1-2-3 Come Do A Gingerbread Man Craftivity With Me

This “flip-the-flap” storytelling craft, is a super-fun way to practice the sequencing & retelling a story standards, using the popular tale of the “Gingerbread Man”

Simply run the fox pattern off on orange or brown construction paper.
Students trim & add a few highlights with crayons.

The “head” of the fox, is the “cover” of the booklet that flips up to reveal 6 oval pages, which feature graphics that help students recall the story, so they can retell the tale.

I purposely did not number the pages, so you can check comprehension, when students sequence the story.

Children color, cut & collate the oval-shaped pages into a little booklet, which is then glued to the fox’s face, making it a “flip-the-flap” activity. 


Besides the black & white patterns,  I’ve also included colorful ones, so that you can quickly & easily make an example to share.

Since there are two versions of the fairy tale,  I’ve also included page options with both endings of the story, as well as a gingerbread man pattern, to use as an extra manipulative.

As children finish retelling the story, I thought it would be fun for them to place the gingerbread man inside the fox’s mouth, to tell the version where the cookie is eaten, then hold the gingerbread man and have him scamper off, to explain that he escapes in the other story.

For extra pizzazz, I used white puffy paint to add realistic-lookig "frosting" to the gingerbread man.

My students absolutely love this "finishing touch", which really adds to the "way cool" cuteness factor. 

For writing practice,  have students complete the extra “last” page, where children  circle the ending they liked best, then explain why.

To check comprehension & further reinforce the sequence of the story, older students can explain “What Happened?” on the writing prompt worksheet.

When everyone's  done, have children pick a partner and take turns telling the story of “The Gingerbread Man” to each other.
We sometimes do this sort of thing with our older reading buddies. 

Today's featured FREEBIE isa set of gingerbread-themed "Parts of Speech" posters.

Thanks for stopping by.  I have a long "To Do" list of "must do" activities, so my feet have hit the floor running this morning.

It's all Christmas related, so especially fun, at the same tiime exhausting. 

Wishing you a "merry & bright" day.

"Christmas isn't a season; it's a feeling." -Edna Ferber

1-2-3 Come Do Some Gingerbread-Themed Math Activities With Me

Since the last week of school before Christmas break, tends to be filled with a lot of shall we say, energy, I try to plug in some especially fun activities, that still practice a variety of standards. 

With that in mind, I designed the whopping 167-page Gingerbread Number Fun Packet. 

As a special Merry Christmas treat, I’ve decided to price it at $4.95 instead of the usual $9.95 price for packets over 100 pages long.

It’s chock full of worksheets, games, emergent readers, puzzles & activities that cover a variety of standards and skills for PK-1st, all involving numbers in some way.

Simply pick what’s appropriate for your kiddos to practice . . .

Counting to 130, counting backwards from 10 to 1, skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s and 10s, sequencing, patterning, 2D shapes, ordinal numbers, colors, listening & following directions, data collection & analysis, small-medium-large, number words, groups/sets, addition, subtraction, non-standard units of measurement, odd & even, end punctuation, greater & less than, spatial directions, symmetry, +one more, 10 frames, and addresses.

I’ve offered 2-on-a-page patterns to save paper & ink, and included full-color teacher templates, so that you can quickly & easily make samples to share. 

Use these activities as worksheets, whole-group assessments, games, independent centers, or for homework, a sub folder and early finishers.  

A personal favorite of mine are the number puzzles. 

I use them for a math center, but also allow my kiddos to choose one and make their own.  Kiddos can practice sequencing numbers from 1-10, or counting backwards from 10 to 1, plus skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s, or 10s.

The "Measure measure as fast as you can.  I will help you. I'm the gingerbread man." measurement activities are especially fun too. 

My Y5s really enjoy scampering around the room finding "stuff" to measure with their 3 sizes of gingerbread cookies.

They use the small, medium and large gingerbread men, as a non-standard unit of measurement, to measure how many gingerbread cookies tall they are etc. 

Both the puzzles and measurement activities, are perfect for party day, as they are that creative, something different, that will grab their attention, and keep them happily engaged.

Here's hoping this packet gives you plenty of activities to plug into your day, that are easy-peasy for you, and fun for your kiddos. Gingerbread Number Fun

The featured FREEBIE for today is a super-fun wreath craftivity, perfect for the last week of school. 

This keepsake, fingerprint wreath is a nice decorative gift that students can make for their family, and demonstrates secondary colors: Yellow + Blue = Green. 

