Free Family Fun Activity - Watermelon Carving

Frugal Family Crafts:
Grow a few melons in your flower bed this year
for food and crafts.
You can get free watermelon seeds here.

Flowering Garden

• Materials:
• 1 Oblong seeded watermelon
• 1 Small yellow watermelon (or substitute mini red watermelon or pineapple)
• Flower shape cookie cutters
• Melon baller
• 15-20 Skewers for flower stems
• 40-50 Popsicle or jumbo craft sticks for picket fence
• Toothpicks
• Hot glue gun
• Green food coloring and pipe cleaners (optional)

1. Wash the watermelons. Cut a ¼ inch slice off the bottom of the oblong watermelon to provide a stable base. Cut the top 1/3 off the watermelon lengthwise to provide the flower bed.

2. Cut out flat pieces from the flesh of the slice and from flesh from the flower bed piece. Use cookie cutters (or free hand cut) for the desired shapes for flowers. Be sure to cut shapes from the yellow watermelon as well. (Shown are daisies and tulips.)

3. Soak skewers in green food coloring, and set on paper towel to dry.

4. Use a small melon baller to create flower centers from both the yellow and red watermelons. Assemble the flowers by attaching the center balls with toothpicks. Place entire flower head on tinted green skewers. Insert skewer flower stems into base flower bed. Be sure to alternate colors and feel free to experiment with other colorful fruits like cantaloupe or blueberries.

5. Fill the basket flower bed with the rest of the fruit in flower shapes and balls. Shape a couple pipe cleaners into leaves and carefully attach to the skewer stems.

6. Using extreme caution use a hot glue gun to attach the Popsicle sticks around the flower bed as shown to create a fence for the garden. Garnish with other fun shapes such as butterflies or honeybees.

Watermelon Carving is a fun free family activity.
You can make every family occasion
fun and special with some cookie cutters and a melon!
Using two different colored melons is even more fun.

Watermelon, Pineapple and Peach Smoothies Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped seedless watermelon
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained well
2 cups peach yogurt
Dash of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:
Blend ingredients together in a blender until smooth and serve immediately.

Servings:
Serves 2.

Delicious, healthy and low cal. Spoil your family
with a smoothie party!

Amazing Watermelon Recipes

You can get free watermelon seeds at Listia.

The first recorded watermelon harvest
occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt.

Watermelon Banana Split

A Healthy Twist to an Old Favorite

Ingredients

2 bananas
1 medium watermelon
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1/4 cup caramel fruit dip
1/4 cup honey roasted almonds

Instructions

Peel bananas and cut in half lengthwise then cut each piece in half. For each serving, lay 2 banana pieces against sides of shallow dish. Using an ice cream scooper, place three watermelon "scoops" in between each banana in each dish. Remove seeds if necessary. Top each watermelon "scoop" with a different fruit topping. Drizzle caramel fruit dip over all. Sprinkle with almonds. Makes 4 servings.

Watermelon Dippers

This Fresh Dip with a Hint of Sweetness Makes a Treat Kids Will Love

Ingredients

8 ounces sour cream
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Watermelon stix or small wedges

Instructions

Blend together the sour cream, sugar and vanilla in a small serving bowl. Use as a dip for the watermelon.

Frosted Watermelon

A Fun Way to Get Kids to Eat More Fruit!

Ingredients

Seedless watermelon cut into ½- to ¾-inch thick slices
Yogurt
Granola or similar cereal

Instructions

Using your favorite cookie cutters cut shapes out of a ½- to ¾-inch thick slices of seedless watermelon. Or, if you prefer, use classic cut watermelon wedges. Frost with vanilla or other flavor yogurt. Sprinkle with granola.

Watermelon Kebabs

An Easy, Fast, No-Mess Meal

Ingredients

1-inch cubes of seedless watermelon
Smoked turkey breast
Cheddar cheese
Coffee stirrers or Beverage straws

Instructions

Cut watermelon, turkey and cheese in cubes and skewer on stirrers or straws.

Kids Watermelon Sandwich Cookies

Kids will love them!

Ingredients

12 (3-inch) blueberry pancakes, cooled to room temperature
1/2 cup white frosting
6 (2/3-inch thick and 3-inch round) seedless watermelon slices, drained to remove excess moisture

Instructions

Evenly frost the bottoms of each pancake with the white frosting. Arrange six of the pancakes, frosting side up on a serving platter. Place a slice of watermelon on each of the frosted pancakes on the platter. Top each with the remaining pancakes, frosting side down. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serves 6.

Kids Watermelon in a Blanket

Ingredients

12 pre-made or purchased crepes
2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
12 (1-inch by 8-inch) seedless watermelon "logs," drained to remove excess moisture
Vanilla and lemon yogurt for dipping

Instructions

Sprinkle one side of the crepes with cinnamon sugar and place a watermelon log at the end of each. Roll them up and serve with the flavored yogurts for dipping. Serves 12.

Toasted Almond Stacks

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup slivered almonds
6 to 10 crispy chocolate chip cookies, crumbled
3 cups chopped seedless watermelon
2 cups sweetened whipped cream or whipped topping

Instructions

Heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. When butter foams up add the almonds and stir until golden. Remove them to a heatproof plate. Arrange the cookie crumbles on 6 plates and top with the watermelon and garnish with the whipped cream. Top with the toasted almonds. Serves 6.

Kids Watermelon Pizza Supreme

Ingredients

1 (8-to-10 inch round and 1-inch thick) watermelon slice, drained to remove excess moisture
1 cup strawberry preserves
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Instructions

Place the watermelon slice on a serving platter and cut into 6 wedges leaving them in the shape of a pizza. Spread the preserves over the watermelon and sprinkle the toppings over the top. Serves 6.

TEACHERS Calling all teachers! The NWPB is proud to offer an array of tools for your classrooms. More often these days, healthy eating and lifestyle management articles are in the news. Teachers have the attention of their students in the classroom and they have the opportunity to drive the importance of nutrition home - literally. A healthy lifestyle starts in the home, and you can teach your students valuable lessons about a nutrition and fun fruit – watermelon – with our class lessons, including language arts, math, geography and more. Ranging in grade levels, these tools will help the students teach the parents, and the message is health. Additionally, check out our games and activities, healthy eating tips, kid’s recipes and watermelon facts. All guaranteed to teach the students about fun with watermelon and healthy eating. Lessons, activity sheets, coloring pages and recipes are all downloadable for free. For more information or tools to assist you teach about nutrition, contact us at info@watermelon.org. New! Download our free holiday activity sheets featuring watermelon and our healthy hero, J. Slice! These black and white coloring pages will make excellent classroom activities, themed for the holidays your students love to celebrate! (All are in PDF format) J. Slice Holiday ornament - color, cut and tape yourself in for a memorable decoration Thanksgiving cornucopia - don't forget the watermelon! Valentine's Day - create your own valentine card and envelope for your sweethearts, friends and family! Mother's Day corsage - color, cut and tape a picture of yourself to give to Mom on her special day Father's Day - Dad's day will be extra great with this watermelon craft from you to him! Summer Fun Page - list out your favorite parts of summer and color in the rest