1-2-3 Come Do Some Common Core Gingerbread Activities With Me

Even though you may have taught a particular standard a few months ago, doesn't mean all of your kiddos have retained that information.  It's imperative to continue to reinforce various concepts throughout the year. 

To keep interest high, simply add variety.  The easiest way I found to do this, is to simply theme various activities. Gingerbread for December, is one of my favorites. 

In order to cover all of the Common Core State Standard: K.G.1 when reviewing shapes with students, one must include some spatial direction activities as well: "Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes, and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of , behind, and next to."  

With this in mind, I designed the Gingerbread Spatial Directions Shape Easy Reader.

Students trace and write the shapes and spatial direction words, as well as color, cut and glue the shape "cookies" on the designated "spot."   Click on the link to view/download the Gingerbread Spatial Directions booklet.

Telling time to the hour is another standard. (1.MD.3a)  Students can easily tire of the same-old learning about time lessons, so it's nice to switch things up a bit. 

I find that if children can play a game, or even make their own clock, that they will stay more focused.  I think your kiddo's will enjoy the "It's Gingerbread Time" game.  Students work in pairs or groups of 3 to 4 and take turns spinning the gingerbread clock. 

Whatever number they land on, they draw hands on the clock showing that time to the hour on their gingerbread recording sheet.  They also include the digital time underneath the gingerbread man.  

The first one to fill in all of their clocks is the winner.  Click on the link to view/download the Gingerbread Clock Game.  For more time activities click on the link to zip on over to that section of my site.

I've also designed an adorable Gingerbread Place Value game that makes practicing breaking down numbers a bit more fun. Print and laminate your teacher gingerbread house, as well as the black and white houses that students use.

Using a dry erase marker print a 3-digit number on the top of your gingerbread house.  Show it to the children and have them break it down by writing the appropriate numbers in the 1's, 10's 100's windows on their gingerbread house - place value mat. 

While they are doing that, you write the answer on yours. 

When everyone is done, show the answers and have students self-check and correct if necessary. 

You'll be able to whole-group assess by seeing who is changing their mat without embarassing a student. Continue playing by calling on quiet students to make up a number for the class to break down.

You can make inexpensive "dry erase" gingerbread mats for your kiddo's to take home by printing off the black & white gingerbread house on brown construction paper. 

They color and trim.  Pre-cut "window" squares out of glossy photo paper.  They glue them to their gingerbread house for a quick, easy & inexpensive dry erase board that really works! 

I made mini-dry erase boards for my kiddo's to use for fact-family fun or whatever else I wanted them to practice.  They are a wonderful way to whole-group assess all sorts of stuff.  To expedite things, a terry cloth square was also kept in the envelopes.  Each child had their own that they kept in their work folder. 

Click on the link to view/download the gingerbread place value mats. The adorable gingerbread house clip art is by dj inkers.

That's it for today. Thanks for visiting.  Feel free to PIN away. "Tis the season for sharing!"  

I'm off to go get the ingredients to make salt dough ornaments for the first time.  I'm so excited.  Wishing you a crafty day filled with homemade fun. 

"Our houses are such unwieldy property that we are often imprisoned rather than housed by them." -Henry David Thoreau