
How to Play: When you say “Go!”, the thrower tosses the popcorn to the catcher and tries to land the popcorn piece in the cup. They continue to throw the popcorn pieces until time is up.
Once time is finished, the team with the most popcorn pieces caught successfully wins. If desired, switch roles and play again.
Popcorn Relay Race
Supplies Needed: Smaller bowls of popcorn (1 per a team); Empty bowls (1 per a team); small scoop or plastic measuring cup (1 per a team) (affiliate)
Set Up: Mark the space for the relay race – probably 10 to 20 feet (maybe a little farther for older kids).
Place a full bowl of popcorn at one end with a scoop or measuring cup. Each team needs its own bowl and scoop.
Place an empty bowl on the other side.
Divide players into teams of 2 to 4 players. Line up players behind the full bowl.
How to Play: On “Go!”, the first player fills one scoop of popcorn and races to the empty bowl. They dump in the popcorn and race back. Then, the player hands the scoop to the next player. Continue relay style until all of the popcorn has been moved to the new bowl.
The first team to move all of the popcorn, wins.
Other Notes: No hands allowed. Players can use the scoop only to move the popcorn.
If popcorn drops, it stays on the floor. If a lot of popcorn is dropping during play, consider having both teams completely finish the race. Instead of deciding the winner based on how much popcorn makes it into the new bowl instead of which team finishes first.
Variations:
Some variations include
- Add a one hand rule. Players keep the scoop in one hand and their other hand must stay behind their back.
- Add obstacles such as cones to the relay. Players weave through cones on the way to the empty bowl.
- Include a timed element. Instead of making the winner the team who moves all of the popcorn first, see which team can move the most popcorn in a specific amount of time.
Popcorn Color Sort
Supplies Needed: Three colors of popcorn (check out this easy way to dye popcorn); Smaller bowls of mixed colored popcorn (1 per a team); Empty bowls (3 per a team); small scoop or plastic measuring cup (1 per a team) (affiliate)
Set Up: Mark the space for the relay race – probably 10 to 20 feet (maybe a little farther for older kids).
Place a full bowl of mixed colored popcorn at one end with a scoop or measuring cup. Each team needs its own bowl and scoop.
Place three empty bowls on the other side.
Divide players into teams of 2 to 4 players. Line up players behind the full bowl.
How to Play: On “Go!”, the first player fills one scoop of popcorn and races to the empty bowl. Upon arrival, they sort the three colors of popcorn into the different bowls. Then, they race back.
The player hands the scoop to the next player. Continue relay style until all of the colored popcorn has been sorted into the new bowls.
The first team to move all of the popcorn, wins.
Stack Attack
Supplies Needed: Bowl of Popcorn; Stacking trays (pieces of cardboard or these plastic project trays)
Set Up: Give each player a small bowl of popcorn and tray for stacking.
How to Play: On “Go!”, players stack popcorn one piece at a time into a tower. The player with the tallest tower of popcorn when time is up, wins.
Popcorn Pass
Supplies Needed: Bowl (metal or plastic) of Popcorn (about half to three quarters full); music
Set Up: Need 6+ players to play. Players sit in a circle. One player has the bowl of popcorn.
How to Play: When the music starts, players pass the bowl of popcorn in a circle. When the music stops, the person who is holding the bowl of popcorn is out. Play continues until there is only one player remaining.
Popcorn Scavenger Hunt
Supplies Needed: small bags of popcorn
Set Up: Hide small bags of popcorn in the space.
How to Play: Let players know how many bags they are searching for before hunting. Players search for the bags of popcorn. Play is over once they find all of the bags.
Other Notes: Set a time limit. Players have to race against the clock to find all of the bags. Another idea is to assign players each a specific color to search for. Tie the tops of the popcorn bags with ribbon matching this color. Then, players only search for their popcorn bags.
Chopstick Popcorn Transfer
Supplies Needed: sets of chopsticks; small bowls of popcorn – each with the exact same number of pieces; same number of empty small bowls
Set Up: Place a specific number of popcorn pieces in each bowl. Make sure each player has the same number of pieces.
How to Play: On “Go!”, players use chopsticks to transfer each popcorn piece from one bowl to another. Play ends when players have transferred all of their popcorn pieces.
