Fun Gingerbread Activities For Storytime

Every winter, my kids can not wait to decorate gingerbread houses. They love the creativity, and the chance to sneak some sweet treats while they decorate. This week, I pulled all of our gingerbread themed picture books out of storage. While we we looked through them, I figured it was the perfect time to share some fun gingerbread activities and books, perfect for a December story time.

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FUN GINGERBREAD ACTIVITIES + BOOKS

There’s nothing sweeter than some cute books paired with yummy treats and fun activities. Keep reading to check it all out!

BOOKS

1. The Gingerbread Man Loose At Christmas. By Laura Murrary. Illustrated by Mike Lowery.
2. Gingerbread Mouse. By Katy Bratun.
3. The Gingerbread Boy. By Richard Egielski.
4. Gingerbread Baby. By Jan Brett.
5. The Gingerbread Man Loose on the Fire Truck. By Laura Murray. Illustrated by Mike Lowery.
6. Gingerbread Cone: Under Construction. By Melissa Tumpane. Illustrated by Nyrryl Cadiz.
7. The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School. By Laura Murrary. Illustrated by Mike Lowery.
8. How To Catch A Gingerbread Man. By Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton.
9. The Gingerbread Girl. By Lisa Campbell Ernst.
10. Gingerbread Christmas. By Jan Brett.
11. The Gingerbread Man. Retold by Jim Aylesworth. Illustrated by Barbara McClintock.
12. Catch That Cookie! By Hallie Durand. Pictures by David Small.
13. The Ninjabread Man. By Katrina Charmin and Fabiano Fiorin.
    1. Here’s a fun project that pairs perfectly with this one!
14. Gingerbread Friends. By Jan Brett.
15. The Gingerbread Pup. By Maribeth Bolts. Illustrated by Hollie Hibbert.

activities

Play-doh

Supplies: 

• Free printable gingerbread man or gingerbread house play-doh mat.
• Laminating sheets.
• Play-doh.
• Tools for play-doh.
• “Extras’ like pony beads, sequins, buttons, etc. to add on to your creations.

Instructions: 

1. First, print out the play-doh mat you would like to use.
2. Next, laminate the page, so it can be re-used.
3. Give kids the play-doh, tools, and extras to use on the mat.
   1. This is a great chance for sensory input, some fine motor practice, and some general creativity for kids.
      

Color By Number

Supplies: 

• Free printable color by number gingerbread house page.
• Markers, crayons, or colored pencils.

Instructions: 

1. First, print the free color by number page.
2. Independent readers can color by number, according to the list at the top of the page.
   1. Younger readers may need help deciphering the color words before coloring by number. The rectangles can be colored in as a ‘hint’.
      
   2. This is a great way to squeeze a little basic math practice, some sight word work, and fine motor practice into your child’s day in a fun way.
      

Paint An Ornament

Supplies: 

• Gingerbread man shaped ornament.
  • These ones are wood. We’ve bought paper mache ones in the past. You could also just cut the shape from sturdy cardboard.
  • Here’s another cute option, that isn’t an ornament, but would be equally fun.
• Brown acrylic paint.
• Sponge paintbrush.
• White puff paint.
• ‘Extras’ like sequins, pom-poms, ribbon, buttons, etc.

Instructions: 

1. First, paint the ornament using the acrylic paint and sponge brush.
2. Next, kids can squeeze the puff paint onto the ornament like they would squeeze frosting on a cookie.
   1. The puff paint can also work as glue to attach sequins, buttons, etc.
      
3. This is a really fun, creative way for children to work on their fine motor skills and hand strength.

‘Magic’ Painting

Supplies: 

• Free printable gingerbread man or gingerbread house ‘magic’ painting page.
• White crayons.
• Watercolor paints, with a paintbrush and water.
• Markers, crayons, or colored pencils.
• Holiday stickers. (Optional)

Instructions: 

1. First, print out the ‘magic’ coloring page you would like to use.
2. Next, use a white crayon to draw ‘icing’ details all over the gingerbread.
   
   
3. Then paint the gingerbread using the watercolor paints.
   1. The paint will not stick to the crayon, so the white that was drawn will ‘shine’ through.
      
      
      
4. Once the paint is completely dry, draw details like candy onto the page.
   1. If you’re using stickers, this is the time to add them.
      
      
      
      

Check Some Out

If you’re lucky enough to live near a museum or other organization with a gingerbread house display, I encourage you to take advantage of it! We’ve taken the boys to check out the Sweet Creations Gingerbread Display at the Eastman Museum for several years, and they always have a great time. If you’re planning to check out a similar exhibit, definitely try to do it before your kids create their own gingerbread houses, to maximize their inspiration!

Decorate A Gingerbread House

Supplies: 

• Gingerbread house kit.
  • There are a ton available… I usually go for these mini ones, to keep the project manageable.
• Extra icing. Trust me on this, there’s never enough in the kits. (Colors, too!)
• Candy + sprinkle ‘extras’.

Instructions: 

1. Assemble the gingerbread house per package instructions. I like to assemble ours at least 24 hours before the boys are going to decorate, so they have some time to firm up a bit.
   1. I’ve seen some hacks that suggest using hot glue to construct your house, since people rarely eat their gingerbread houses. It’s definitely worth a try if you have trouble getting yours together!
2. Set kids loose with icing tubes and sweet add-ons to create their own gingerbread masterpiece!

>>> There’s about a million more gingerbread story time ideas waiting for you here! <<<

SO, HERE’S THE QUESTION… DO YOU ACTUALLY EAT YOUR GINGERBREAD HOUSES? MY KIDS ALWAYS BEG TO, BUT ICK, THEY’VE BEEN SITTING FOR WEEKS! WEIGH IN, FRIENDS.