There are so many ways to use colored popcorn kernels in your fall activities for kids! I have always loved using interesting materials in my projects with the kids. And the look of brightly colored popcorn kernels certainly fit the bill. So, after trial and error, I finally figured out how to dye corn!
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Now that we have colorful corn kernels, we use them ALL THE TIME. They’re great for sensory exploration, for art projects, as manipulatives during math, and for decorating.
Colorful sensory materials really engage the kids in a wide variety of early learning activities. The visual stimulation seems to draw the children’s interest in, doesn’t it?
I really, really wanted to use some colorful corn in a few preschool activities. I love making my own sensory materials and have great success dyeing rice, pasta, and pumpkin seeds, so I thought learning to dye corn would be easy.
But since I’d never created colored popcorn kernels before, I looked online for some suggestions. While there are tons of ideas for preparing, decorating with, and creating with corn, there weren’t too many ideas about HOW to dye corn kernels.
Related: How to Dye Pumpkin Seeds
How to Make Colored Popcorn Kernels
Me being me, I turned this whole process into my own little science experiment. I’m pretty sure my students all found this process very entertaining! I know my teaching assistant got a few good laughs at it.
Oh, and just to clarify, the corn kernels are just regular ol’ popcorn kernels.
First Up: How NOT to Dye Corn
First, I tried the baggy and food dye method. I placed some corn kernels in a plastic baggy, added some food coloring, zipped the bag, and shook everything up for a few minutes.
Even though this method works great when I dye pasta and rice, it didn’t cut it for the corn!
The corn kernels have a smoother surface than rice or pasta, which is why I think this method didn’t work all that well. The dye stuck to some parts of the kernels but not others, and the color just wasn’t all that great.
Next, I tried adding a little bit of rubbing alcohol to the baggy that held corn and food coloring. Still the same problems. I tried a splash of vinegar too, but to no avail.
As I told the kiddos, when you’re conducting a scientific experiment you need to try more than one idea. This was also a great way to show the children that not all experiments are a success!
Richly Colored Popcorn Kernels
I kept plugging along until I came upon a method that worked incredibly well for me. To finally create a rich, even color on the corn kernels, I dyed them like I would dye Easter eggs!
When comparing the final batch to the original batch, there was a marked difference. The kids and I used all of the corn, even the botched attempts, but I definitely preferred the corn from my final batch!
Materials Needed to Dye Corn Kernels
Here’s what I ended up using in my successful corn dyeing attempts (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post). Most of these items are easily found in the kitchen. Or, if you’re anything like me, you’ll have them in your preschool teacher stash already.
I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
- A jar, container, or plastic baggie large enough to hold about 2 cups of liquid
- Water
- Vinegar
- Food Coloring
- Popcorn Kernels
- Slotted Spoon
Directions to Dye Corn
Below you’ll find my tried-and-true method for how to dye corn. I’ve made colorful corn this way countless times since 2013. And I’m happy to report that this method has worked successfully every time!
Related: Butterfly Life Cycle Sensory Bottles
- Start off by partially filling a jar, container, or plastic baggie with water. We used about 2/3 cup.
- Next, add vinegar to the water. I found that having the amount of vinegar equal to the amount of water we used worked the best. So we used about 2/3 cup of vinegar.
- Then add your desired amount of food coloring to the water/vinegar mixture. Swish to distribute color. I used about a tablespoon of coloring for every cup or two of corn.
- Finally, it’s time to add the corn kernels to your container. We used about a cup of corn. Make sure the liquid completely covers the corn. If it doesn’t, add a bit more liquid.
- Now it’s time to wait. You need to let the corn sit in the liquid for at least a few hours. I let mine sit overnight and find that gives me the best results.
- The next morning, remove the corn kernels using a slotted spoon. Or pour it into a fine mesh strainer. I tend to rinse the corn off in a strainer these days.
- Be sure to let the corn dry completely. I know the process takes a bit of time, but it is well worth it!