"I made this pretty wreath for you. I made it by mixing yellow and blue.
Yellow + Blue as you have seen, makes a lovely Christmas green.
The red berries, I’ll give you a hint, are made from someone’s fingerprint.
This wreath is a circle it has no end. It’s like my love, that I now send."

Yes, you can simplify things, and just have your kiddos use green paint, but I assure you, their squeals of delight, as 2 different colors blend together to make a new color, is priceless,  and well worth the mess.  It's almost magical. 

Well that's it for today.  Yesterday was "Christmas cookie-baking day" with 2 of my grandchildren, so today is "clean up the mess" day. 

I think we made more messes and memories than we did cookies, but the giggles, kisses and love were just as sweet. Wishing you a stress-free week, as you wind down to a much-deserved break.

"In the cookies of life, friends are the chocolate chips." -Unknown

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

Looking for some gingerbread-themed activities that practice a variety of standards?  You've come to the right place. Hopefully you'll find something useful in today's assortment.

No matter what grade I taught, my students LOVED making glyphs.
They are a quick, easy and fun way to practice listening and following directions.

They also provide a "hard copy" to use as proof that a child does or doesn't.
Completed projects make an adorable bulletin board, as each one will be different.

To practice data collection & analysis, as well as process of elimination, have students try and figure out who made some of the gingerbread glyphs. 

Click on the link to zip on over to Diane's Dollar Deals in my TpT shop to have a look:Gingerbread Glyph.

Another Dollar Deal is this 6-piece gingerbread man puzzle.  It's a quick, easy and fun way for your kiddos to practice numbers 1-6.

Print off the numbered, "color me" gingerbread pattern, along with the base.  Students color, cut him apart, then choose a partner to play the puzzle game.

Children take turns rolling a dice. Whatever number they roll, they glue that piece of their gingerbread man to their worksheet.

You can also skip the gluing part, so that students can continue to play the game at home, or make this a center activity that you can use every year and run off on brown construction paper, laminate & trim.

Are you studying digital and analog time to the hour and half hour? Then "It's Time For Gingerbread" might interest you.

Use the clock cards as flashcards, puzzles & games. 
There are also 3 options for an analog gingerbread clock to use as a spinner game, or for whole-group assessing.

If you're going to use the gingerbread man as a clock, have children attach a large and small paperclip with a brass brad.

Simply call out a time. Children manipulate the paperclips to show that time.
I've also included an assessment worksheet, a "Kaboom!" game, plus 2 cover options to make an Itty Bitty "My Telling Time" booklet. 

Finally, since 2D shapes is also a standard for us, I designed a gingerbread house craftivity, as well as a gingerbread cookie game and put them in a "Shaping Up With Gingerbread" packet. 

For that finishing touch, we sprinkled colorful confetti on the rooftop. 

Today's featured FREEBIE also has a gingerbread theme.  It's a set of number puzzles.  I hope you find them useful. 

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by. My grandchildren are due any minute, so it will be a day filled with crafts and giggles.

Wishing you lots of love-filled moments. 

"Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Gingerbread Man Story Elements With Me

If you read the story The Gingerbread Man to your kiddos, then I think you’re going to enjoy the oodles of easy-peasy, “print & go” activities in my latest literacy packet, which practices a variety of skills and standards, in quick, interesting and fun ways.

There are 3 class-made books, with writing prompts that are sure to motivate your kiddos to want to get down to the business of writing: Gingerbread On the Run, You’re the Man, & Taking a Bite Out of Literacy.

The packet also includes:

* A keepsake “gingerhead” craftivity.

* Worksheets: “Gingerbread can-are-have”, “Describe your gingerbread adjective practice, gingerbread 5 senses, noun-verb-adjective worksheet, plus a beginning-middle-end graphic organizer.

* A “We’re Goin' On A Gingerbread Hunt” activity, with 18 ”fix the sentence” cards, which practice end punctuation & capitalization.

* Gingerbread story slider craftivity, which practices sequencing & retelling a story. Includes color, plus black and white slider strips.

* 6, “Elements of a Story” pocket chart cards, plus a different, black and white version for students. They can fill in and turn into a “flip strip booklet”.

* 2 sets of sequencing cards. Use them to play games with.
Students can also color, trim and sequence them into an Itty Bitty booklet.

* 40 traceable word cards from the story.

