There are so many fun ways to celebrate Christmas with children. This Christmas Cookies Around the World project is an engaging project to teach children about Christmas in other countries while tasting some delightful cookies!
The Christmas Cookies Around the World series will help you gently introduce preschool and early elementary aged children to:
- World geography
- Holiday traditions
- Popular cookies from various cultures and parts of the world
- Baking skills
- Math and measurement
It is also designed to encourage togetherness through baking and kindness through sharing with others.
Christmas Cookies Around the World Series Sneak Peek
Take a quick peek at some of the cookies and printable resources that will be introduced throughout the Christmas Cookies Around the World series.
Worried you’ll miss an article?
Sign up for the Christmas Cookies Around the World series using the opt-in form below. I’ll send you a quick email, and you can choose whether you want to receive the emails weekly starting right away or daily beginning in December.
Then I’ll send you each of the 12 new Christmas cookie recipe articles based on your own preference.
Easy peasy! And it’s free to participate!
What to Expect in the Christmas Cookies Around the World Series
Each week beginning in September 2021, I’ll share one new article that includes the featured cookie recipe and a bit about the focus country for that cookie. There will be a quick video tutorial and free printable cookie recipe for each featured Christmas cookie for those who want to focus primarily on baking with kids.
For those who are interested in expanding the Christmas Cookies Around the World concept into a deeper learning experience, I’ve created a complete project guide with additional learning activities.
About the Christmas Cookie Recipes
I hope that you find this holiday project a fun and age-appropriate catalyst for introducing children to different cultures and traditions.
Please note that we did our best to select cookie recipes from an array of countries.
Additional criteria for recipe selection also included:
- Recipes with as few ingredients as possible so it is easier to purchase materials and have young kids involved
- Recipes with ingredients readily available at most local grocery stores
- Recipes that are simple for busy parents and teachers to make
- Recipes with steps where kids can actively be included in the baking process
If you are doing this as a class project we also strongly recommend reaching out to families to see if they have a favorite cookie recipe to contribute to the project. In the project pack we have included an editable Christmas cookie recipe book page so that any additional family recipes you’d like to be included can be easily added.
Not all recipes are nut-free, so depending on class and individual needs some recipes may need to be adapted or omitted. The activity guide includes a summary list of ingredients for each cookie in case this needs to be shared with families prior to the Christmas Around the World project.
Tip for Using the Christmas Cookies Around the World Series in the Classroom
There are many approaches to this project in a variety of settings.
At school, you might:
- Invite parent or community volunteers to each make a cookie to send in to share with the class over a series of days. During class kids can learn about the country and try the cookie each day.
- Set the project up as part of a larger grade level Christmas Around the World project. Use the printable passport for kids to visit different classrooms to taste the various cookies.
- Do the project as a class holiday party.
In the project guide we have included an array of supplemental resources to use with the project for a variety of age groups. Choose the elements that best align with your groups’ abilities and curriculum.
Younger groups will likely benefit most from simply tasting and discussing the different cookies while also using the simple taste test graph and class graphing chart.
Older students will enjoy learning to find the various countries on the map and completing the more elaborate recording sheets as they learn new information.
Tip for Using the Christmas Cookies Around the World Series at Home
At home, you might:
- Bake a batch of cookies each night leading up to Christmas as a fun way to spend time together throughout the month. Eat the cookies as a family or use the gift tags to prep gifts to deliver to friends and family.
- You might also do the project on a weekend instead of spreading it out over many days.
- If you have a local group of friends and family, each family could choose a cookie to bake. Then get together and share the various cookies as a cookie party or other gathering, or simply deliver cookies to each family.
Tip for Using the Christmas Cookies Around the World Series as Part of Community Events
In local community programs or co-ops, individuals or groups can be responsible for a specific cookie to prepare and bring to a group event. Cookies and information about the country can be set out at various tables for families to visit. Individually wrapped cookies work well for this approach.
Get Your FREE Christmas Cookies Around the World Taste Test Recording Sheet
And of course there are freebies! You can grab your free printable recording sheet now if you’d like.
As you bake a share cookie from the series you can use the taste test recording sheet to have kids record information about the cookie(s) they tasted and rate how well they liked the cookies. Individual pages can be compiled into a taste test booklet for all the cookies you try in the series, or you can choose to have kids record only their favorite cookie if you prefer.
More About the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies Around the World Project Pack
For those interested in expanding the 12 Days of Christmas Cookies Around the World project into a class or family project we’ve created a 50+ page activity guide to make it super easy for you.
Inside you’ll find:
- Quick Reference List of Cookies and Countries
- Generic Cookie Taste Test Recording Sheet
- Cookie Taste Test Recording Table
- Class Graphing Header and Voting Cards
- Christmas Cookies Around the World Passport (three versions)
- Taste Test Journal
- Cookie Recipe Cookbook
- Editable Cookie Recipe Page to add in additional family and multi-cultural options
- Gift Tags
- Notecards
- My Family’s Favorite Cookie Recipe (two versions)
- Editable Parent Letter (two versions)
- Ingredient List by Cookie
The project is designed for use in the classroom, at home, or in community programs. Suggestions and modifications for each setting are included in the resource.
Also available on Teachers Pay Teachers
CHRISTMAS THEME LESSON PLANS FOR PRESCHOOL
These preschool lesson plan packs will help you plan your Christmas theme lesson plans with ease!
Each set includes over 30 playful learning activities for children ages 3 to 5.
“My ECSE and Pre-K students really enjoyed “travelling” around the world at Christmastime this year! This bundle/lesson plans were a great asset as we embarked on our journey.”
“This made Christmas around the world so much easier and stress free.”
Buy in our shop or on Teachers Pay Teachers.
“My students loved the crafts and learning activities in this unit. I have bought several other lesson plans before and they all have great activities in them and activities have never repeated.”
“Lots of great ideas in this that can span multiple weeks”
Buy in our shop or on Teachers Pay Teachers.
More Resources for Teaching Children About Christmas Around the World
Kid commentary is the best. In this video children are introduced to a variety of Christmas foods from around the world. Watch it with your children to learn more about different types of food that are commonly eaten at Christmastime.
For added fun you could even record your own kid commentary as your children try the cookies you bake this year as part of the Christmas Cookies Around the World project! It would be a fun way to incorporate technology and document the experience.
Visit “Why Christmas” for kid-friendly descriptions of Christmas traditions in various countries throughout the world.
This book is an excellent companion to go along with the Christmas Cookies Around the World series.
A World of Cookies for Santa is a multicultural celebration that takes readers across the globe to see all the treats that await Santa on Christmas Eve. Head to the Philippines, where children leave out puto seko cookies and ginger tea for Santa; jet to Russia for a honey-spice cookie; then set out for Malawi for a sweet potato cookie!
Helpful Websites to Research Additional Country Facts for Kids
Can’t wait? See the posts shared so far in the series!
Click on an image below to see the recipe and activities related to each cookie and country we’ve shared about so far.
Special thanks to Stefanie Davis Media for bringing this concept to life in beautiful images and videos.