W is for Watermelon

Apparently I’m dreaming about summer weather and backyard BBQs already. Hopefully we can find watermelon at the store to sweeten our Watermelon Day!

• Read “One Watermelon Seed” by Celia Barker Lottridge.

  

• Read “Peter Spit a Seed at Sue” by Jackie French Coller … another fun watermelon book to read. Great rhyming text and a funny story. Check out the preview on Amazon.

• Watermelon Life Cycle … Did you know there is a National Watermelon Promotion Board?! They have a great website with lots of information about watermelon!
  • Print this life cycle page here
  • Color the page and talk about each step.
  • Cut the cards apart, mix them up, and put them back in the correct order!
  • NOTE: this page also tells how to grow watermelon from the little black seeds in your next slice of watermelon!

 

• Edible Watermelon Seed Counting … love this counting activity inspired by Toddler Approved.
1. Make several watermelon slices. I cut out a few red circles, then glued them onto the white paper and cut around those a little bigger. Then glued those to a green paper and cut a little larger around to make the rind.
2. Cut each circle in half to make watermelon slices.
3. Write a number on each slice.
4. To Play:
• Turn all of the watermelon slices upside down.
• Choose one, identify the number and add that many chocolate chip seeds to the watermelon slice.
• NOTE: You could also leave the slices blank, then roll a dice and add that many chocolate chip seeds to a slice. Roll again & repeat!

• Make Watermelon Pops … these sound delicious! Check out a full menu of watermelon recipes at www.watermelon.org. Wow.
  1. Add watermelon (without the rind) to a large ziploc bag.
  2. Mush and mash it with your hands.
  3. Pour or scoop the watermelon mash into a popsicle mold.
  4. OPTIONAL: add small chunks of fruit (peaches, grapes, kiwi)
  5. Freeze and enjoy!

Watermelon Waffles & a Game

Okay, these taste just as delicious as they look. My kids love helping me in the kitchen and they had a ball helping me sprinkle chocolate chip seeds onto their waffles.

• Watermelon Waffles
  1. Kelli from Random Thoughts of a Supermom is seriously a supermom. What a fun breakfast or snack at any time during the summer or W week.
  2. Click here to get her simple directions (with chocolate chip seeds!) for watermelon waffles.
• Watermelon Slice Dice Game
  1. Let the kids paint a paper plate to resemble a watermelon. Red in the middle and green around the rim. Let dry.
  2. Draw lines and let the kids slice (cut with scissors) their watermelon into 6 big slices.
  3. Glue 1-6 black seeds (black pom-poms, black paper dots from a hole punch or anything else you can think of) on each slice. I’m sure you get the idea … one slice has 1 seed, next slice has 2 seeds, next has 3 seeds … up to 6.
  4. Playing the game … take turns rolling a die. If you roll a three (help count the dots) remove the slice with 3 seeds from your watermelon. You can even pretend to eat it. Keep playing until all of the slices have been eaten!