* 3 graphing extensions

* 4 Venn Diagrams. A quick, easy & fun way to practice comparison & contrast

* “How to catch a gingerbread man”, and “How to make a gingerbread man” writing prompt worksheets.

* A retell the story, “color me” bookmark, plus 4 other colorful ones.

* Comprehension discussion questions, or use as a worksheet.

* Science experiment, with matching writing prompt.
"Why didn’t the gingerbread man jump in the river and swim?"
"What do you think would happen to a cookie in water?" Let’s see…

* -an word family gingerbread man slider craft, with 13 traceable word cards and a matching worksheet.

* Rhyme Time: How many words can you think of that rhyme with gingerbread? Includes an answer key with 50 words, and finally . . .

* A “Riddle Me” gingerbread note, plus a certificate of praise. 

Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to take a look at this whopping 95-page packet of fun.

Don't need all that, but are looking for a "sequencing" The Gingerbread Man activity?

Then you'll like The Gingerbread Man Story Wheel.

It comes in a full color version, so you can use it as a center activity, as well as black and white, so students can make their own. 

I've also included a puzzle version, for another center activity.  Both the wheel and puzzle have the two different ending options. 

One where the fox eats the gingerbread man, the other where he escapes and continues to run. 

The featured FREEBIE today is a sweet, keepsake ornament.

The snowmen were made from a child's fingerprints.  I've included a poem-note as well:

"If you look a little closer you will see,
that these are very special snowmen made with TLC.
Their bodies are my fingerprints, so that you can recall
Christmas ______ when my hand was very small."

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by. 

With a big family to buy for, I'm out the door for the rest of the day, shopping 'til I indeed drop.  Wishing you a happy day.

 "I'm not a shopaholic. I'm simply supporting the economy." -Unknown

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

DJ Inkers is one of my favorite clip artists.  Her gingerbread house is so cute, that I went on a designing frenzy, creating all sorts of gingerbread-themed activities. 

I like to have a lot of matching items in my classroom and centers, so if we think alike, perhaps you too will enoy adding some of these items to your gingerbread activities this month. 

First up is a gingerbread house "flip open" writing prompt card. When you flip the house open, it reveals a completed writing prompt, where students write what it’s like to be a gingerbread cookie, or what it’s like to live in a gingerbread house.

Another option is to send the worksheet note home, for the entire family to take part in. 

They glue a family photo to the square and everyone signs their name. The caption reads: “Merry Christmas from our house to yours.”

For that finishing touch, have them write the number portion of their address on the gingerbread house. Completed projects make an adorable winter bulletin board.  

Older students can draw their family, or glue a photo to the front, then do the writing prompt on the back. 

Next up is a gingerbread place value game packet, which is a quick, easy and fun way to practice, as well as whole-group assess.

Print off a class set of the colorful place value mats, laminate & trim.
Call out a number and have children break it down using a dry erase marker. 

I've included manipulatives, in 3 different sizes, so that you can "show" the number in a more visual way too. 

Another fun way to practice and whole group assess, is with the gingerbread house "sliders".

Call out a number; students pull on the "sliders" 'til the appropriate numbers appear in the windows.

You can see at a glance who is having difficulty.

Staying with math, students can also practice fact families with the Gingerbread House Fact Family Fun packet, which includes games, centers and worksheets.

Finally, to cover reading, I designed the Gingerbread House Emergent Reader packet,Gingerbread House Emergent Reader packet, which practices spatial directions, a Common Core Standard.

Students read the simple sentences, add end punctuation, trace and write the spatial direction words (above, under, beside, left, right, between) and then color, cut and glue the gingerbread cookie to the appropriate place.

The cookies are in 2D shapes.
When everyone is done, read as a whole group to cover concepts of print.

I've also included a "Where's the Gingerbread Man?" game to further reinforce spatial directions. 

The featured FREEBIE today, also features a gingerbread house. 

It's an upper and lowercase letter slider craft, which is a quick, easy and fun way to whole-group assess. 

For that finishing touch, we sprinkled colorful confetti on the rooftop, which looked like little bits of candy. I bought a bag at a party store for just $1.50. 

To review and practice patterning, I had my kiddos trace the letters on the "slider strips" in an ABAB (red & green) color pattern.

Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by. It's time for me to switch gears and do some painting. 

I'm making 3 animal pictures for a zoo-themed nursery, for grandchild #7.  Wishing you a marvelous day, filled with memorable moments.

