Watermelons are almost synonymous with summer – cool, refreshing, and great on a hot summer day. Watermelons can also be used for a variety of fun, and sometimes messy games, though the cost could be a bit prohibitive for some youth groups. Here are a variety of games using watermelons as well as some ideas for spiritual lessons using this popular summer treat.

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Games Using Watermelons

• Greased Watermelon – Grease two watermelons down with butter and jelly, then divide the youth into two teams and have them line up across from each other. Ask players to wear disposable gloves to make the game more challenging. The youth must pass the watermelon to each other in the lineup without dropping it. If dropped, it must begin again at the beginning. The team that passes the watermelon all the way to the end of the line first wins.
• Seed Teams – To split into team, set aside an equal number of watermelon seeds and pumpkin seeds and pass them out, 1 seed per person. Everyone with a pumpkin seed forms team one. Everyone with a watermelon seed forms another team. Add more types of seeds for more teams.
• Steal the Watermelon – (like Steal the Bacon) Grease a watermelon an place it in the center of a tarp. Each team lines up facing each other while you number them off on each team. When you call a number and that person has to grab the watermelon and get it back to their side of the tarp.
• Ultimate Watermelon – This is just like Ultimate Frisbee . . . but with a small watermelon. Each team tries to get to the opposite end zone. Instead of a kick-off, just have one team start on their side of the field. When a player catches the Watermelon, they can take only 3 steps. Then they must throw/toss it. Each team works their way down the field, passing to each other until a team scores. If the team’s melon hits the ground, it’s the other teams turn. If one team busts the watermelon, the other team automatically scores. (Have extra watermelons available or seal the watermelon in a heavy duty plastic bag first.) The watermelon goes to the opposite team of the last person to touch it before it hits the ground. Defensive players must give any person already holding a watermelon at least 3 feet clearance.
• Watermelon Artists – Cut watermelons into slices and give each youth a slice. Slices can be small or large, depending upon the object you plan to carve. If you want many objects carved, you may want to make them all small, such as turtles, suns or birds. Write down the object each youth will carve on separate slips of paper and give each player their slip to read silently. Instruct each youth to begin carving, but not to reveal the object. Non-carvers can guess what each object is to earn prizes for themselves and the carver.
• Watermelon Carving Contest – Carve funny faces in the watermelons as you would a pumpkin and award prizes for the funniest face, best carving, most creative, met unusual, etc. You might want to have some plastic utensils rather than knives or assign an adult to handle the knives under the directions of the youth.
• Watermelon Eating Contest – Ask the youth from each team to hold their hands behind their backs, using only their mouths to eat a large piece of watermelon. First to do so wins points for their team.
• Watermelon Head – Youth must roll a watermelon down a plastic tarp with their heads. First team that has each member complete the task wins. To make it more fun coat it in shaving cream or whipped cream.
• Watermelon Horseshoes Contest – For this contest you need watermelon rind cut across the width of the watermelon to form rings. These rinds can be made from wounded watermelons, injured in earlier games. All you need are rind rings, not the fruit. The object of the game is to toss watermelon rind rings onto a stationary post. Score the game as you would score horseshoes.
• Watermelon Jigsaw Puzzle – Cut several watermelons into slices and pieces and mix them up in a bowl. Have one watermelon for each team. The objective of this game is for youth to eat the watermelon (red part), then using toothpicks, be the first team to correctly piece the watermelon back together again into a whole watermelon. To put it back correctly, youth will need to pay attention to the pattern on the outside. Variation: Instead of toothpicks, you can also use duct tape.
• Watermelon Pass – The first youth in line takes the watermelon and passes it between their legs to the person behind them. The next youth then takes the melon and lifts it backwards, over their head to the next person. It is really a game of over/under, over/under. This is repeated until the watermelon reaches the end. At this point, the watermelon is then passed back up to the front in like fashion (with everyone continuing to face forward). The first team to return the melon to the front with their team sitting down in single file fashion is the winner!
• Watermelon Race – Set a Start Line and a half way point where each team must roll their watermelon, circle and then turn around and roll the watermelon back to the starting point. Once the youth rolling the watermelon returns to the starting Line, they tag the next youth in line and they take their turn roll the watermelon. The first team to have all players rolls their watermelons around the course is the Winner.
• Watermelon Rolling Contest – Players must roll small watermelons toward specific soft objects. Once the object is touched by a watermelon, players can roll watermelons toward the next soft object, until the last goal is reached. First one to the end with a watermelon that still rolls, wins. Some youth would rather take out another player, than hit the soft object next in line.
• Watermelon Seed Flinging Contest – The youth must snap the seeds off the finger, using only one hand. This is done much like you were playing marbles. The nail of the thumb flips the seed off the back of a curled index finger.
• Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest – In this contest, you draw your line and give game players their slice of watermelon. They will eat their way to the seeds they spit. Spitting needs to happen over an area where you will be able to see where the seeds fall. The player who spits the farthest seed within certain amount of time is the winner.
• Watermelon Seed Spitting Target Competition – Players focus on hitting a target rather than going for distance. Use a cup, bucket or create a bullseye target, then as the youth find seeds in their watermelon they can step to the start line, aim and try to spit the watermelon seed into or onto the target. They receive 1 point for each time they land on or in the target. Add up the scores and the youth with the most points is the winner. If there is a tie, do a sudden death round until someone hits the target and can be declared the winner.
• Watermelon Smash (Suikawari) – This is a party game often played on beaches in Japan where someone is blindfolded, given a large stick, spun around to disorient them and then directed to smash/crack a watermelon. While the aim is for the blindfolded participant to find and crack the watermelon on their own, spectators may shout advice or distractions.
• Watermelon Water Polo – This is played in a swimming pool which is not too deep, but a watermelon is used instead of a ball. It can also be coated in Vaseline to make it more difficult.

