First foods database
🍉 Watermelon for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies eat watermelon? Yes, from about 6 months. Ripe watermelon is soft, juicy and refreshing, especially on warm days, and easy for babies to gum and suck.
Good source of: Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Water
How to serve watermelon by age
6 to 9 months
Remove seeds and offer watermelon as finger food: long sticks about 2 fingers wide, or a triangle of flesh with the rind left on as a handle (baby should only suck the flesh, not chew the rind). You can also mash it into a juicy topping for yoghurt.
9 to 12 months
Cut small bite-sized pieces once baby can pick up food with thumb and finger, or offer thinner sticks.
12 months and up
Serve cubes or slices with seeds removed as a snack or pudding.
Choking safety
Watermelon is soft but slippery, and hard black seeds can be a hazard. Remove seeds, avoid big chunks for young babies and supervise. Remove the rind before serving to babies who might bite off a piece.
Gagging is common and noisy while babies learn to eat. Choking is usually silent. Always stay with your baby while they eat, sitting upright. How to help a choking baby (NHS).
Good to know
- Watermelon is mostly water, so pair it with more filling foods.
Easy ideas
- Watermelon sticks with mint
- Watermelon and cucumber salad
- Mashed watermelon over natural yoghurt
Goes well with
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Questions parents ask
Can babies eat watermelon?
Can babies eat watermelon? Yes, from about 6 months. Ripe watermelon is soft, juicy and refreshing, especially on warm days, and easy for babies to gum and suck.
Can babies eat watermelon seeds?
Remove black seeds for babies. The pale soft seeds in seedless melons are fine.
Is watermelon good for hydration?
It is mostly water, so it can help on warm days, alongside usual milk feeds.
Sources
OBubba gives general information based on UK guidance. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose anything. Every baby is different. If your baby has a known allergy, severe eczema or a medical condition, speak to your doctor or health visitor before starting solids. Learn baby first aid, and in an emergency call your local emergency number (999 in the UK).