You can also start off with the corn in a jar first, adding the liquids and food coloring after. It’s really up to you!
Have you ever tried to dye corn kernels?
Fun Activities to Try Using Colored Popcorn Kernels
The best part is playing with the corn! My preschool kids can’t get enough of it, and I can’t either, of course.
We make this colorful corn mosaic art every year. It’s always fun to see the children’s individual creations.
Our rainbow corn sensory bin is always a hit!
Grab the free printable popcorn number cards to practice counting and one-to-one correspondence.
Pair the colored popcorn kernels with color sorting mats so the children can work on color identification and sorting skills.
In December, the kids love this scented candy cane sensory bin. You can use it around Valentine’s Day too, especially if you leave out the peppermint scent.
And red and green corn kernels are perfect for Christmas contact paper art! It was actually the kids’ idea to incorporate the corn in this art idea.
Set up a sensory invitation to make a 3D contact paper Christmas tree. The kids can “light” the trees over and over again.
These ideas are just the tip of the iceberg. There are so many other corn activities where you can replace your run-of-the-mill corn with this rainbow corn!
Where to Buy Colored Popcorn Kernels
Obviously, I love colorful corn for a variety of activities! But I know not everyone has the time or inclination to dye corn themselves. So I thought I’d share some ideas for buying colored popcorn kernels instead.
Keep in mind, the only way to really get richly-colored rainbow corn is to dye it yourself. BUT you can also find a variety of non-yellow corn to purchase.
First, take a look at local grocery stores and chain stores. Keep an eye out for “gourmet” popcorn. You’ll often find multi-color corn kernels that way.
After that, you can check out corn kernels online. Below are some possibilities from Amazon. I haven’t had the chance to try these out, as I tend to prefer making my own!
A Note about Using Foods for Sensory Play and Art
I know that some people are concerned about using food for art/crafts/sensory play/etc. There is a concern that it is disrespectful towards children who might not be getting enough to eat at home.
Related: Popcorn Number Cards
While I certainly understand this concern, I respectfully disagree. In the past, I have worked with children who weren’t getting enough to eat.
As their teacher, and a member of their community, I did all I could to ensure they were cared for and well-nourished. I would never let a child in my care go hungry, and their needs were (and always are) paramount in my mind.
It is still an issue that I concern myself with now, even though my current students don’t have those same problems. The food I use for crafts, sensory play, etc. are often stale or past their “sell by” dates.
I also take great care to keep the food in sealed containers to use again and again if it’s possible.
If you’d like to read pros and cons on this topic, TinkerLab has a great post about this topic – Should Food Be Used in Preschool Sensory Activities?
More Preschool Learning Ideas
Save time and get right to the playful learning with done-for-you lesson plans and educational activities for preschoolers from Preschool Teacher 101.
Click the images below for more information about each resource. Be sure to take a look at the membership options, too.
Originally published November 25, 2013. Post updated to include new images and video.
MC, you are a genius!! I am already dreaming of ways I can use dyed corn!
Ann, you are awesome!!! Thanks so much for your way too kind words!! 🙂 I’ve got a zillion ideas for using the dyed corn, too — can’t wait to try some of them out. Let me know if you try dyeing your own!
What bright colors! This looks like so much fun! Can’t wait to give it a try this week!
Yay!! Let me know how it goes when you try it out next week. 🙂
I respect your and value your last paragraph very much …you are such a human soul
Thank you for the kind words! 🙂
It makes great gifts – We’ve been making it for quite some time. I prefer the baggie/rub/soak method 🙂
But so much fun for the kids and adults all around :)!
So many fun uses for the colorful corn kernels . . . I agree, Jodie! 🙂
I, too, love to use some foods for preschool discovery and artwork. I’ve been chastised because of the hunger issues. But, I love your disclaimer and agree 100%. Thank you for giving me the freedom to use items that enhance the experience for children to learn. And, I’ve never thought about coloring corn but your idea has prompted me to have another activity to do with my grandchildren! Bless you.
