The purpose of this study is to examine how popular culture affects children's social interactions in Swedish school-age educare. The study begins by describing how the increase in popular cultural expressions in children's daily lives can affect their social interactions and relationships. Previous research suggests that popular culture can be used as an inclusive resource, but can also be a factor in exclusion between children if they do not have knowledge or access to these expressions. The theoretical starting point used in this study is the perspective of situated learning and the concept of communities of practice, which clarify how social participation and learning are seen within meaningful contexts. Using a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews have been conducted with four school-age educare educators and four children at two different schools. The analysis was conducted based on a thematic analysis. The results of the study show that popular culture plays a significant role in children's social interaction with each other. Common interests in popular cultural references and expressions can increase inclusion between children, but on the other hand can risk children being excluded if they do not share the same popular cultural interests. The leisure educators express that popular culture can function as a kind of tool for participation, but also as something that requires active educational planning. It is emphasized in the discussion that integrating popular cultural expressions and references into school-age educare is important for promoting learning and inclusion. This study highlights the need for educators and teachers to increase their understanding of children's popular cultural expressions and references, both in practice and education.