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Many things vary between people of different cultures and ages, but one thing that doesn't vary is music. Not only do children love to sing and make music, but teachers and adults do as well! Using songs to teach children boosts their memories and keeps their brains alert, optimizing their learning potential.

Fabulous Food: 25 Songs and Over 300 Activities for Young Children by Pam Schiller uses songs and activities to teach typical early childhood themes related to food, such as growing things, nutrition, farms, and health and safety. Every song is accompanied by a list of “Did You Know?” facts that offer background information about the song, interesting facts about the topics or lyrics, historical information, or trivia you can use for discussion time. The activities also include modifications for children with special needs and English language learners.

As summer sets in, try this song and these activities from Fabulous Food to excite children for the long days and delicious treats ahead! 

The Watermelon Song

Theme Connections

Song

Just put a watermelon

Right over your head,

And let the juice

(Slurp) slip through.

Just put a watermelon

Right over your head,

That’s all I ask of you.

Now Southern fried chicken

Might taste mighty fine,

But nothin’ tastes better

Than a watermelon rind.

So, put a watermelon

Right over your head,

And let the juice

(Slurp) slip through!


Did You Know?

  • Watermelon is grown in more than 96 countries worldwide, and more than 1,200 varieties are grown worldwide.
  • In China and Japan, watermelon is a popular gift to bring to a host. In Israel and Egypt, the sweet taste of watermelon is often paired with the salty taste of feta cheese.
  • Watermelon is 92% water.
  • Watermelon is a vegetable! It is related to cucumbers, pumpkins, and squash.
  • By weight, watermelon is the most-consumed melon in the United States, followed by cantaloupe and honeydew. In 2001 over 4 billion pounds of watermelon were produced in the United States.
  • Early explorers used watermelons as canteens.
  • In 1990, Bill Carson of Arrington, Tennessee, grew a watermelon that weighed 262 pounds!
  • Watermelon is an ideal health food because it does not contain any fat or cholesterol. It is an excellent source of vitamins A, B6, and C, and contains fiber and potassium.

Literacy Links

Comprehension

  • Invite the children to use watermelon in a sentence.

Oral Language

  • Print watermelon on chart paper. Draw a line between water and melon. Point out that the word watermelon is made up of two words—water and melon. Tell the children that when a word is made up of two words, it is called a compound word. Provide examples of other compound words, such as milkshake, baseball, and doghouse.

Phonological Awareness

  • Discuss slurp. Explain that it is a word that sounds like the sound it is describing. It is an onomatopoeic word. What other words might we use to describe sipping watermelon juice?

Segmentation

  • Have the children clap the syllables in watermelon. Challenge them to think of a vegetable that has three syllables, such as potato, cucumber, or broccoli.

Curriculum Connections

Art

  • Cut easel paper into ovals. Provide pink, light green, and dark green paint, and invite the children to paint watermelons.

Discovery

  • Provide round objects, such as balls, marbles, candies, and peas along with oval-shaped objects, such as: plastic eggs, lemons, candies, and beans. Invite the children to sort the shapes.

Fine Motor

  • Cut hot pink (or dark pink) sponges into cubes. Provide the sponge cubes and tongs. Invite the children to move the sponges from one dish to another using the tongs.

Gross Motor

  • Give the children watermelon seeds and plastic cups. Have them stand about three feet away from the cup and toss their seeds into it.
  • Wad up green bulletin board paper to create watermelons. Place them on the floor, with each bulletin board watermelon as an obstacle. Have the children make their way through the maze of watermelons by jumping over them.

Language

  • Print watermelon on 4’’ by 12’’ strips of poster board, leaving a small space between water and melon. Add picture clues under each word; for example, a cup of water under water and a melon under melon. Laminate each strip, and then make puzzle cuts between the words water and melon. Invite the children to put the words back together.

Math

  • Make watermelon slices by cutting hot pink construction paper into ovals and then cutting the ovals in half. Cut a sheet of green construction paper and use it to create a rind around one edge of the oval. Print one numeral 1–10 on each watermelon slice. Provide tweezers and watermelon seeds. Encourage children to use the tweezers to place the correct number of seeds on each slice to match the numeral.

Science

  • Plant watermelon seeds. They are easy to grow if you have rich soil and a warm climate.

Snack

  • Serve watermelon during snack time. Discuss the parts of the watermelon, such as the rind, the fruit (flesh), and the seeds.