Gingerbread man activities are a great way to keep 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students engaged and learning during the month of December, which can be a tricky time of year in the classroom. The students often have “sugarplums dancing in their heads” and their excitement for the upcoming holidays generates a lot of energy. Grab these December teaching tips to help make this time of year a little easier!
Because the December holidays are a religious event for many, it is not uncommon for some families, or even an entire school district, to request that specific holidays not be mentioned in the classroom. The perfect solution for channeling all that energy in a positive and effective way without mentioning any one holiday is gingerbread!
Gingerbread is fun. It’s festive. It makes the kids excited and engaged. But, in no way is it officially tied into a specific holiday. Best of all, these gingerbread man activities will have your students working productively on important reading and writing skills.
1. Gingerbread Activity Packet
This gingerbread activity packet is filled with fun and engaging activities students love! These activities can be used as center activities, homework, fast finisher tasks, filler activities, or indoor recess activities. Learn more about this resource by clicking the image below!
2. Gingerbread Would You Rather Activities
Are you looking for a fun way to get your students talking during your morning meeting? Do you need a way to motivate your students to practice their writing skills and prevent the chorus of groans when you say it’s writing time? Or maybe you need a consistent writing center for your literacy block? If so, these gingerbread would you rather activities are exactly what you need!
3. Gingerbread Color by Code Activities
Are you looking for something fun, but also academic? Do you need quick print-and-go activities to have on hand? If so, this gingerbread parts of speech color by code activity is a great resource to have prepped and ready on your desk in December. Learn more about this resource by clicking the image below!
4. Gingerbread Book Companions
This gingerbread book companion bundle is part of our Starts With a story collection. This bundle includes 4 book companions: The Gingerbread Pirates, The Gingerbread Girl, The Gingerbread Cowboy, and Gingerbread Baby. Here’s your chance to get gingerbread-themed reading comprehension activities as well as writing prompts, vocabulary, grammar lessons and more at a discounted price. Learn more about this resource by clicking the image below!
5. Gingerbread Reading Comprehension Activities
These gingerbread reading comprehension activities for reading provide engaging, meaningful practice to greatly improve your 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th grade students’ reading and writing skills. Each of the reading graphic organizers included in this set can be used over and over and with ANY gingerbread book you choose. Whether you are doing a gingerbread unit or simply a reading lesson using a non-fiction or fiction text about gingerbread, this resource will be very helpful! Learn more about this resource by clicking the image below!
6. Non-Fiction Reading Passages and Activities
This how to make gingerbread non-fiction unit is sure to be a big hit! It will help you meet your students needs, teach important non-fiction reading skills, and increase student engagement during your literacy time. Your students will not only learn important literacy skills, but will also learn about how to make gingerbread. This unit is packed with resources to teach a comprehensive unit or series of lessons on reindeer. It has leveled reading passages, discussion questions, writing prompts, vocabulary cards and activities, and much more. Learn more about this resource by clicking the image below!
7. Gingerbread Writing Activity and Craft
This is the perfect Christmas activities alternative! This Design a Gingerbread House craft is a great non Christmas writing project for your December lesson plans. It offers a fun, engaging, creative way to teach descriptive writing to your elementary students. Even your most reluctant writers will enjoy learning how to build a gingerbread house! Learn more about this resource by clicking the image below!
8. Gingerbread in Disguise Writing Activity and Craft
This Disguise a Gingerbread Man Craft and Writing Project is one of the best December activities for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th grade. Use with or without the book How to Catch an Elf and have your students write persuasive or descriptive paragraphs. The completed craftivities make a great winter bulletin board. Learn more about this resource by clicking the image below!
9. Gingerbread Unit
The month of December is a tricky one in the classroom. The students’ excitement for the upcoming holidays creates lots of energy and it can make focusing on schoolwork a challenge. Because the December holidays are a religious event for many, it is not uncommon for some families, or even an entire school district, to request that specific holidays not be mentioned in the classroom. If you are allowed to celebrate holidays at your school, learn more about how you can incorporate the holidays around the world in your classroom. Learn more about this gingerbread man unit below!
These gingerbread man activities are a fun way to celebrate this festive time of year, while also working on important reading and writing skills. Learn more about this gingerbread unit and download it today!
