This epic Exploding Watermelon activity is a fun, edible science experiment that helps kids of all ages learn about potential and kinetic energy. This is a fun summer activity for kids from toddler, preschool, pre k, kindergarten, first grade, 2nd grade, 3rd grade, 4th grade, and 5th grade students. You must add this to your summer bucket list!
Looking for a really fun summer activity that sneaks in a hands on learning activity? You will love this EPIC Exploding Watermelon summer science for toddlers, preschoolers, kindergartners, grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, and grade 6 students. Whether you are a parent, teacher, or homeschooler – you won’t want to miss this easy science experiment for kids!
Potential and Kinetic Energy
The concept of potential and kinetic energy might seem hard for kids to grasp, but this simple science experiment for kids will not only help them understand, but remember!
Potential energy is anything that has the possibility of movement. stored energy an object has because of its position or state. A bicycle on top of a hill, a book held over your head, and a stretched out rubber band all have potential energy.
Kinetic Energy is anything that has movement. So wind blowing leaves, a soft ball that has been thrown, and an object falling all have kinetic energy.
So in other words, a stretched out rubberband has potential energy, but when you let go and it retracts the movement turns into kinetic energy.
Exploding Watermelon Experiment
For this watermelon science experiment you will need the following supplies:
- medium watermelon
- 400-600 rubberbands (how many depends on the size of watermelon you get)
- table
- 2 people to put the rubberbands on
- bowl (optional, but super helpful in keeping the watermelon stationary)
- gloves (optional, in case you break rubbebands to protect your hands)
- goggles (optional – to avoid getting watermelon pieces in your eyes)
- apron (optional – to keep your clothes watermelon free)
Exploding Watermelon
In this exploding watermelon science experiment you will observe the potential energy of a stretched out rubberband convert to kinetic energy as the rubberband retracts back to its original size. This movement from potential to kinetic energy will in essence cut the watermelon in half and make the fruit appear to explode.
A watermelon isn’t pliable, the rind gives this summer fruit a solid structure. You can’t deform the melon. If you remove the rubber bands, it will return to it’s original form. The rubber bands slowly break the structure of the rind until it can no longer hold together. The rubber bands apply force to the rind forcing it’s shape to change.
Watermelon Rubber Band Experiment
I highly suggest doing this watermelon challenge outside as it can make a mess as the name exploding watermelon suggests! Then again, that’s part of the reason it makes a great activity to add to your kids’ summer bucket list.
It is easiest to have 2-3 people to put the rubberbands on the watermelon. This way you gently slide it over the fruit to the midsection. Keep going, and going, and going!
Watermelon Rubber Band
The more watermelon rubber bands you put on, the more potential energy the watermelon gains in the displacement of its shape and content. If you only put 100 rubber bands on it won’t make the rubberband cut in half, but it may make it eventually create a seam in the fruit to release the tension.
You will need at least 400 rubber bands to complete this watermelon explosion experiment.
watermelon rubber band challenge
If you are observant, when you are getting close to exploding the watermelon, you will notice the fruit start to change shape slightly. Our fruit started getting a smaller waist, bubbles came out the top, and we could hear a slight hissing sound.
When those things start to happen, GET READY! It will pop within a couple watermelon rubber band!
Watermelon Science
Even though we knew it was coming from the bubbling and bulging, it was still a shock and SOOOOO cool! The watermelon popped up at least 5 feet in the air and made a great splatter! The sequels of delight and exclamations that science was so cool made my day!
This edible science experiment does take some time to get all the rubberbands on, but there are no fancy supplies and it can be done by kids of all ages. You’ve GOT to try this!
Although this summer science did make a big impression, it wasn’t a ridiculously big mess. All the watermelon pieces, rind, and rubber band landed within a 2 foot radius of where it started. It was easy to pick up the pieces and let the upcoming rain clean off the surfaces for us.
And as far as the clean-up of the watermelon, but kids took care of that! The pieces that flew were the perfect size for eating.
