Gingerbread Fingerplay

I thought I would make an animated finger play "video" for Thomas since he loved mommy singing the song so much--and now you can sing it and show it to your toddler!

Candy Land

This is also a great week to pull out your old Candyland game! I don't plan to attempt it with my toddler, but Gracie still loves to play games.

What better game to match the gingerbread week theme?!

Gingerbread Playdough

Mommy Craft

I thought what a fun experience it would be to make a "sensory" activity for this week, since party of gingerbread's appeal is its smell.

I found a recipe to home-make gingerbread play dough, but with my hands full, I thought "how about I just add the spices to bough play dough?' Well, if you were thinking the same thing--it works just fine!
I had a can of unopened white play dough and was sad to discover I didn't have the spices I needed for gingerbread! So, I went with cinnamon--close enough, right?

Next time I will not only stock up on the spices, I will buy brown play dough, that will make it look even more like gingerbread dough.

To make this craft you will need:
(if you want to cheat like me):

• 1 can of play dough
• Spices: Cinnamon, Allspice, Ginger & Nutmeg (apparently you kind of mix until you get the right "smell."

(if you want to make it from scratch):

1 Cup flour
1/2 Cup salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 tsp. vegetable oil
Spices--Cinnamon, Allspice, Ginger, Nutmeg
*Green and Red food coloring to make Brown (optional--the spices usually
give the dough a good Brown color.)

DIRECTIONS--
1. Mix the dry ingredients. Experiment with the spices until you get
a scent and color that you like.
2. Mix water and oil together first and then add them to the dry ingredients
and stir.
3. In a pot, cook the mixture for three to five minutes on low/medium, stirring
constantly.
4. The dough will start to pull away from the sides of the pot and
stick together in a large ball. I take it out of the pan when I see a VERY faint
brown skin on the dough one each side when I flip it.
5. Take the dough out of the pan and knead the dough until it becomes soft
and smooth.
6. Allow the dough to cool and then store it in an airtight container.

Total time to make dough: 10 minutes. This is a very quick and easy recipe and the dough turns out great! 1 batch makes about the same amount as you would find in one small tub of store bought play dough.

Gingerbread Lacing

Pre-K, K

I attempted this with my toddler--nope, not old enough or able to be easy enough with the paper--so use you own judgment if you are going younger than preschool.

To make this activity you will need:

• Heavy brown paper, or brown construction paper and glue to heavy card stock or cardboard
• Gingerbread pattern
• Hole Punch
• Ribbon or yarn
• Tape
  

Cut out your shape on heavy paper, or glue construction paper to card board or card stock and let it dry before cutting out your shape.

Decorate your pattern if you want.

Now, around the edges punch holes to outline the shape. Don't make them too close.

Tightly roll scotch tape around the end of your ribbon or yarn--you want it to look like the end of a shoe lace. This will keep the end from fraying and making it harder for your child to use.

Let your child lace the gingerbread by running the ribbon through each hole.

Gingerbread Wreath

Toddler, Pre-K, K

I wanted to do a craft with counting, and since simple shapes are good for little ones, I knew cutting out several gingerbread patterns and counting them would be fun.

But, what to do with the shapes after we counted?

Well, why not make them look pretty?!

So, we counted as we glued them on to a wreath. Then, mommy sang a counting song as we glued. It was spontaneous, and my toddler cackled and cackled. I think it may have actually helped him. Isn't teaching fun!

To make this craft you need:

• 1 paper plate
• scissors
• brown construction paper
• scraps of color construction paper (optional)
• permanent marker

Cut out the middle of your paper plate to make a wreath. Use your brown paper to cut out gingerbread shapes. I did 10, which matches the song if you want to sing with your child too.

Let your child do the drops of glue and add the gingerbread on one by one while you count.

To reinforce the numbers I added bow ties to the gingerbread men and added the numbers 1-10. I also added eyes, nose, mouth and buttons. Be creative, but make sure the "men" are the way you want them *before* you glue them on.

Mommy's "made up" song...

One little, two little, three little gingerbread...
Four little, five little, six little gingerbread...
Seven little, eight little, nine little gingerbread...
Ten little gingerbread boys!

Gingerbaby

A wonderful story to start off this week of Gingerbread fun is "Gingerbread Baby" by Jan Brett. Of course you could always read or check out the classic "Gingerbread Man" story that we all know.

Gingerbread Week

Join us for Gingerbread fun this week!
Come on play with us!