Kernel Sort
Supplies Needed: small bowls of popcorn with a mix of popped corn and kernels; 2 small empty bowls or cups for each player;
Set Up: Separate popcorn into multiple bowls. Season each bowl individually. Some seasoning ideas include cinnamon, paprika, chili powder, cheddar cheese, brown sugar, garlic salt, onion powder, etc. One idea is to purchase a popcorn seasoning kit for this activity and use that for guessing.
How to Play: The goal is for players to separate the popped and unpopped popcorn as quickly as possible. Give each player a bowl of popped popcorn and unpopped kernels. When the timer starts, players sort the popcorn into two bowls. Bowl 1 is the popped popcorn and Bowl 2 is the unpopped popcorn. When the time is up, stop sorting.
The player with the best sorted popcorn – popped and unpopped kernels – wins. Misplaced pieces don’t count or add a time penalty.
Trail Maze
Supplies Needed: painter’s tape (for the start and finish line); cones, chairs, boxes as obstacles (optional); popcorn (or popcorn cut outs);
Set Up: Choose a winding path through the space that you are using. Mark the start and end of the path with painter’s tape. Add any obstacles that are desired – cones, chairs, boxes or even stuffed animals. Lay popcorn on the floor in a winding path – think Hansel and Gretel. Make curves, zigzags, loops and dead ends in your path, if desired.
How to Play: One player enters the trail maze at a time. They follow the path of popcorn to get to the end. You can time players, if desired.
If you choose to have a winner, there are lots of options. You can use the fastest time, fewest mistakes or least number of step offs.
Variations: There are lots of fun variations to this trail maze activity. Players can complete the maze while carrying a cup of popcorn. You can play music while players complete the maze and have them freeze when the music stops. Or add an educational twist – have players solve simple math problems along the way.
Guess the Flavor
Supplies Needed: small bowls of popcorn with different distinct seasonings; blindfolds (optional)
Set Up: Separate popcorn into multiple bowls. Season each bowl individually. Some seasoning ideas include cinnamon, paprika, chili powder, cheddar cheese, brown sugar, garlic salt, onion powder, etc. One idea is to purchase a popcorn seasoning kit for this activity and use that for guessing.
When to use blindfolds? Guess the Flavor is a blindfold optional game. Some people – mainly older kids and adults – might recognize the spice on the popcorn before actually tasting it. Instead of giving the spice away visually, blindfolds will force players to really use their taste senses to identify the flavors.
But not everyone is comfortable with using a blindfold. So, I have made this game blindfold optional. It’s best to decide based on your guests whether to use one for play or not.
How to Play: Each player tries a piece of the popcorn in each flavor and then makes a guess about what the flavor is. They can record their guess on the popcorn tasting card or a small notepad. The player with the most correct guesses, wins.
Popcorn Freeze Dance
Supplies Needed: lots of space to move around
Set Up: None
How to Play: Each player squats in a ball like a piece of popcorn. When the music starts, players “Pop” like a piece of popcorn. Players continue popping until the music stops. Then, they freeze in action. Players that are unable to freeze are out of the game. Play continues until there is one player remaining.
Art and Logic Popcorn Games
Guess How Many
Supplies Needed: Jar or clear bowl full of popcorn; blank slips of paper or guess how many cards; pencils
Set Up: Fill a large jar or clear bowl with popcorn. Count how many pieces of popcorn are in the jar or bowl before starting and write down the amount. If using this activity as a party station, be sure to use good signage so guests know how to play. You can find game signs and matching cards in our Membership Community here.
How to Play: Guests guess how many pieces of popcorn are in the jar. They write their guess on the card or a slip of paper. Make sure guests include their name. The person with the closest guess, wins.
Popcorn Trivia
Supplies Needed: movie and popcorn themed trivia questions
Set Up: Divide players into teams
How to Play: One team reads a trivia question to the other team. That team tries to answer the question. If the question is answered correctly, that team receives a point. Play continues until all of the trivia questions have been answered.
Variations: Check out our list of popcorn trivia questions here. You can also play this game with movie trivia questions. If you don’t want to make your own trivia game, check out Pass the Popcorn. It’s a fun movie trivia game that will test players’ knowledge on 250 top box office hits. (affiliate)
Popcorn Charades
Supplies Needed: list of popcorn themed or movie themed charades; white boards and dry erase markers (if playing the drawing version)
Set Up: Divide players into teams (if desired). Decide if players are acting or drawing.
