gingerbread man

Cozy Gingerbread Sensory Bin

December 18, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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One of the most popular themes to offer at Christmas is a Gingerbread theme. Delightfully entertaining variations of the gingerbread boy story set the stage for endless hands-on gingerbread thematic activities for early learners. This cozy gingerbread sensory bin is a festive and fun tactile play invitation to include.

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Cozy Gingerbread Sensory Bin Supplies

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The following simple supplies are in this sweet cookie-themed sensory bin:

white rice or pinto beans
gingerbread storage container
fillable gingerbread man ornament
gingerbread cookie cutters
gingerbread baker ornaments
pony beads
pom poms
feathers
buttons
gingerbread-themed erasers
gingerbread man measuring scoop
paper snack sups
measuring spoon

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The Cozy Gingerbread Sensory Bin

This gingerbread sensory bin is inspired by a soft and fluffy winter sock spotted in a cozy clothing store.

As with many of my sensory invitations, the bin to hold all the supplies is a white bus tub. It is economical to buy, transportable, and large enough for two to three little learners to explore together.

Spotted, light brown dried pinto beans are the base. The neutral-toned beans provide all the color needed for the bin’s gingerbread cookie theme.

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A gingerbread treat tin and clear, fillable gingerbread ornament with the top removed are accessories to fill using the themed measuring scoop and spoon.

A trio of gingerbread baker ornaments with hooks for hanging removed serve as cookies, and gingerbread man erasers are reimagined as additional treats.

Pink, green, red, and white beads and buttons allow cookie cutters to be decorated.

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Similarly colored pom poms, feathers, and twisted pipe cleaner bits contribute a soft feel to the bin and are additional supplies for decorating.

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Benefits of the Cozy Gingerbread Sensory Bin

Sensory bin exploration offers early learners many benefits. They include

Practice using the senses of sight, hearing, and touch to explore the contents in the bin.
Developing hand-eye coordination and strengthening hand muscles by scooping, pouring, picking up, and arranging the supplies.
Expanding vocabulary by discussing colors, textures, and actions used to investigate the supplies.
Enhancing math skills by counting and sorting supplies.
Practicing social skills such as sharing and turn-taking.
Exercising creativity and engaging in imaginative play.

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Soft-Hued Gingerbread Sensory Bins

The cozy winter sock I mentioned serving as inspiration for the sensory play was designed in a white and soft pink color scheme. I added more colors in the bin above to match the gingerbread-themed accessories. But I couldn’t resist trying a few bins with a paired down pink and white color scheme. Below is a dried bean-based bin and two rice-based bins featuring accessories with these two colors. Gingerbread man lights add ambiance to the third bin.

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Aren’t the soft pink, white, and brown gingerbread-themed sensory bins oh-so-pretty?

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Related: Gingerbread Theme Pretend Play

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More Gingerbread Theme Activities

Click on the pictures below to access more gingerbread activities.

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Gingerbread Theme Pretend Play

December 7, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Including a gingerbread theme in holiday festivities is super popular this time of year, and a large array of gingerbread-themed tableware and party supplies are available. That makes a gingerbread theme pretend play tablescape a perfect activity to introduce to early learners to help celebrate the season.

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Gingerbread Pretend Play Supplies

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Collecting supplies for gingerbread theme pretend play is easy and so much fun. Dollar stores are one of the best places to find them. The following items, many of which are gingerbread-themed were gathered for the festive baking-themed dramatic play setup.

ice cube tray
counters and erasers
flat ornaments
tins and spatula
cookie jar
cookie cutters
serving plate and cups
oven mitt and pot holder
disposable plates
artificial poinsettia sprig
metallic bead necklaces
jingle bells
large red and white pom poms
cookie pan
white tablecloth

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The Gingerbread Theme Pretend Play Tablescape

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This whimsical gingerbread theme pretend play setup inspires meaningful social interaction and loads of hands-on fun.

Non-breakable, themed ornaments such as gingerbread people, a gingerbread house, and candy canes make tasty play cookies.

Safety Tip: It is important to remove any hooks to hang the ornaments before using them as play cookies. Only ornaments with smooth surfaces and edges should be included as play food.

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Gingerbread counters and erasers make spicy candies or tiny cookies.

Cut metallic bead necklaces in gold, silver, and red are festive spaghetti noodles.

Green jingle bells are the juicy meatballs, offering a fun musical component to the dramatic play invitation.

Large red and white pom poms in colors that match the decor are additional creative loose parts to imagine with.

Gingerbread cookie cutters suggest more spicy snacks.

Festive cups and disposable plates complement the accessories.

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A gingerbread-themed ice cube tray, spatula, cookie jar, oven mitt, pot holder, serving plate, and dessert tin round out the center.

Exuding holiday charm, the gingerbread-themed supplies spice up dramatic play activities.

Would you include more supplies in the gingerbread pretend play tablescape? Share in a comment below.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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More Gingerbread Theme Activities

Click on the photos below to access the blog posts featuring more gingerbread theme activities.

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Woodland Fox Treat Holder

December 16, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This woodland fox treat holder is inspired by gingerbread man stories, which I often read to my preschoolers in December.

The interaction between the fox and the gingerbread cookie is always a highlight of each story. One of the first years we read a series of gingerbread stories, we happened to start by reading tales wherein the gingerbread cookie outsmarted the fox. When we finally read a version in which the spicy cookie did get eaten by a sly fox, one little preschooler couldn’t believe it. After a round of gingerbread man stories this year, a little learner asked “Do you think the gingerbread cookie will ever really get away?”

