Valentine’s Day Gingerbread Cookies

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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?”

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Follow me on Pinterest for more ideas.

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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.

Decorated gingerbread Valentine's Day cookies.

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The preschoolers relished decorating a Valentine’s Day gingerbread cookie. And your early learners would love it too.

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Supplies 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

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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.

Heart and sprinkle decorations to decorate a Valentine's Day cookie.

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Set up a cookie decorating station for each child with candy decorations, a cookie, and a knife or tiny spatula.

Gingerbread cookie decorating station with Valentine's Day-themed decorations.

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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.

Gingerbread cookies decorated with hearts and candy sprinkles.

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Our undecorated cookies were store-bought. If you have time to bake the treats, try a tangy gingerbread cookie recipe. The recipe is adapted from George Washington’s mother Mary Ball Washington‘s version.

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