How to Play: One person chooses a charade card. The player acts or draws out the card while the rest of the team guesses. If the team guesses correctly, they receive a point. If not, the other team has a chance to guess. The team with the most amount of points at the end of play, wins.
Sell the Popcorn
Supplies Needed: Regular popcorn or Assorted bags of gourmet popcorn (affiliate)
Set Up: Any desired props for acting out the commercial
How to Play: Players work in teams to create a short, fun commercial that makes people want to buy their bag of popcorn. Each team has 5 to 10 minutes to plan a 30 to 60 second commercial.
Each commercial should include the following elements:
- a creative hook such as a jingle, joke, skit, song or memorable character
- the word “popcorn” used at least 3 times
- a slogan or catchy phrase
- the reason to buy their popcorn (taste, crunchiness, fun flavor, cost)
- participation by everyone on the team
Be sure to remind players that only their voices can be used – no electronics. And there should be no running, throwing, inappropriate language or anything else that’s unsafe.
After the teams have presented their commercials, the audience can vote on which one is the funniest, most creative and has the best slogan.
Variations: To make this popcorn game even more fun, assign additional parameters to players. You could require the commercials to be silent, use only one prop, have limited prep time or create the commercial around a mystery flavor.
Popcorn Art
Supplies Needed: Popped popcorn – plain and unbuttered; white liquid glue; heavy colored cardstock or colored poster board (should be heavy enough to hold popcorn and glue) (affiliates); drawing pencils, markers or crayons
Set Up: Place all of the art materials on a table and include bowls of plain popped popcorn.
How to Play: Choose a color of cardstock as the background base. Use pencils or markers to draw a simple design on the cardstock. The design should be an outline. Some ideas include animals, winter scenes (snowflakes, snowmen), hearts, geometric designs, movie themes or letters.
Apply the glue to the inside lines and shapes. Press the popcorn into the glue and let dry. Use markers or crayons to add extra details to the art.
String a Popcorn Garland
Supplies Needed: Popped popcorn – plain and unbuttered; Cranberries (optional); string, yarn or dental floss; a needle (use a plastic one if this activity is done with small children – adult supervision is highly recommended for this craft); scissors
Set Up: Pop the popcorn the day before so it’s dry and firm. Choose larger popped pieces to use. Cut the string a manageable length for kids (about 3 – 5 feet). Make sure the length of the string matches wear you would like to hang it.
How to Play: Thread the needle and tie a knot at the end of the string. Pierce the first piece of popcorn. Push the needle gently through the center of the popcorn piece and slide it down to the knot. Repeat. Add more popcorn pieces, leaving small spaces or pushing them together.
If desired, alternate the popcorn and cranberries to make a more colorful garland.
Hang your garland outside for the birds to enjoy or inside as a pretty decoration.
Fun Prizes for Popcorn Games
Although you definitely don’t need to have any prizes for your popcorn games, they can add some fun to your celebration. Here are some popcorn themed prizes that guests will love.
Gourmet Bags of Popcorn
Purchase gourmet bags of popcorn or make your own.
Popcorn Themed Stickers
Kids love putting vinyl stickers on water bottles, binders and laptops. Plus, you can split them up as prizes for multiple games. Or add a special touch with this scratch and sniff version.
Pencils with Popcorn Erasers
These popcorn shaped erasers are a fun addition to writing. Make it a pair by putting them on movie themed pencils.
Popcorn Seasoning
Divide up this set of popcorn seasoning and let each winner take a flavor home.
Popcorn Balls
Make a batch of popcorn balls or purchase pre-made ones here.
Movie Night Finger Lights
These are perfect if you are combining popcorn games with movie night fun. Light up the night with these movie themed finger lights. The light projects a fun movie themed image.
Other Party Game Fun
One of the most important parts of your celebration is the games. If you’re looking for party game ideas, you’ve come to the right place. Check out these other fun party game blog posts to help you plan your next event.
35 Best Scavenger Hunt Ideas for All Ages
Free Printable Baseball Party Games
Free Printable Basketball Bingo Game
Free Printable Indoor Scavenger Hunt
Love these games with popcorn and want to save them for your next celebration? Be sure to pin it below.
Happy Celebrating,
Natalie