When many of us think of the holiday season, we start to get visions of gingerbread cookies and beautifully decorated gingerbread houses. Gingerbread theme preschool activities can be a fun learning theme in addition to or in lieu of Christmas activities.
If you are looking for a fun holiday activity for your classroom, here are some fabulous resources for planning your preschool gingerbread theme. Most of these activities are designed for kids ages 3 through 5, but many can be modified for younger and older kids as well.
WHY IT’S FUN
During the holiday season, my kids love hearing the classic stories of gingerbread men. Gingerbread activities are a great way to get kids involved in the stories and even find ways to reenact the stories. Gingerbread activities have so many different sensory elements that you can include, and there are so many opportunities for story variations to compare and contrast!
WHEN TO TEACH A GINGERBREAD THEME
We like to teach a gingerbread theme during the holidays or just after winter break to transition into our back to school routine. A gingerbread theme can also serve as an excellent alternative to a Christmas theme.
TEACHING TIPS & MAJOR CONCEPTS KIDS WILL LEARN
If you’re planning a preschool gingerbread theme there are many possibilities for incorporating meaningful early learning skills.
These are just some of the concepts kids can learn about during a gingerbread theme:
- Holiday traditions
- Winter
- Christmas
- Baking
- Healthy eating
You can also use gumdrops or small candies, typically used to decorate gingerbread men, as manipulatives for many learning activities to teach math and literacy concepts.
ITEMS TO COLLECT AND REQUEST IN ADVANCE
If you get parents, friends, and family involved you can enrich the experience kids have during your preschool gingerbread theme.
Collect or ask people to help you collect:
- Gumdrops
- Small round candies
- Gingerbread Shaped Cookie Cutters (for play dough)
- Buttons
- Homemade gingerbread men (to try traditional family recipes)
You might even invite special guests (or go visit if you can) to come and share about fields and hobbies related to gingerbread or baking. You could include:
- Baker
- Confectionary Decorator
PRINTABLE GINGERBREAD THEME LESSON PLANS
Save time and get right to the playful learning with our printable lesson plan sets. Each set includes over 30 playful learning activities related to the theme, and we’ve provided different versions for home preschool families and classroom teachers so all activities are geared directly toward your needs.
GET A FULL SET OF GINGERBREAD THEME PRESCHOOL ACTIVITIES
Watch this short video to see just a few examples of the types of activities and printables included in this set:
The full Gingerbread Theme Lesson Plan Pack also includes:
1) Gingerbread Man Character Puppets (in color and b/w)
2) Gingerbread Color Sorting Mats and Object Cards
3) Gingerbread Man Uppercase and Lowercase Letter Matching Colors (in color and b/w)
4) Gingerbread Man Gingerbread House Measurement and Size Sorting Cards
5) Gingerbread Man Number Cards (in color and b/w)
6) Gingerbread Man Ten-Frame Mats 1-10 (in color and b/w)
7) Gingerbread Man Pattern Prompt Task Cards
8) Gingerbread Man Rhyming Sort
9) Gingerbread Man Ending Sound Matching Puzzles
10) Gingerbread Man Roll and Graph Game
11) Gingerbread Man Water Science Experiment Recording Sheet (in color and b/w)
12) Gingerbread Letter Cookie Recording Sheet (in color and b/w)
13) Decorate a Gingerbread House Counting Mats for Numbers 1-10 and one blank version in color and b/w
14) Gingerbread Five Senses Recording Sheet (in color and b/w)
GET YOUR LESSON PLANS
Also available on Teachers Pay Teachers.
INDIVIDUAL GINGERBREAD ACTIVITY IDEAS ON FANTASTIC FUN AND LEARNING
Here on Fantastic Fun and Learning, we’ve shared the following ideas to go along with a preschool gingerbread theme.
This fun gingerbread play dough ABC activity will get your kids to use their fine motor skills and engage in a fun pretend play activity.
This DIY felt gingerbread activity is a great way to use up your felt scraps in a fun holiday-themed activity.
This gingerbread play dough smells just like gingerbread and is a fun activity to go with The Gingerbread Man.
Your kids will love making their own gingerbread house that they can eat and enjoy!
MORE ACTIVITIES FROM CREATIVE EDUCATORS
Whether you are looking for an easy craft or an activity to go with a gingerbread-themed story you just read, you can find everything you need in this Gingerbread Activities for Kids post.
Create your own Gingerbread Sensory Writing Tray to help your kids learn letters and sight words.
While you’re making your own gingerbread houses, why not read a fun Gingerbread Man Book while you’re baking!
INFORMATIONAL YOUTUBE VIDEOS
Learn how to make your own gingerbread cookies with this easy tutorial.
Have your kids build their own gingerbread houses along with them!
Learn about healthy eating and what goes on inside of a bakery with Blippi.
YOUTUBE SONGS
If your kids love the classic story of The Gingerbread Man, they will love this musical story!
Sing along to the Five Gingerbread Men song with this fun video.
Do your kids love the Gingerbread Man story? Then they will love singing along to this fun song.
OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES
Finger plays and action rhymes are a great addition to your preschool themes. Here are a few terrific options to go along with a gingerbread man.
Gingerbread Songs and Rhymes from CanTeach
Gingerbread Songs and Rhymes from Preschool Education
Gingerbread Songs and Rhymes from Step by Step CC
If you’d like to supplement your hands-on learning with some online games you might try:
FAVORITE GINGERBREAD BOOKS
There are a ton of wonderful books to read for your gingerbread theme. Here you will find some of our favorite picture books for a gingerbread theme.
OTHER PROPS AND TEACHING TOOLS
These toys and games are a fun addition to a preschool gingerbread theme.
FREE PRINTABLES
These Gingerbread Counting Numbers Printable Math Mats are the perfect math activity for a gingerbread theme
These Gingerbread ABC Alphabet Mats are great for letter building and a fun sensory alphabet activity.
Use these Gingerbread Man Printables to teach your little learners early math concepts.
Print the 10 Little Gingerbread song to practice counting during circle time and transition activities.
POSSIBLE FIELD TRIPS OR ADVENTURES
- Head to a bakery to help make gingerbread
- Visit a local gingerbread display around the holidays
WHAT NEXT?
As you wrap up your preschool Gingerbread theme take note of what the kids were most interested in throughout the theme. Continue on by investigating one of those concepts more in-depth. Below are some possible suggestions. Themes we have printable lesson plans for include links.
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