The Lesson Planning Mommy – “Run, run, run you can’t catch me I’m the Gingerbread man!”

January 14, 2014

 

Hillary, a.k.a The Lesson Planning Mommy, is one of our fabulous Great Lakes Bay Moms Members.  Hillary has a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education pre-school through third grade and a Master degree in Elementary Education grades K-8 with a reading endorsement K-12 grade. She loves creating meaningful, mind provoking activities and lessons for kids.

 

There are a few lessons that I really miss teaching in my own classroom, now that I’m a stay at home mom. This is one of them, for sure! It’s a great lesson to do after Christmas, to keep the magic alive. I’ll never forget when I did it with my oldest son, he was three and couldn’t wait to call all of the grandparents and tell them what his gingerbread men did! Have fun this week with the kiddos creating your own magic!

 

 

What We’re Reading:

For the older kids, it’s always fun to read many versions of the “Gingerbread Man”. Discuss together the similarities and differences in each of the stories. Our favorite is The Gingerbread Girl! Here are a bunch of Gingerbread stories to look for.

 

The Library Gingerbread Man
By: Dotti Enderle

 

 The Gingerbread Cowboy
By: Janet Squires 

 Gingerbread Boy
By: Richard Egielski 

Gingerbread Baby
By: Jan Brett
 

  

Gingerbread Friends
By: Jan Brett

 

The Gingerbread Girl
By: Lisa Campbell Ernst

 Songs:

Gingerbread Man
Run, run, as fast as you can,
You can’t catch me,
I’m the Gingerbread Man!

Gingerbread Baking
Stir a bowl of gingerbread,
Smooth and spicy brown.
Roll it with a rolling pin,
Up and up and down.
With a cookie cutter,
Make some little men.
Put them in the oven
Till half past ten!

 

Activities:

.:Sand Paper Gingerbread Man:.

What You Need:

  • Sand paper
  • Template
  • Cinnomon Stick
  • Glue
  • Decoration

Give each child a sand paper cutout of a gingerbread man. Template HERE! Have them add a face and other features using a variety of craft supplies. Scrape a cinnamon stick over the sand paper to make it smell sweet. Punch a hole in the top and add ribbon for an ornament.

 

.: Life Size Gingerbread People:.

What You Need:

  • Brown craft paper
  • Markers
  • Scissors

Trace each child on brown craft paper. Have them decorate their body tracings to make themselves into life size gingerbread people.

 

.:Gingerbread Cinnamon Play-Doh:.

What You Need:

  • 1 cup ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp of ginger
  • 1 cup applesauce
  • 1/4 cup white school glue (optional)

Add the cinnamon and ginger to the applesauce. You may add glue for added thickness. Store unused dough in a bowl with plastic wrap as a cover.

 

.:Make Gingerbread Cookies:.

While the cookies are baking in the oven, read a few Gingerbread Man books… When the cookies are finished quietly slip away and “hide” the cookies!!! You kiddos will have a BLAST looking all over your house for their Gingerbread Men!!! “Run, run, run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m the gingerbread Man!!!”

Ingredients:

  • 1 package Jell-O butterscotch pudding mix (not instant)
  • 3/4 cup margarine
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2-1/4 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

  1. Cream pudding mix with margarine and sugar.
  2. Add egg and blend well.
  3. Combine flour, baking soda, ginger and cinnamon; blend      into pudding mixture.
  4. Chill dough until firm, about 10 minutes.
  5. Roll out on floured board about 1/4-inch thick and cut with cookie cutters.
  6. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. Decorate as desired.

***When the dough is rolled thin, it will bake crisp and almost cracker-like. Yet, when rolled thick (my preference), the cookies turn out plump and moist.

http://www.pbs.org/food/recipes/easy-gingerbread-cookies/