Watermelon Facts for Kids

What am I?

I'm a popular summer snack, and you usually pick me because I'm juicy and sweet. I've actually been around for over 5,000 years, and was enjoyed even by the Egyptians. Over the years I have changed a lot in my size, shape, color, and even my seeds.

I am native to Asia, but my desired fruit was transported across the world by Spanish explorers. 

Where I grow

​I still grow wild in Africa, but I can grow anywhere that it's hot. My vines stretch out on the ground and grow two flowers, one that produces pollen and one that produces fruit.

After I'm picked

​The best way to know if I'm ripe is to listen to me. Knock and listen for a dull, hollow sound. I'm also sweetest when I have an ugly yellow patch (or spot). Most people don't know that I come in many varieties and colors, like yellow, orange, and pink! My rind (outside skin) can even be yellow! I can even be grown in a cube shape!

Did you guess... Watermelon

Español: sandía

Did you guess Watermelon? Watermelon is a perfect summer snack! Do you prefer it with seeds or without?

Watermelon Facts

​Most watermelons that you find in stores today are seedless, but it wasn't always this way. Ask your parents about spitting watermelon seeds when they were kids. 

HOW IT GROWS
Just like how you crave watermelon on a hot day, watermelon loves the sun, too. The plant grows a vine on the ground. The vine stretches out and can grow up to 20 feet long! Two flowers grow - one for pollinating and the other for growing the watermelon. 

DID YOU KNOW

• 5,000 years ago, watermelon grew wild in Africa and was a small, hard, and bitter fruit.
• To grow seedless watermelon, farmers have to first grow 3 treated crops.
• The best way to know if a watermelon is ripe is to listen to it. Knock on it and listen for a dull, hollow sound. 
• When choosing a watermelon at the store, look for ugly yellow patches (or spots). Surprisingly, this is usually a sweeter, ripe watermelon!​
• Watermelon can grow to have yellow, orange, and pink fruit! The rind (outside skin) can even be yellow! 
• You can grow watermelon in molds or boxes, so it grows to be a cube shape! This is popular in Japan.

Watermelon Recipes

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