 "And I had but one penny in the world. Thou should’st have it to buy gingerbread." –-William Shakespeare, Love’s Labours Lost

1-2-3 Come Do Some Gingerbread Reading & Writing Activities With Me

Here’s a super-fun activity that you can do with your kiddos, after reading the story The Gingerbread Man.

I LOVED designing "Gingerbread on the Run" a writing- activity packet, and hope you have oodles of fun with your kiddo's doing these interesting things.

Beforehand, put up the wanted posters in your room.

Run off the masters and put the notes, signs and clues in a variety of places in your school: cafeteria, library, office, gym, whatever...

Get your principal, secretary, cafeteria staff, librarian... in on your adventure and give them a clue card.

After reading the story, tell your students that you are going on an “ed-venture” looking for the gingerbread man and to be on the lookout for clues of his where abouts.

As you arrive at the various destinations have adults say something like: "Oh no! You just missed him, but he left this clue!”

After you make the rounds, return to your classroom to find a note on your door that the gingerbread man left.

While you are gone, have a helper set up gingerbread or cookie treats for your kiddo's snack, and read the note(s) that the gingerbread man left.

I've also included 2 different class-made books. For one, students write a page of their adventure, and on the other one, they tell where they’d run to if they were a gingerbread cookie and why they’d go there.

There are templates for students to do this separately or in groups. They can draw pictures or take a photograph.

There's also a graphic organizer, where students name their gingerbread man, draw a picture of him, then use adjectives to describe him.

Sweet Colors is a wonderful way to review colors and color words, and is a nice addition to your other gingerbread activities.

I've included an emergent reader booklet, with two cover options, where students read the simple sentences, trace and write the color words, then color the gingerbread cookies, as well as the open-letter words that matching color.

There’s also a "Spin to Win" bookmark - coloring game, plus a“Match the color to the word” worksheet.  Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to have a look at Gingerbread Colors.

Today's FREEBIE features a pair of gingerbread "sliders".  They are a quick, easy and fun way to practice and whole-group assess, a variety of standards. 

Such as: sequencing numbers from 1-10, counting backwards, skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s and 10s, upper and lowercase letters, as well as 2D shapes.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.  Time to switch gears and get ready for a baby shower. 

This will make our 7th grandchild!  Feeling very blessed.  Wishing you a love-filled day.

"Having a baby is a life-changer.  It gives you a whole other perspective on why you wake up every day." -Tayor Hanson

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

“Gingerheads” are a quick, easy and fun craftivity with a variety of game options, that will help reinforce 2D shapes. 

If you look closely at the photographs, you will see that the eyes and noses of the gingerbread "cookies", match the 2D head shape.

Make a set for an independent math center, so students can practice 2D shapes; cut another set in half, and use as puzzles--this is an interesting way to review symmetry too.

The bows, with the shape word in the center, are matched to the appropriate gingerhead.
Place a bow on the top to make a girl, use them as a bow tie for a boy.

Play 4-Corner FREEZE! Which helps practice a variety of life skills, like listening and following directions, as well as the 2D shape vocabulary, plus recognition, and counting backwards from 10 to 0.

My kiddos absolutely LOVE this game.
Easy-peasy for me, and only takes a few minutes, so it’s perfect for the end of the day.

You can also use the gingerheads as big flashcards. Hold one up. Children call out what shape it is, along with its attributes, like number of vertices.

Play “Who’s Missing?” Display the smaller set on a wall. After children leave, take one away. In the morning, children guess which one is missing.

Besides the 5 games, I’ve also included a 2-on-a-one-page template, so children can pick their favorite and create their own gingerhead. There’s a graphing extension as well, plus directions for the games.

I used white puffy paint for the trim.
It looks so real, and adds that finishing touch.

Children name their gingerhead, write what shape it is, along with its attributes on the back. 

Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to take a look: Gingerheads, A Gingerbread 2D Shape Craft.

The featured FREEBIE today, is a sweet set of gingerbread-themed alphabet cards.  I hope you find them useful. 

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.  Hopefully we can get our tree up, which is a big enough job for one day. 

We'll save decorating for the next.  Wishing you a delightful day.

1-2-3 Come Do Some Gingerbread Puzzle Craftivities With Me

First up, is a sweet gingerbread puzzle game.  It's a quick, easy and fun way for your kiddos to practice numbers 1-6.
Print off the numbered, "color me" gingerbread pattern, along with the base.

Students color their gingerbread man, cut him apart, then choose a partner to play the puzzle game.

