The Wild Side of Watermelon

Someone figured out that if you build a plastic box around a growing watermelon, it will turn into a cube shape itself. While these cubic fruits look fun, the price isn’t: 1 cube watermelon can sell for more than $75! Luckily you can grow your own (find out how here). If they taste good, that’s a sweet deal.

Wee ones: These cube watermelons are shaped like boxes. See if you can spot a box or box shape in your room.

Little kids: How many “faces” (flat sides) does a cube watermelon or any box shape have?  Bonus: How many corners (pointy parts where 3 faces meet) does a cube watermelon have? See if you can find and count them all!

Big kids: You can fit 4 times as many cube watermelons as round watermelons in the same garden space. If you can grow 5 round watermelons in your garden, how many cube watermelons could you plant instead?  Bonus: If you put 12 cube watermelons in 3 rows of 4 to make a rectangle, how many watermelons are in the middle/not on the edge?

Answers:
Wee ones: Answers might include shoeboxes, or box shapes like building blocks or Lego pieces.

Little kids: 6 faces.  Bonus: 8 corners.

Big kids: 20 cube watermelons.  Bonus: The 2 melons in the middle.

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