And my little ones grabbed a spoon and took care of the half that stayed put on the table.
It was interesting, after we got over the excitement of the fruit explosion, we couldn’t find the rubber bands anywhere around the explosion. We kept looking and finally found all the 400+ rubber bands. We were shocked to see all of them had stayed together in a big ball. How cool, is that!
See lots more fun science activities!
More Fun Summer Activities
Looking for some more fun activities to try this summer?
- Try making this silly grass craft
- Preserve summer flowers to make these flower sun catchers
- Make these beautiful bleeding tissue paper fireworks craft
- Sneak in some learning with these super cute Free A to Z Letter Find Worksheets
- Practice number recognition with these Free Summer Color by Number Sheets
- Teach your kids more science with this beautiful Capillary Action Science Experiment
- Don’t miss this clever Balloon Science Experiment.
Watermelon Activities
Looking for another watermelon activity or two to make a week long watermelon theme or dive into the letter w is for watermelon? You will love these fun activities and free printables:
- Watermelon Seed Counting Playdough Mats
- Watermelon free printable Number Line
- Cute Watermelon Suncatcher Craft
- Watermelon Handprint Art Project
- Exploding Watermelon Science Experiment
- free Watermelon seed counting worksheet
- Hands-on Watermelon Alphabet Mat Printable
- Watermelon All About Me Poster
- Watermelon Counting Clip Cards
- Watermelon seed counting worksheet
- Hands-on Watermelon Counting Activity
- Watermelon Activities for Preschoolers
- Watermelon Math – Addition within 10 Activity
- Watermelon Life Cycle Spinner
See all our watermelon activities for kids, watermelon activities (for older kids) and our watermelon activities for preschoolers
Science for Kids
Looking for lots more fun, science experiments for kids? You’ve GOT to try some of these outrageously fun science experiments for kids! We have so many fun, creative and easy science experiments for elementary age children:
- 100 Amazing Food science experiments for kids – arranged by type of science
- Colorful Capillary action science experiment (also known as walking water)
- Amaze kids with these 12 Hands on Science experiments with batteries
- 24 Epic Solar system science projects to try this week
- Fun Water balloon science experiment that explores density
- 50 Fun Preschool science experiments the whole family will want to try
- Simple Galaxy science project
- Easy and Fun Dancing Raisins Experiment
- Learn about weather as you find how to make a weather vane
- Eye opening Eye science experiments
- Easy-to- make Air pressure science project
- Amazing POP rocks science experiment is one of our all-time favorite science experiments we like to do during the summer are
- Stunning Chromatography Flowers are so pretty you’ll forget it was as science project!
- How to Make a Lava Lamp – super easy and SO cool!
- 30 Simple machines science projects kids will want to try
- Easy, fascinating, and colorful project answering Why do Leaves Change Color Experiment
- Free Printable Animal Classifications for Kids Cootie Catchers
- Water Displacement Candy Science Experiment
- 19 Edible science experiments – which delicious project will you try first?
- HUGE Free Solar System Unit (coloring pages, hands on science projects, worksheets, and more!)
- Pipe Cleaner Constellation Activity (As seen on Good Housekeeping!)
- Teach kids about conductivity with this fun squishy circuits projects
- Amazing, Heat Sensitive, Color Changing Slime
- Life Cycles for Kids (from penguin to sunflower and spider to turkey we have LOTS of life cycles to explore and learn about)
- EASY, Colorful Oil and Water Science Experiment
- Kids will be amazed as you change colors of white flowers with this Dying Flowers Science Experiment
- This super cool Lego Zipline is fun and simple to make
- Human Body Project
- Check out this super cool look INSIDE a Volcano Project
- Exploding Watermelon – science experiment that explores potential and kinetic energy with a big WOW moment!
- Memorable Life Size Skeletal system science project – includes free printable template
- Find LOTS more Easy Science Experiments for kids of all ages!