Thanks for your sweet words, Janice! It’s nice to know I’m not the only one who thinks so. 🙂
THANK YOU for your comments of use of food. I couldn’t agree more! People over react to this too much. It is not like you were going to pop the corn and feed it to hungry children but choose not to. It is hard enough to come up with process art as coloring pages and crafts have been outlawed and taking food out of the equation is even harder.
Thanks so much for your comments, Jennifer. I really feel that I, as an educator, will always strive to make sure my students are healthy, happy, and loved. I worked for 5 years at a school where adequate food and nutrition was a real concern for some of the kiddos. My colleagues and I were very aware of the kids’ home situations and always made sure they were taken care of as best we could both at school and within the local town.
I assume you didn’t use sweet corn, so where can I find that kind of corn you used?
Thanks.
I just used the corn kernels from the grocery store — popcorn kernels. I think this would work well on completely dried out regular corn kernels as well. I just grabbed the bag of popcorn kernels because it was easier. 🙂
I had trouble dyeing popcorn for a science experiment. Now I know what I should have used to make the color bright.
I was frustrated when I first tried to dye the corn/popcorn too! Thus all my random experimenting. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by to check out the dyeing “recipe” here!
Great idea for those died kernels after Thanksgiving. I brought opened pinecones to my preschool class where the kiddos could glue and glitter the cones. Then they would put a dot of glue on the cone petals and then they placed the colorful kernels for “Christmas lights” and putting a yellow one at the top for the star. It was hit.
{I am so sorry for the delay in responding!} Marty, I LOVE this activity! Thank you so much for telling me about it. If you get the chance, would you mind posting a picture or two from this activity on Fun-A-Day’s Facebook page? I’d love to share it with my other readers too! Again, I looooove this idea! 🙂
.. so can these then be popped and eaten? do they come out coloured? 🙂 I may have to do my own science experiment!
{So sorry for the delay!} I never did get that far, Angela! The popcorn kernels I had were old, so I never planned on popping them. If you do your own experiment, I would LOVE to hear how it goes!!! 🙂
I tried this and am thrilled with the results. AND, the corn can be popped and eaten afterwards. It doesn’t change the color of the popped corn (except the part where the hull itself shows). It does seem to make the popcorn a bit less fluffy, but it could have just needed more drying before I tried it.
That’s awesome to know! Thanks for filling us in on what you tried. 🙂
If you choose to pop the corn will the popped corn be the dyed color as well? I was thinking about making garland in different colors if it did. Thanks – Jeniese
Jeniese, that garland sounds like a great idea! I’ve only used the corn kernels for art, crafts, and sensory play thus far. I’m not sure if the color will stay once it’s popped, but I don’t think so.
Would the deer corn that is for sale work I wonder?
The idea is great- thanks for figuring it out for the rest of us 🙂
I bet it would work out with deer corn, as well, but I haven’t tried that yet! If you try it, let me know how it goes! I would love to know.
What amount much water, vinegar, food coloring and corn did you use? My fiance and I are getting married Summer of 2015 and he is a farmer. We want to dye corn and put it into the bottom of a Mason jar and put a votive candle for the centerpieces. I really want to try this out. It’s a fun idea. Our flower girl and I can make a fun project out of it!!
Congratulations, Kate! I LOVE the idea of using colored corn as part of your centerpieces! If you do that, I would absolutely ADORE a picture of what you did! I didn’t use an exact amount each time, but here’s an approximate “recipe” — 2/3 cup vinegar, 2/3 cup water, 1/2 to 1 TB food coloring (depending on how deep you want the colors to be), and 2 cups of corn kernels.
My corn isn’t dying as well as your pictures. It seems to be taking to like a tip part of the kernels but not the full glossy kernel part. I need them for my kids to make a Roman Mosaic on Friday. Any ideas? I just added more dye to the bags tonight hoping they will look more colorful in the morning.