WaterMelon Games with a Message

• Watermelon Puzzle Relay – Cut off the end of some watermelons and remove the seeds and flesh so that they have been cleaned out. (Be sure to set it aside for eating later.) Cut a different face in each watermelon, but save the pieces that you remove and set them aside. Collect all the pieces you removed from the watermelons and mix them up and place them on a trap or trash bag on the ground at one end of a field. At the other end of the field place the watermelon for each team. Youth from each team must run across the field grab one piece that looks like it might fit the holes in that team’s watermelon and return to his team with the piece. If the piece fits in the watermelon, the next person can run to get a new piece. If the piece doesn’t fit, the next person on the team must return it to the table at the end of the room and collect another piece to try. First team to complete it’s watermelon wins the relay! Variation: Play the game with the relay runners blind-folded and the team shouting directions.

Teaching Point: Talk about how we all have holes in our our lives (an emptiness) we are trying to fill. Some people may try to fill it with money, with relationships, with various types of pleasures, etc. But the only thing that can fill the emptiness we have in our lives is a relationship with God. Blaise Pascal says we were all created with a God-shaped vacuum that only he can fill. Just as you had to align the pieces with the various holes in the watermelon, we have to align the various areas of our lives with the will of God. Only those things of God which are aligned with his plan for our individual lives, will fit correctly and make us whole.

• Watermelon Seed Targets – Cut different size holes in the top of a watermelon and place it on the ground at some distance from the youth. Youth must toss watermelon seeds into the holes in the top of the watermelon for points depending on the hole they get it in. You’ll want to cut the holes deep enough to catch a seed, but not deep enough to expose the inner red flesh of the watermelon so that you can cut it open and eat it later.
  • Why did you choose your target?
  • Some people chose the smaller holes because they were worth more. Others chose the larger holes because they were an easier target.
  • When it comes down to real life, do you choose your targets based on value or upon which is easier?
  • What are your targets in the Christian life? Are they easy? Why do you value these targets?

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

MAKE IT SPIRITUAL

The Bible says in Galatians 6:7-9 that we will reap what we sow. So if we plant good things then that is what we will reap. But if we plant bad things then that is what we will reap. What things are you planting in your life? Those are the things that you will reap. I hope that you all reap many good things in your life because you choose to plant the right things. Inside a single watermelon are hundreds of seeds, each with the potential to grow a watermelon plant which can produce several more watermelons each containing hundreds of seeds.

MAKE IT PRACTICAL

Read Matthew 13:3-23

• What are the four types of soil mentioned and the results of seeds sown?
• Again list the four types of soil, but this time explain what each represents.
• Why do some people choose not to listen?
• Why do some people not want to see?
• What is the main problem with the rocky soil?
• What happens when trouble or persecution comes? What are some of the troubles and persecutions that youth may face?
• Of the troubles and persecutions you listed, which ones do you have the most difficult time dealing with?
• In what ways can a person sink roots deeper in order to be better able to withstand trouble and persecutions?
• What are some of the worries of life?
• How can worries and the pursuit of wealth and materialism choke out the spiritual life?
• Of the worries listed, which ones cause you to lose focus in your relationship with God?
• What are the priorities in your life at the moment?
• Are you prepared to hear what God wants to teach you? What are some things he might want you to hear during these studies?
• Are you really trying to understand what God’s Word is saying and how it affects your daily life? What are some things God might want you to understand this week?
• Are you willing to act, to make changes, to live a life of obedience to God’s Word that will be fruitful? In what areas of your life might God be calling you to obedience? In what areas are you not living as a Christian should?
• What can be done to make the first three soils good soil?

MAKE IT PERSONAL

• What soil are you and what do you need to do to become good soil?
• What heart changes do you need to make to allow God to plant his Word in your life?
• Are there some areas of your life that have become hardened like the path soil? Ask God to help you break through that hardness and to soften your heart.
• Are your spiritual roots too shallow to withstand the persecutions and troubles? Make a commitment to sink your roots deeper by spending time with God.
• Are the worries and daily activities of your life taking away from God as your first priority? Ask God to give you the faith and commitment to keep him first.
• Ask God to make you good soil. If you’ve never accepted Christ, ask him into your heart. He wants you to have a life that is vibrant and fruitful. If God is already in your heart, ask him to make you more fruitful. Pray for a specific area of your life where you would like to be more fruitful, more obedient.

SCRIPTURE

• Matthew 13:3-8 – “Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop•a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
• Matthew 3:18-23 – “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
• Matthew 9:36-37 – “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.’ “

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