Children take turns rolling a dice. Whatever number they roll, they glue that piece of their gingerbread man to their worksheet.

If they've already rolled that number, it becomes their partner's turn.
The first one to assemble their gingerbread man is the winner.

You can also skip the gluing part, so that students can continue to play the game at home.

Another option, is to run a class set off on brown construction paper; color and laminate.
Before I cut the pieces apart, I add white puffy paint trimming.

It really looks like frosting!
So that I can reuse them every year, I keep each puzzle in its own Snack Baggie, and the laminated worksheet bases in a file folder.

This Dollar Deal has a full-page pattern, as well as a smaller, two-on-a-page gingerbread puzzle. 

1-2-3 Come Make a Gingerbag House With Me

Do you do some gingerbread activities during December? Are you contemplating making a gingerbread house?

If so, I think you and your kiddos will really enjoy making a "gingerbag".

It's a non-messy, quick, easy & fun craftivity, as an alternative to the gooey graham cracker creations, that often fall apart.

There are 8 pages of candy, cakes and ice-cream trimmings, chimneys, doors, and windows, that your kiddos can choose to decorate their paper bag gingerbread house with.

Face the bag towards you so that the bottom of the bag is at the top, and looks like a flap. This is the perfect place to glue the “candy roof” and chimney.

Students cut out whatever pieces they want to glue to the front of their house.

They arrange the pieces ‘til they are satisfied with the look, and then glue them down.

Children then color the trimmings with crayons or markers.

White puffy paint, glitter glue, and stickers can all add pizzazz to the houses.

For that finishing touch, glue a child’s photo in one of the windows.

You can also spritz them with a bit of cinnamon fragrance.

For writing practice, I've included 2 worksheets, where students describe their gingerbread house.

Completed gingerbags make a cute bulletin board too.
Caption: “Mr(s.) _____________’s kindergartners are wishing you a sweet and cozy Christmas.” OR…. “From our house to yours, we’re wishing you a yummy New Year.”  

Click on the link to zip on over to my TpT shop to take a look: Gingerbag Craftivity.

The featured FREEBIE today, also has a gingerbread theme. 

They are a set of gingerbread-themed parts of speech posters. I hope you find them useful.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by.  I'm thrilled to be having the entire family over for dinner and games today. 

That's 21 people!  Woo hoo.  Gotta' get going on the yummies.   Wishing you a love and fun-filled day.

"Good painting is like good cooking; it can be tasted, but not explained." -Maurice de Vlaminck

1-2-3 Come Do Some Gingerbread-Themed Writing With Me

Writing is a lot more fun for your students if you incorporate it with a theme that you're doing.  Since gingerbread seems to be really popular, I decided to design a few writing activities involving this sweet December treat.

My students really enjoyed making class books.  They are a quick, easy and fun writing prompt for them.  Completed projects, were favorite books during free reading time. 

For the Gingerbread On The Run class book, students complete the writing prompt and illustrate their page.  Collect, collate and add the cover to make a sweet class book.  There are 2 options for the student writing page. 

This class book, is also an interesting and fun way to review action verbs as well as nouns.  I've included a completed sample that you can use to help explain the lesson to your kiddos.  Click on the link to view/download the Gingerbread on the Run class-made book.

While I was working on this activity, I thought it would be helpful to make some gingerbread-themed parts of speech anchor charts. 

The posters include one for nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns and adverbs.

For more writing practice, I made up several simple descriptive writing worksheets, which basically help review the use of adjectives in a fun way. 

I've included completed samples to share with your students, such as the one pictured, which asks them to use their 5 senses to write sentences about a gingerbread man. 

Click on the link to view/download the Gingerbread Descriptive Writing Worksheets.

Finally, you can use the adorable gingerbread house craftivity, as a writing prompt (If I were a gingerbread cookie...) , or send it home, as a home-school connection for the entire family to take part in.  

 A note home is included in the packet, along with a "Merry Christmas From Our House To Yours"  template.  Children glue a family photo inside and have all of their family members sign it. 

Completed projects make a sweet December bulletin board. Little ones, especially enjoy seeing a family photograph while they're at school. 

Click on the link to view/download the Gingerbread House Writing Prompt Craftivity.

Thanks for visiting.  The sun is shining and it's not too cold out, so it's time to take my poodle pup, Chloe, for a brisk walk.  Wishing you a fun-filled day. 

 "Enthusiasm is contagious, so start an epidemic." -Unknown