Watermelon Coloring Page

This watermelon coloring page stars one huge, smiling slice at a picnic. It rests on a checked blanket, with a basket on one side and a jug of lemonade on the other. Three little ants march across the blanket, and two of them carry seeds. A kite, a butterfly, a sun and a cloud fill the sky. It is an easy page for ages 3 to 8, and a young child can finish the slice in 15 minutes.

Thick curved lines split the slice into three bands: the dark blocks of rind, the pale inner rind and the sweet middle. Those wide spaces are very forgiving for little hands.

A sweet pick for little kids

Preschoolers usually love a food with a face. Hand over a red crayon and a green crayon, and they already know what to do. That small moment of knowing makes a child feel proud before the first line is even drawn.

Preschool teachers can use this slice to talk about fruit, colors or the sound of the letter W. It is also a calm activity to set out on a hot afternoon while snacks are cut up in the kitchen.

Watermelon coloring page color guide

Go with deep green on the outer band and very light green on the thin band inside it. The middle should be bright red or pink. Two reds work nicely, with a darker shade near the rind and a lighter one by the top edge.

For the blanket, red and white squares look like a real picnic cloth. Blue and white would be a nice change. The outer rind has 14 blocks, so try dark and light green in turns. Some watermelons are yellow inside, so a child who picks yellow is not wrong at all.

The seeds are open shapes, so kids can color each one black or dark brown. Do them first, then fill the red around them.

Handy tips

• Follow the curve of the rind with slow strokes. Turn the paper as you go.
• Stop just short of the eyes, so the face stays easy to see.
• Skip every other square on the blanket for a tidy checked look.
• Use markers on the slice if you want a juicy, bold color.

Juicy facts for kids

There is a good reason this fruit tastes so cool. A watermelon is about 92 percent water. It grows on a long vine that creeps along the ground, and it belongs to the same plant family as cucumbers and pumpkins.

People have enjoyed it for a very long time. Pictures of watermelons have been found in ancient Egypt, and the fruit later spread across the world. Today some farmers grow small, seedless kinds that fit in a fridge. The watermelon article on Wikipedia has plenty more to read.

How can you pick a ripe one? Many people look for a creamy yellow patch on the side where it rested on the ground. Tap it and listen too. Some say a deep sound means it is ready.

Snack time and learning time

Serve real watermelon when the page is done. Ask your child to count the seeds on one slice and compare it with the seeds in the drawing. There are twelve on the big slice, so it makes a very simple math start.

Cut a paper plate in half for a quick craft. Paint the edge green and the middle red, then stick on black paper seeds. Kids can hang it next to the finished sheet.

You could also talk about how food grows. Plant a seed from your slice in a cup of soil. It may not grow into a big fruit, but watching a sprout come up is always a thrill.

Try a family poll over lunch. Does each person like the middle of the slice best, or do they work in from the edge? Write the answers on the back of the page. Then ask your child to find the three ants again and give each one a name.

More tasty pages

Fruit fans can move on to our strawberry coloring page, which has the same cute face. For more hot weather fun, see our summer coloring pages or print the ice cream cone to go with it.

Questions