Oh Hannah I’m sorry they’re not dyeing as well as you’d like! Our leftover colorful corn is still vibrant after months. I would suggest adding more dye, like you’d already said. Let the corn soak overnight for the brightest colors. Also, double check the dye you’re using. For me, it was the basic food coloring (red, blue, yellow, and green) that worked the best for me. Those neon colors, while pretty on their own, just didn’t “sink in” to the corn kernels. I hope those tips help a little bit!! Let me know!
Hello! I was so excited to try this. I did it yesterday and followed the water, vinegar, food coloring directions and when I woke up today it doesn’t appear that it worked for me. Do you think I used too much water? Since it didn’t work I’m going to try it again with more vinegar. Thanks!
I would try to add more food coloring and use less liquid (just enough to cover the kernels. 🙂
After you dye them, if youpop then will theybe that color? We are looking to do a Christmas activity
Can’t wait to try this! A quick question (just because I have no clue how to dye anything), in the recipe, step 2, add about a tablespoon of vinegar…. But I was reading thru the comments, and towards the end, you gave a 2/3 C vinegar, 2/3 C water, 1 1/2 TBSP food coloring. Which one would dye them better? The 2/3 C vinegar?
Hi, Michelle – thank you! I think I’d go with more vinegar, but you can always test it out and see what works better for you. 🙂 Our dyed corn is still going strong (what’s left that hasn’t been used for arts and crafts, of course)! Let me know how yours turns out!!
Love the idea… found it on a partylite candle board. Going to try it!
I love the colorful beans and corn. Please put me on your mailing list. My grandson is moving closer to me in a couple of weeks. I can’t wait to do these projects with him.
Thanks so much, Lane! How exciting that your grandson will be closer soon. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear about what activities you try with him,
Do you think liquid watercolors woiuld work?
Oh how I LOVE liquid watercolors! Alas, they didn’t seem to work when I tried them. But if you find out differently, let me know!
Hi there, is there a particular type of vinegar you used or would any work?
I can’t wait to try this out!
Hi Wendy! I just used regular white vinegar. 🙂
I used white wine vinegar as it was all I could find. Should I have used white vinegar used for cleaning?
I just use regular vinegar – distilled white vinegar is what it says on the container. I’ve never used white wine vinegar, but let me know how that works!!
This looks great! Can’t wait to try it. Where did you buy the corn kernels?
Thanks, Carrie! I just grabbed them at the local grocery store. 🙂
Do you know if the corn is still edible after using this method? I remember rainbow colored popcorn from the 80’s and I can’t find it. This method looks amazing but I wonder if it can still be popped
I’m not sure it would taste all that great, to be honest. I know it can still be popped (we did an experiment to see if would affect the color of the popcorn, but it doesn’t since we dye the outside of the kernel and the popcorn comes from inside the kernel). 🙂
Cori, I have been looking for that popcorn as well. It is nowhere! The last time I bought it was over 15 years ago at our local Shop N’ Save. Bascom’s is the name brand. I am going to use this method and see what happens when I pop it!
Let us know if you ever find it, Stacey! We’ve since tried the popping method but it doesn’t come out colored – since we’re dyeing the outer shell and the part inside the shell is what pops out.
Have you ever tried popping the kernels once they are dyed? Do they come pop colorful?
We tried, as my son wanted to know that too. 🙂 No, they don’t come out colorful (likely because it’s just the outside of the kernel that’s dyed). 🙂
Thumbs up to your comment about using food. In my opinion it is no different to wasting anything be it food, paper, glue or paint. Be as careful as you can not to waste anything. I can’t wait to try this idea in our playgroup. Thanks for the inspiration
Thanks so much for your kind words, Nicole! 🙂 Let me know how it goes with your playgroup.
Could you still pop them? Them they become colored popcorn?
You can pop them, but they won’t pop up colorful (we tried)!
