Gingerbread Man Activities
After reading the Gingerbread Man story, gingerbread man activities are a great way to encourage hands-on learning. Little ones love them!
Why Gingerbread Man Activities are Great for Preschoolers
Math and Literacy Skills
Reading a story develops preschoolers’ vocabulary, comprehension, and narration skills (telling back the story). After reading a book, take these skills a step further by doing an activity about it. They will recall what happened as they engage in fun book-related activities.
The gingerbread man story provides ample math skills to develop. Colors, counting, pattern work, and symmetry all come into play with these gingerbread man activities.
Fine Motor Development
Tiny hand muscles may not seem like a big deal, but they play an important role in helping your preschooler gain independence. Fine motor skills are needed for things like zipping a zipper, tying a shoe, and holding a pencil.
Doing activities and games that require little ones to pinch, pull, or grasp something helps to strengthen the hand muscles. All of the gingerbread man activities below work to strengthen fine motor muscles.
Creativity
Creativity tends to be plentiful in preschool, but if it isn’t nourished and encouraged, children’s creativity quickly diminishes.
By doing open-ended activities that allow preschoolers to use their creativity wildly, you can continue to encourage their creativity and individuality.
This article may contain affiliate links to products that may help you when homeschooling preschool.
Gingerbread Man Variations
Part of the fun of doing a gingerbread man theme is that there are many beautiful variations of the story.
*How to Catch a Gingerbread Man
Gingerbread Man Activities To Try After Reading The Story
Make Gingerbread Men
Grab some premade, ready-to-decorate gingerbread men cookies and enjoy making them your own.
Construction Paper Gingerbread Man
Make a gingerbread man without the hassle of making cookies.
This simple construction paper gingerbread man can be reused multiple times, making it one of the gingerbread man activities that your little one will be able to do (mostly) independently the more it is done.
Gingerbread Man Scavenger Hunt
Hide gingerbread men cutouts around the house or outside. Have your little one collect the gingerbread men as they find them.
Gingerbread Man Matching
Print out (or make out of construction paper) gingerbread men. Add letters, numbers, or colored buttons to the gingerbread men. Make two gingerbread men with each (two gingerbread men with the number 1 on their bellies, two with the number 2 on their bellies, etc.).
Let little ones match together the gingerbread men with the same items on their bellies.
Pattern Maker Gingerbread
Practice pattern-making by letting your little one add pompoms as buttons to a gingerbread man cutout. Make pattern cards out of paper with colored marker dots on them in a pattern. Preschoolers look at the card and copy the pattern when putting the pompoms on the gingerbread man.
Level up this gingerbread man themed activity by having your child use tweezers instead of their hands to pick up the pompoms.
Make a Boat/Bridge for the Gingerbread Person
Save the gingerbread man from having to get on the back of the pesky fox by making a bridge or a boat for the gingerbread man to use.
Give your little one different things to try to make a boat. Aluminum foil, bubble wrap, and egg cartons are all great bases for boats.
If you don’t want to use water, set out a piece of blue paper to be the river the gingerbread man needs to cross. Use blocks and toilet paper rolls to help create a bridge to cross the river!
Gingerbread Playdough
Use your favorite playdough recipe and add some cinnamon and a splash of vanilla to make a spicy warm smelling playdough.
Provide a rolling pin, some cookie cutters, and some things to make playdough gingerbread men.
Gingerbread Science
Choose a few different liquids to place gingerbread men cookies in (just like how he would’ve got wet in the book!). Have your little one predict what will happen to the cookie— will it sink or float? Will it fall apart or stay together?
Gingerbread Counting
Create a sheet of paper that has outlines of gingerbread men on it. Add numbers to the bellies of the gingerbread men on the sheet. Create another sheet with gingerbread and add a certain number of buttons (that correspond with the first sheet) on the gingerbread men.
Cut out the gingerbread men with the buttons and match them on the sheet with the numbers.
Gingerbread Man Movements
Call out different ways to move.
Roll a dice and move like the item below based on the number you roll:
*1–gingerbread man — run as fast as you can 😉
*2–old Lady– stir the ingredients as you slowly move like an old lady
*3–fox– swim like a fox
*4–cow– move like a cow and mooo
*5–old man– pretend to speed walk with a cane
*6- oven– jump like you are jumping from the oven!
Gingerbread Man Story-Related Activities
After reading The Gingerbread Man, bring learning to life with some fun gingerbread man activities. They are perfect for all winter long (and beyond 😉).
