Materials
The Gingerbread Man, any version
1/4 cup (60 m
L) butter
1/2 cup (125 m
L) sugar
1/2 cup (125 m
L) molasses
2 large bowls
Spoon
Sifter
31/2 cup (875 m
L) flour
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 m
L) salt
1 teaspoon (5 m
L) baking soda
1/4 teaspoon (1 m
L) cloves
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 m
L) cinnamon
1 teaspoon (5 m
L) ginger
5 teaspoons (25 m
L) water
Cookie cutters, shaped like gingerbread
men and women
Dried currants, raisins, and store-bought
cookie decorations
Cookie sheets
Oven
Instructions
1. Read The Gingerbread Man to the children and
tell them that they are going to make their own
gingerbread people.
2. Invite the children to help you prepare the cookie
dough. Blend the butter, sugar, and molasses in
a large bowl. Sift the flour, salt, soda, and spices
together in another bowl.
3. Add the flour mixture alternately with the water
to the butter/sugar mixture. Knead until smooth.
4. Give the children lumps of dough, and let them
press them with the heel of their hands until
they are about 1/4" (6 mm) thick.
5. Give them the cookie cutters and let them cut
out the cookies.
6. Let the children decorate the cookies with currants,
raisins, and store-bought cookie decorations.
7. Lay them on a cookie sheet and bake them at
350 degree F (180 degree C) for 10 minutes, until lightly
browned.
More to do
Games: Go on a hunt for the Gingerbread Man.
Read clues to the children that were supposedly
left by the Gingerbread Man, leading from one
place in the school to another. They might say, for
example, "Run, run as fast as you can. You can't
catch me. I'm the Gingerbread Man. Look near the
slide
Language: Read The Gingerbread Man to the children
and have them act out the story.