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At the end of our current gingerbread storybook theme, I thought it would be fun to craft a fox treat holder for each preschooler. And to have a little gingerbread cookie in it. Below are instructions to make the treat holder, and a template to download for the craft.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Woodland Fox Treat Holder Supplies

Gather the following supplies to make the whimsical fox treat holder:

rust-colored cardstock paper
cream-colored cardstock paper
light brown pipe cleaner
black pom pom
wiggly eyes
black felt pen
glue stick
glue gun
crafted gingerbread person or a gingerbread cookie
candy cane

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Making The Woodland Fox Treat Holder

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To make the woodland animal treat holder, start by cutting two fox faces from rust-colored cardstock paper. Feel free to download this fox template for the craft.

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Fox Treat Holder PrintableDownload

This printable is for individual or one classroom use only.

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Then bend the cream-colored pipe cleaner into a half circle and use a glue gun to affix it to the ears of one fox head to create a handle.

Next, glue the edges of the fox together starting just below the ears.

Afterward, cut a heart shape from the cream-colored cardstock and glue it to the second rust-colored fox head. Then draw a mouth with a black marker.

Finally, glue on a black pom pom nose just above the mouth, and add two wiggly eyes.

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Gingerbread Person and Candy Cane Favors

When the woodland fox treat holder is finished, have your little learner craft a gingerbread person to put inside. Then add a candy cane. The treat holder holds a small crafted gingerbread person and a large candy cane nicely.

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Or you could add an edible gingerbread cookie and candy cane to the treat holder.

This crafted duo also makes a cute decoration to add to a Christmas tree.

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More Gingerbread Man Activities

Melted Candy Gingerbread Ornaments

Gingerbread Sensory Bin

Gingerbread Playdough

Scissor Skill Gingerbread Man

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[Read more…]

Gingerbread Sensory Bin

December 19, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This gingerbread sensory bin is quick and easy to set up. Most of the supplies in the bin are dollar store finds, so the activity is low-cost. So why not set it up for your little learners this holiday season?

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning activities.

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Supplies To Collect

A super fun gingerbread sensory bin with a chickpea base. An economical bin with dollar store gingerbread accessories.

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The gingerbread-themed supplies gathered for the bin are:

cookie cutters
cookie tin
ice cube tray
gingerbread people ornaments and game pieces
gingerbread house and candy cane ornaments

Also in the bin are:

bell garland strips
peppermint erasers

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The Gingerbread Sensory Bin

An easy-to-put-together gingerbread sensory bin with a chickpea base. An economical bin with dollar store gingerbread accessories.

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This gingerbread-themed sensory bin has a dyed chickpea base. You can find out how to dye chickpeas in my blog post titled “Chinese New Year Sensory Play.”

Note: You can skip coloring the chickpeas and use undyed ones instead. They are the same color as gingerbread cookies!

The chickpeas are spread out in a white bus/utility tub. This size bin works well for one to three children to use at a time.

The cookie tin, ice cube tray, ornaments, garland, and erasers are from dollar stores. You would be able to find cookie cutters there too.

This sensory bin is a great follow-up activity to reading gingerbread character stories and doing songs and fingerplays about gingerbread people.

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Other Supplies For The Gingerbread Bin

There are endless supplies that work in this bin. Other supplies that could be added are:

large gingerbread cookie cutters
gingerbread people erasers
wiggly eyes
pompoms
buttons
rickrack strips
cookie jar

Whatever the supplies, this cheery gingerbread sensory bin is bound to be a huge hit with your little learners!

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Related:

Gingerbread Playdough

Scissor Skill Gingerbread Man Craft

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[Read more…]

Scissor Skill Gingerbread Man Craft

December 19, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Gingerbread man craft with scissor skill opportunities. Christmas-themed craft supplies are used to decorate the kraft paper gingerbread man.

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Gingerbread man stories and activities are definitely one of the most fun parts of Christmas. Including them in my preschool plans is an annual routine.

After reading a few fun-filled gingerbread man picture books to my preschoolers this month, I was eager to set out a scissor skill gingerbread man craft so they could explore beautiful bits and baubles and practice cutting and gluing. This activity would be easy to set up for the little learners in your life.

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Craft Materials To Collect

Gather Christmas-themed craft materials that can be cut and glued, or simply glued.

Compartment sorting tray with Christmas-themed craft supplies.

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Included in this compartment sorting tray are:

gingerbread man themed cupcake liners
striped straws
cream lace
Christmas bows
pompoms
feathers
pipe cleaners
tissue paper squares
bead garland
thick ribbon pieces

The color scheme for this scissor skill craft is red, yellow, green, gold, and cream.

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Making The Gingerbread Man Craft

Cut gingerbread people from kraft cardstock.

Gingerbread man template traced onto kraft cardstock paper, ready to be cut out.

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Or cut them from brown paper grocery bags.

Paper bag ready to be cut into gingerbread men for a collage craft.

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Use your own pattern or download this gingerbread man printable.

Gingerbread man printable for art and craft activities.

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Gingerbread Man TemplateDownload

This printable is for personal or one classroom use only.

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Ask your early learners to stick two adhesive wiggly eyes to their gingerbread person.

Adhesive wiggly eyes added to a kraft paper gingerbread man.

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Then invite them to cut shapes from the craft materials, and adhere the bits with white glue. Pompoms and bows can be glued on as is.

Invitation to cut and glue Christmas-themed craft supplies to decorate a kraft paper gingerbread man.

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Images on a gingerbread-themed tablecloth set out for the craft offer decorating inspiration.

After the gingerbread people dry, display and admire them!

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Paper gingerbread man craft. Children practice scissor skills while decorating the gingerbread man with Christmas-themed craft supplies.

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Click here for Scissor Skill Tips

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This scissor skill gingerbread man craft gives early learners a chance to create a unique gingerbread person. And the craft is sure to be treasured by children’s loved ones.

Gingerbread man decorated with Christmas-themed craft supplies.

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[Read more…]