National Gingerbread House Day is December 12. It’s perfect timing for a classroom day full of festivity, fun, and fabulous gingerbread activities! Whether you plan on baking gingerbread cookies, completing gingerbread crafts, holding a gingerbread house-building contest, or passing out Gingerbread Man coloring sheets, the day is a magical and sweet time. It’s also an enjoyable day to gather your students on the rug and read some joyful and jolly gingerbread picture books! Let’s dive into Delightful Gingerbread Man Picture Books & Activities.
Like the Gingerbread Man dives off the counter to escape his demise, let’s dive into Gingerbread Man and Gingerbread House picture books we’ve hand-picked for you! And to top it off…just like frosting on a cake, (or a gingerbread cookie), we’ve also included a classroom activity (or two) for each book! Let the Gingerbread Man—and his many adventures—inspire a day your students will remember.
#1 The Gingerbread Man Christmas Storybook by Gail Yerrill
You can’t have a gingerbread storytime without your students first reading the classic tale that started it all!
Snap this up before it’s gone!
Publisher’s Synopsis:
Run, run as fast as you can. You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!” Follow the gingerbread man as he runs from the old woman, the old man, pig, cow, and horse, and meets a sly fox. This padded storybook of the classic fairy tale features engaging text and delightful, colorful illustrations by Gail Yerrill. Designed to encourage vocabulary development and help children read aloud, this story uses large font types and vibrant, contemporary illustrations to help early learning skills. It’s a perfect addition to any children’s library.
Classroom Activity:
After reading this delightful classic, students can practice their summarizing and sequencing skills by mapping out the Gingerbread Man’s escape route from the story.
#2 How to Catch a Gingerbread Bread by Adam Wallace
How to Catch A…picture book series is quite popular. (There are 25 total books!) They’re popular for good reason! This one in particular offers a fun twist on the age-old narrative. Readers follow along as the Gingerbread Man escapes from a library storytime and the misadventures that ensue.
Catch this book before it disappears!
Publisher’s Synopsis:
Do you have what it takes to catch the Gingerbread Man? The famous storybook character has magically come to life and leapt from the pages during story time! Follow along as the Gingerbread Man runs loose in a bookstore with the help of Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, Peter Rabbit, nursery rhyme characters, and more! If you set the right traps, you might…just might be able to catch this wily cookie and finish the fairy tale!
Filled with zany STEAM traps, a silly story, and fun illustrations, this hilarious picture book is the perfect read aloud for parents, educators, and kids ages 4-10!
Classroom Activity:
This activity is perfect for a fun afternoon. Students utilize STEM skills to plan, design, and construct a Gingerbread Man trap. Place a variety of construction materials out like cardboard, shoeboxes, paper towel rolls, pipe cleaners, and more. Allow students to have the freedom and autonomy to create an innovative gingerbread trap. Then, students can “test” their traps using a small Gingerbread Man figurine or toy.
#3 Gingerbread Man’s Christmas Escape by Tami Parker
The whimsical and vivid illustrations, delightful rhyming pattern, and action-packed plot will keep your students on the edge of their seats! This sweet and spirited holiday read is the Christmas twist the Gingerbread Man readers have been needing!
Grab this one before it escapes!
Publisher’s Synopsis:
Embark on a delightful Christmas adventure with Gingerbread Man’s Christmas Escape. As our cherished Gingerbread Man eagerly awaits a cozy night’s nap in a warm oven, little does he suspect that a mischievous mouse has plans to make him the highlight of her Christmas feast! Will he be able to escape in time? Join Gingerbread Man and his unexpected companion on a madcap chase through a very famous household this Christmas. Can you guess who’s the cook? Will he outsmart the hungry mouse and make it to safety, or will he become the star of a merry holiday feast? Find out in this enchanting story that adds a fresh and funny twist to a classic holiday theme. The story unfolds with a delightful blend of modern illustrations and the timeless charm of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’, creating a hilarious and heartwarming tale.
Classroom Activity 1:
After reading this charming picture book, continue the escaping fun with a matching Gingerbread Escape Room activity. Students complete a list of language arts tasks tailored from this book to help the Gingerbread Man “escape” to true freedom! These tasks include figurative language, spelling, grammar, reading comprehension, vocabulary, poetry, and comparing and contrasting the book to ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.
