Popcorn Science That ... Pops!🍿
Free printable science activity for kids
Hi Friend,
You know that moment when you're standing at the movie theater butter pump, pretending you're done but then casually reach back for “just one more squirt”?
Yeah. Same.
I don’t know what’s in that fake butter, but I do know that I’ve been known to cradle a bucket of popcorn like a newborn baby. It’s warm. It’s salty. It’s mine.
Popcorn is one of my favorite parts of the movie theater experience—which is probably why I made a printable activity about it.
🎉 Say hello to Popcorn Science—a hands-on, snack-fueled printable that turns regular popcorn into a science experiment.
In just one sheet, kids (or curious adults) will:
Weigh popcorn before and after popping
Observe how heat changes matter
Practice measurement, cause-and-effect thinking, and observation
It’s a quick, engaging way to bring NGSS-aligned science and math into your programming—with a snack at the end.
Make It Even More Fun
Want to turn this into a full hour of learning fun?
I’ll be dropping a free printable escape room called Movie Theater Mayhem next week. It pairs perfectly with this activity and features a popcorn machine gone wild, 8 paper puzzles, and a silly storyline perfect for kids ages 8–12.
Subscribe now so you don’t miss it—your popcorn-powered brain adventure awaits!
Supporting NGSS Learning Goals
Today’s printable science activity supports classroom learning goals, including the following standards:
NGSS 4-PS3-4: Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.
→ In this activity, students explore how heat turns water to steam, how steam causes the popcorn to pop, and how the structure of the kernel makes it all possible.
NGSS MS-PS1-4: Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.
→ Students analyze how the popcorn kernel’s internal water changes state (liquid → gas), leading to pressure buildup and a sudden transformation. (Pop!)
Bonus: It also reinforces math skills—measuring mass, recording data, and comparing results.
Grab Your Free Printable!
Subscribe for free to get today’s activity plus the Movie Theater Mayhem escape room the moment it drops (both available for a limited time).
You’ll get a welcome email with a link to the full Library Vault, where you can download these and other curiosity-sparking resources.
Here’s to making learning feel like a treasure hunt. 🗝️
With wonder,
-Allison
Creator of The Library Vault
P.S. Want to help grow this resource library while supporting fellow librarians?
Paid subscriptions are coming soon! You’ll unlock even more exclusive printables and help keep this project going strong.
Prefer to support for free?
❤️ Like and comment on posts
✍️ Restack a quote on Substack
📌 Pin it on Pinterest to save + share (use the images in this post!)
📨 Forward to a librarian friend who’d love it too!
Thank you for being here. The Library Vault is better with you in it.
