(Family Features) The cold chill of winter may have you feeling trapped indoors with nothing to do and nowhere to go, but fun activities fit for the whole family can add excitement and chase away those wintertime blues. Paired with an appetizing snack, at-home crafting provides a relaxing way to keep your mind and body moving.
Warming up with family-friendly activities starts with a versatile (and delicious) option like watermelon, which can be your sweet superstar all year long. As a centerpiece for evenings at home or gatherings and get-togethers, its versatility creates zero food waste with endless creative uses in the kitchen, from rind-smile snowmen to handheld snacks.
When this year’s first snowfall offers a canvas for creativity and entertainment, gather your loved ones to make this Watermelon Snowman. Fresh-cut and personal-sized watermelons are the predominant options in wintertime, and they’re perfect for putting together this festive work of art. All you’ll need is a collection of kitchen knives, an ice cream scoop, melon ballers, skewers, some decorative “clothing” and blueberries for a fruit salad served right out of the snowman.
These tasty morsels also make for a simple, shareable appetizer while hosting throughout the season. Just lay them out on a serving tray and pop toothpicks into each meatball so guests can grab and go while mingling.
To find more family-friendly crafts and sweet snack ideas, visit Watermelon.org.
Watermelon Snowman
Kitchen knives
1 round seedless watermelon
2 personal-sized watermelons, one larger than other
ice cream scoop or large spoon
melon baller
mini melon baller or paring knife
blueberries
large wooden skewers
y-shaped sticks
scarf
hat
Using knife, cut 1/4-inch slice off bottom of round seedless watermelon and both personal watermelons to provide stable bases. Use smallest melon for head, second largest for torso and largest for lower body. Set aside smallest watermelon.
Cut tops off large and medium watermelons to create bowls. Using ice cream scoop or large spoon, scoop out flesh.
Using melon baller, scoop eyes out of smallest watermelon. Invert melon balls and reinsert.
Using mini melon baller or paring knife, scoop out holes for nose and mouth. Carve one piece of watermelon into triangle for nose and fill mouth holes with blueberries.
On platter, using large wooden skewers, connect all three watermelons.
Insert y-shaped sticks in middle watermelon for arms.
Fill bottom sections with fruit salad of melon balls and blueberries. Decorate with scarf and hat.
Source: National Watermelon Promotion Board