Are these edible if popped?
We only popped a few, and we didn’t try any. Since we usually use them in art or sensory play, we don’t tend to eat them. I suppose I wouldn’t be opposed to taste-testing them since it’s just popcorn, vinegar, and food coloring.
how do you keep the popcorn kernels from sticking? I used gel food coloring and they have been drying for 2 days and they are still so sticky. My kids cannot even play with it. any suggestions to try and unstick the corn kernels after dying?
Well that’s just no fun, Marie. 🙁 I only used regular ol’ food coloring for dyeing the corn kernels. It seems that the gel food colors make the whole process sticky. With the regular food coloring, the kernels have never stuck together for me (and we’ve done this process over and over again over the years). I wish I had some experience with this to better help!
Does the food coloring come off rice, noodles and corn on to little hands? ☺️
We didn’t run into any issues with the food coloring coming off on little hands. Just make sure to completely dry the corn before placing the corn in a sensory bin. 🙂
Is there any special drying instructions? Or just spread them out in a flat layer to dry? How long does that take usually? Ours sat in dye overnight and we’ll be using them in a program on Saturday! I appreciate you taking the time to test out methods for the rest of us 🙂
Hi Christine! I’ll need to pop back and update the post so it includes better drying instructions. We just put the dyed corn in a flat layer like you mentioned and left them to dry. They should be dry in time for your program on Saturday (but now I have the urge to dye more corn so I can get an exact drying time). I think I left the batches out to dry for a day just to be safe. Let me know how your program goes!!!!
how much vinegar to water
Hey Lara! I found that equal parts water and vinegar worked the best (we used about 2/3 cup water and 2/3 cup vinegar). I’ll edit the post to make sure it says that.
Thank you so much for sharing this! I loved your comment at the end about those in need and I truly agree with you! I’m prepping hard now to color kernels!! Yay!!
Thanks so much for your kind words, Asia! I hope you have a blast using the colorful corn kernels.
the corn is so beautiful. I am going to try it, thanks for the recipe
Thanks, Kym! Let me know how it goes! 🙂
my only question is what keeps the popcorn from tasting like vinegar I have died kernels before just using food color then spreading the dyed corn on cookie sheets until dry they do make a pretty gift
We use the dyed popcorn for sensory play and art projects, we we’re not eating them. So I’m not worried about the vinegar. 🙂 I’ve tried just using the food coloring, but the corn kernels never seem to come out as rich as this particular method. But I’m glad to hear you’ve had success with it!
Do you keep the dyed corn kernels in the fridge to get the best color, the freezer, or just leave them outside covered?
I left them in the bags overnight on the counter. Hope that helps!
I do the same thing with rice for St. Patrick’s Day each year in my sensory table. We also use it for art projects throughout the year afterwards to not waste it. I love the idea of doing corn for a change. I adore the bright colors too! Thanks so much for sharing your experiment and findings to make it easier for the rest of us who follow!
Yes, rainbow rice is a blast, too! So glad you’re inspired to try out the corn, too. 🙂
This is nice…. I have used colored rice grains before but those are very tiny pieces for a kindergartner’s hands… you gave me an idea on this… Thank you….
I’m glad to hear that! Let me know if you get the chance to try it. 🙂
When I was using white rice in a sensory table, a mother of Chinese descent said she thought it was odd that we were “playing” with food they ate everyday. This made me think about using food. Was I leading the children to devalue ingredients? I still pay attention to the ethnic experiences of my students when deciding to use rice, beans, corn, etc in the sensory bins. I think there is good value in the textures, though.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and experience with us!
