Pop it: the game that drives the world crazy

It all started on TikTok, with the #PopIt hashtag getting more than 3.3 billion views. In fact, it is here that Pop It, the summer game, has become famous among different shapes and colors. The concept is very simple. Do you remember when a package wrapped in paper with bubbles arrived and you couldn’t help but pop those inviting balls?

Pop It is just that: a soft silicone disc in which there are bubbles that must be squeezed on one side and swell on the other, for an endless blast. So just flip it to start over.

It comes in classic shapes like the circle or the square, but there are also funnier ones like a unicorn, a heart, a butterfly. It can be as small as a keychain or huge for playing together. Used by children, it is actually loved by adults too, who enjoy popping bubbles like antistress. Indicated from 3 years onwards, with the possibility of playing alone or together, the age group that has been kidnapped by the game is mainly that between 7 and 13 years.

In fact, this game favors concentration and logical reasoning in the little ones, even in the case of attention and learning disorders.

But Pop It has real rules that are inside the bag for two to play:

• Choose who goes first
• Players take turns choosing a row and pop as many bubbles as they want in the chosen row
• The next player will choose another row with unopened bubbles and pop as many bubbles as he wants in that row alone
• Players will continue to take turns until one player is forced to burst the last bubble. That player loses that round. To start over, just flip the board and start over.

According to Dr. Katherine Isbister, professor of computational media at the University of California, restless behavior is quite prevalent and the fact that this is becoming more and more recognized has led to an increase in innovation around products such as pop it, that they are intentionally designed and marketed to support agitation. “Often people only use what’s at hand: a paper clip, a USB stick, a take-out coffee case,” he explains. “People say these objects help them pay attention and focus, and they also say it can help them calm down or work with feelings like anger.”

These toys appear to help children focus and manage emotions. In fact, fidget toys have long been available for children to use for therapeutic purposes. In fact, Pop It is not the first restless toy to become an indispensable accessory. Do you remember the spinners, which went viral in 2017?

The Pop It is made of silicone, so easy to wash and can be used anywhere. Perfect for long hours in the car or waiting at the airport. The cost? It goes from 5 to 10 euros, in relation to the size and shape!