After Christmas, there was enough undecorated gingerbread cookies leftover for another activity, so I thought my preschoolers could decorate Valentine’s Day gingerbread cookies.
But I wondered if it would be appropriate. I thought to myself: “Anything gingerbread is so popular at Christmas, but is doing activities with these spicy cookies a thing at other times of the year?”
An online search revealed the following:
Each year there is a National Gingerbread Day on June 5 and a National Gingerbread Cookie Day on November 21.
A website called Favorite Family Recipes has a lovely post about making a Valentine’s Day Gingerbread House.
Recipes By Diane showcases gingerbread Cupid Cookies.
And The Savvy Age features quick and easy heart-accented gingerbread cookies.
Armed with all this inspiring information, I decided that yes, decorating our saved cookies with a Valentine’s Day theme would be just fine. I headed out to shop for heart-themed decorations and prepared the activity for my class.
The preschoolers relished decorating a Valentine’s Day gingerbread cookie. And your early learners would love it too.
What To Collect
gingerbread cookies (store-bought or homemade)
cookie or cake frosting (store-bought or homemade)
Valentine’s Day sprinkles
heart candies
cinnamon hearts
candy eyes
disposable plates
dull butter knives or tiny spatulas
Decorating The Gingerbread Cookies
For each child participating in the activity, set an undecorated gingerbread cookie on a plate. Add a dollop of icing and candy decorations to another plate.
Set up a cookie decorating station for each child with candy decorations, a cookie, and a knife or tiny spatula.
Invite your early learners to decorate their cookies by spreading on icing and adding candy eyes and a nose, mouth, eyebrows, jewelry, buttons, etc.
Wrap the cookies up for the children to take home.
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