There's a lot you can do with popcorn, especially during the holiday season. And fun, cheap, edible holiday activities work really well with kids. One of the many fabulous things about popcorn is that it's exceedingly inexpensive if you buy unpopped corn in bulk, rather than the standard microwave-ready-seasoned-popcorn-packets. The first step before doing anything with popcorn is of course to actually pop the pop corn; this is best done either using the easy old-fashioned stove top method, or a hot air popper. Butter, salt and season it to taste if you're planning to eat it as is—a perfectly reasonable thing to do while you watch one of the traditional holiday movies with your kids.

There are a number of fairly simple but deliciously edible delights you can make with popcorn, all of which can be made with juvenile assistance, and all of which make lovely gifts for colleagues, neighbors, teachers and friends. Carmel corn is surprisingly simple to make, and much less expensive than the purchased variety. Popcorn balls are a perennial favorite, and look festive enough to hang on tree once you've wrapped them in plastic wrap and added a bow. Seasoned popcorn is a thoughtful gift that can be surprisingly healthy, and is fun to present in a quirky container of holiday tin box.

Popcorn has also been used for ages as a tree-trimming material, not only as the very traditional popcorn strands, but also as popcorn wreaths, both of which can be enhanced by the addition of cranberries.