Almanzo's Milk and Popcorn Challenge

I suspect every kid (and grown-up) who has read Laura Ingalls Wilder's Farmer Boy wonders if you can really take a full cup of popcorn and put it into a full cup of milk without spilling a drop.

Last week I popped some fresh popcorn for a snack. When my son grabbed a cup of milk to go with his popcorn, I remembered Almanzo's milk and popcorn challenge.

First we filled a glass to the brim with milk. Then we filled an identical glass with popcorn.
Then my son transferred the popcorn to the glass of milk.

We actually pressed the popcorn down into the glass. Almanzo was right! Not a drop spilled!

Not only that, but my son agrees with Almanzo: Popcorn and milk go great together!

(Excuse the blurry picture. It was the only one where you could see how he liked it. I think he'd had about two spoonfuls at that point.)

This is just one of 75 activities in my book The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion: A Chapter-by-Chapter Guide (affiliate link). It's so much more than activities. The book explores the real history, people, and complicated issues in all nine of the Little House books. Ask for it at your local bookstore or order it online. Published by Chicago Review Press in 2020.

Happy Trails! ~ Annette

Annette Whipple is a nonfiction children's author. Learn more about her books and presentations at www.AnnetteWhipple.com.