I didn’t read the comments yet so sorry if I repeat (btw loved this I plan on spending all summer making art with my niece and this is an easy way to do that) I wanted to comment on what you said about it being disrespectful to those who don’t get enough to eat. As a child who only ate if the neighbors fed us or if we were at school I can assure you this is not disrespectful. What’s disrespectful is making comments and complaining about a teachers choice of medium while doing nothing to correct the thing you complain about. People need to stop talking and protesting and do something! You are clearly a doer, your doing is just as important I assure you! I am the kind of person I am today because of teachers like you! Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much for your very kind words. They made my day!!! <3 Let me know how the summer goes with your niece!
Thank you for doing this experiment to find how to color corn kernels! I’ll definitely being doing this with my son this month. He is going to love it!
Be sure to let me know how it goes! 🙂
People are just looking for an excuse to be offended on the internet. (I seriously doubt they ran out after the hungry kid statement and donated food or money to fix this problem of hungry kids)
Another note, I love your ideas, tricks and patterns for crafts. Thank you for taking the time and making the effort.
Hi Ave! I know people have different opinions than I do, and that’s okay. I really appreciate your kind words!!!
I would like to thank you very much for finding a way to color it because the baggie way did not work for me, and I searched everywhere!!! Merry Christmas!!!
Oh I am so happy to have been of some help! Merry Christmas to you, too!
It did t work for me. The popcorn didn’t dye hardly at all!
Sorry to hear that. I’ve tried this more than 10 times and it has always worked for me. The key is making sure to keep the corn soaked in the vinegar and water, and to make sure you have added vinegar (it won’t work in just water).
Did you use white vinegar?
Yes, just plain ol’ white vinegar!
I had never thought of using corn and dying it. Thank you so much for the receipe. Your corn was so beautiful and I am going out to buy come corn. Thanks again.
You’re so welcome! We have used the dyed corn for soooo many things, and it’s always so engaging for the kids. Thank you! 🙂
Can this popcorn method also work if you want to pop and eat?
Hi Christine! This method dyes the outside of the kernel. We tried popping some just to see and it didn’t affect the popcorn color. So no it doesn’t work for that! 😉
HI there! I recently used your method for dyeing popcorn kernels and they turned out beautifully! I can’t wait for my work kiddos to get to play with it all, but I’m concerned about the vinegar smell. Does it go away, or do you have a trick for making it smell less vinegary? They’re nearly dry now, but they still smell quite vinegary.
Thanks!
Hi Kymmie! I’m so happy they turned out well! I like to rinse the corn kernels once they’re done dyeing. That helps with the vinegar smell, as does letting the corn dry super well in the open air as much as possible. Those 2 tips work for me, but another idea to consider is adding a scent to the corn if you can and want to (with something like a a drop or two of a scented extract, etc.) I’m currently testing out another method that wouldn’t use vinegar – wish me luck on that one! If that works out, I’ll come back and update this post with that information.
Hello! Thank you so much for these directions. My corn turned out so vibrant! How long does your dyed corn typically last before spoiling? Does it spoil?
Thank you in advance.
Hi Dani! I’m so happy to hear that your corn turned out well! I’ve had dyed corn last for years and years. As long as the corn is thoroughly dry and clean (toss out any that aren’t looking too hot after each use and really make sure every thing is dry), it can last years. Be sure to keep it in a sealed container (I’ve used plastic zip-top baggies, containers with lids, and even the plastic jugs that popcorn kernels come in sometimes.
Are the colors just as rich when you pop them?
That would be so fun, but no! This method dyes the outside of the kernel. The part that pops is inside the kernel. We tried it a few times just to see what would happen. 😉
Once colored & dried can these be cooked (popped) and eaten?
Hi Valerie! You can test that out yourself if you’d like. The color doesn’t transfer over to the popped corn, and I’m not sure how/if the vinegar impacts taste. We popped them to test out coloring, but we didn’t actually eat them so I can’t give you a definitive answer about that. 🙂
I like it, but can you pop these colored kernels and eat the popped corn? If so, will it taste like pickled popcorn?
We tested that out – no it doesn’t result in colored popped corn! That’s because when we dye the kernels, we’re dyeing the outside and not the part that pops. 🙂