Host Your Own Gingerbread Workshop

Many people, when they think of gingerbread, think about gingerbread houses. I am someone who stays clear of them. Instead, I like to make cookies, do crafts, read books and create sensory experiences with a gingerbread theme. If you have the space, you can choose a few different activities below and offer stations for your guests to visit.

Gingerbread Cookies

There are so many different Gingerbread cookie recipes out there. It really is a personal choice whether you want your cookies to be soft or hard, spiced or not so much and drop cookies or rolled. I recommend you find your favourite recipe for rollout gingerbread and make gingerbread men and/or women. During your workshop, you would then offer cookie decorating as a station with icing, candies, chocolates, sprinkles etc.

See the source image — Pinterest by Dana Baxley **Did you know that gingerbread men can be reindeer too!!**

Here is a recipe that I often use.

Rolled Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

1 1/3 softened butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

8 tsp milk

1/4 cup molasses

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ginger

1 tsp cloves

4 cups flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Directions

Beat butter & sugar. Add eggs, milk vanilla and molasses. In separate bowl mix spices with flour & baking powder. Mix wet with dry. Divide dough in half, wrap and chill for 1/2 an hour. Roll out and use your favourite cookie cutters to cut out cookies. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 375° for 8 min.

Gingerbread House made with Puffy Paint

One craft I really enjoy is Gingerbread puffy paint.
It not only feels really neat once dry but it smells great.

https://sugarspiceandglitter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/easy-gingerbread-craft-for-kids.jpg.webp

Gingerbread puffy paint

1/2 cup white glue

1/2 cup shaving cream

1 Tbsp brown paint

1/2 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

White puffy paint

1/2 cup shaving cream

1/2 cup white glue

cardstock

buttons, beads, or gems

paint brush

Directions:

Mix the shaving cream and glue together first. One bowl for brown and one for the white.
For the brown, stir in the paint and spices.

blank-gingerbread-house-template Download

Print out the gingerbread house template and trace onto cardstock or draw an outline of the front of a house on cardstock. Draw a door and window(s) with black marker. Paint the main parts of the house but leave the roof lines and lines for the door and window. Grab the second bowl of shaving cream and glue; your white paint. Spread this white paint over the lines to resemble icing. Add some buttons, beads or gems to be candy on your gingerbread house.

Gingerbread Man Ornament

Here are some ideas.

https://www.preschool-play.com/the-gingerbread-man-craft/

Supplies

brown cardstock, foam or cardboard

white ric rac, elastic, lace, material

buttons, beads, pom poms, ribbon, yarn, material

blank-gingerbread-man-template Download

Gingerbread Playdough

When I was doing my placement for my Early Childhood Education diploma, I came across this recipe for play dough and it turned out so great. Playing with play dough is very relaxing and the aroma coming from this one really gets you into the spirit of the season.

https://www.fantasticfunandlearning.com/gingerbread-play-dough.html

A tray with sections is great for offering decorations for your Playdough gingerbread creation. Save the containers from deli bought fruit or veggie trays.

Gingerbread Salt Dough Ornaments

Gingerbread clay ornament recipe — https://theimaginationtree.com/gingerbread-clay-recipe-for-ornaments/

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1 cup salt

1 Tbsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp all spice

3/4 cup warm water

Directions

Mix dry ingredients. Add 1/2 cup water and mix. You want the dough to hold together but not be sticky. Add a bit more water as needed. If you add too much water, just add a bit more flour. Roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to make shapes. Use a skewer, toothpick or skinny straw to create a small hole in the top for a string.

Place on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 3-4 hours at 250°. You may have to repoke the hole as it cooks. Make sure the ornaments are hardened; if not cook a bit longer. Once done, you can use markers or paint to decorate.

Gingerbread Sensory Bin

If you have small children they will really enjoy having a sensory bin to play in. You take a larger clear plastic tote that is not deep. One for wrapping paper works great as it allows the kids to space themselves out. Fill the tote with rice or pasta; dye half red with food colouring (1 cup of rice/1 tsp vinegar + food colouring). Mix well and dry on paper towel. Add items like those above.

Gingerbread Picture Books

By Jan Brett. For activities related to the books check out Jan’s site

Gingerbread Baby