Classroom Activity 2:
Make this holiday season extra special with the Gingerbread Man’s Christmas Escape Writing Activity – a perfect blend of creativity, learning, and festive fun! This activity helps students write their very own gingerbread story. With 12 writing prompts, character development, setting, plot graphic organizers, and fun gingerbread house publishing papers, this has everything from start to finish to craft a fun story. Undeniably, I especially love the gingerbread house publishing papers that turn students’ stories into a fun booklet!
#4 Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett
I can’t think of wintertime without thinking of Jan Brett’s books. Her intricate illustrations are a feast for the eyes. I love how her classic stories are woven with culture and history, and an appreciation for nature and animals against a snowy winter wonderland. Gingerbread Friends is such a book. Above all, Jan Brett highlights the magnificent snowy countryside and beautiful bakeries of Switzerland during the winter holidays as she adapts this classic folktale into her own.
Publisher’s Synopsis:
This Gingerbread Baby is looking for friends and finds an adventure he’ll never forget. The Gingerbread Baby is lonely and decides to do something about it. At a bakery, he dances and prances in front of a sugar cookie girl, trying to make friends. But she just stares and doesn?t say a word, like all the other sweet treats he tries to meet. Discouraged, the Gingerbread Baby runs home, chased by a long line of hungry creatures. Once there Mattie has a fantastic surprise for him–gingerbread friends that fill a giant fold-out page. Irresistible images inside the confectionery and outside in the snowy Swiss countryside will delight Jan Brett fans.
Classroom Activity 1:
Grab this FREE Character Graphic Organizers for Gingerbread Baby. Students will love exploring the character traits of two characters from the story.
Classroom Activity 2:
Want more activities for Gingerbread Friends? Grab our book companion. It includes the following:
- 8 Exciting Gingerbread Man Writing Prompts on color and B/W papers
- Fun and Engaging Gingerbread Baby’s Friend Craftivity
- Beautiful Large Create Your Own Gingerbread Book Craftivity
- Gorgeous Medium Create Your Own Gingerbread Book Craftivity
- 5 Gingerbread Baby Create Your Own Story Graphic Organizers
- 32 Writing Papers color and B/W papers
#5 The Gingerbread House Jack’s Family Ate by Kelly DiPucchio
Newly released, this picture book is comical, and chaotic, and captures the coziness of Christmas. The premise is laugh-out-loud and the vibrant illustrations will captivate students.
Publisher’s Synopsis:
A hilarious, wacky Christmas tale from the New York Times bestselling author, Kelly Dipucchio, based on the classic children’s rhyme, The House That Jack Built!
This is the house Jack’s family ate!
This is the mother who’s wrapping up gifts
while secretly munching on marshmallow drifts
on the house Jack’s family ate.
Join Jack’s wacky family as they try to build a gingerbread house for Santa Claus… if only they can stop eating it! Gumdrops, marshmallows, and chocolate bars fly everywhere in this sweetly chaotic tale about a multi-generational family preparing excitedly for Christmas! For a humor-filled alternative to The Night Before Christmas! Read and laugh out-loud with this perfect holiday title. A bonus recipe for a festive graham cracker house in the back.
Classroom Activity:
This is the perfect book to read before starting a classroom gingerbread-building and decorating contest. The art teacher at my school used to do this every December, and parents would donate gingerbread house kits for the event. Spending an afternoon building gingerbread houses will truly entertain and educate your students as they face the engineering challenges of building one.
Bonus:
Do you want to turn your classroom into a Gingerbread House wonderland? Snag our Gingerbread Bulletin Board Set. Not only is it such a sweet board, but it also makes the perfect backdrop for Gingerbread Houses.
Grab it before Gingerbread House Day!
Conclusion:
December 12 is a day to embrace all things gingerbread, and the classroom possibilities are endless. From reading delightful gingerbread-themed books to engaging in creative crafts, STEM challenges, and festive writing activities, your students will be immersed in the holiday spirit. These tales not only spark joy but also provide valuable learning opportunities through storytelling, character analysis, sequencing, and hands-on problem-solving.
With a sprinkle of creativity and a dash of holiday cheer, National Gingerbread House Day will be the perfect recipe for classroom fun!
