The holidays are quickly approaching. As a teacher, you’re simultaneously looking forward to a break but dreading the weeks leading up to your blessed freedom. The days leading up to holidays are notoriously difficult instructional days. Kids are antsy, hyped up on sweet treats and struggling to focus. You could pop on a movie and count down the minutes until winter break, but what if there was a way to sneak a little bit of quality instruction into your holiday fun?
It’s easier than you might think. And it all comes down to gingerbread.
Whether you’re using edible goodies or simply creating paper versions of holiday classics, Gingerbread STEM activities provide some great ways to engage your students and sneak in a few lessons without the kids even realizing what you’re doing.
Activity 1: Gingerbread Houses
Supplies Needed: Graham crackers, royal icing, various candies such as M&Ms, gumdrops and candy canes, plastic sandwich baggies, paper plates, toothpicks
STEM Skills: Engineering
This one is a favorite among gingerbread activities for kids. Why? Because it’s so fun that you forget it’s educational too! Task your students with the job of designing and then building their own houses. Let them figure out how many walls they’ll need, how to keep the roof in place, and what candies will work best for doors, windows and other decor.
Once they have a plan, then it’s time for your students to get to work gluing walls and the roof together. It may be tempting to offer your two cents but refrain from giving more input than they ask for. The point here is to allow your students to practice planning and designing a structure.
You can even hold a gingerbread house judging contest among your students and give out awards for the most colorful house, the most creative design and the house you’d most like to live in.
Teacher’s Note: If you’re going to make royal icing, you can use the traditional recipe. Also, it’s a good idea to stock up on more edibles than you think you’ll need. Plan on your students sneaking several tastes during construction.
Activity 2: Gingerbread Men
Supplies Needed:
STEM Skills: Engineering, Science
This activity can be as simple or complex as you want it to be. Of course, you can bake real gingerbread men, but many teachers may prefer to have students create paper gingerbread men. Besides keeping things clean, these paper alternatives last longer, so you can plan more activities with them.
These STEM activities are informative and engaging. They challenge students to create adventures for their gingerbread man, helping him to overcome obstacles and meet challenges. STEM principles come into play by creating scenarios and solutions by building things and problem-solving.
Once you’ve created and decorated a gingerbread man, then assign your students tasks to perform on behalf of their “man.” This can include using blocks to build bridges for their gingerbread man to cross or a catapult to get them over a pretend gorge. Crafting adventures for their gingerbread man will allow your students to explore the principles of physics and engineering as they construct adventures.
Teacher’s Note: If you opt for paper gingerbread men, you can take this project a step further by having students take their gingerbread men on adventures at home. Have them take pictures of their adventures and creations. Students will enjoy sharing their adventures with their friends and comparing notes on all the things they built along the way.
Activity 3: Gumdrop Christmas Trees
Supplies Needed: Gumdrops, toothpicks or wooden skewers
STEM Skills: Engineering
Although these trees don’t technically use gingerbread, they’re a great way to incorporate STEM skills into your pre-holiday lesson plans. The point here is for the students to work in small groups to figure out how to use the toothpicks and gumdrops to create a Christmas tree, wreath or another traditional holiday item.
If your students are old enough, consider holding a classwide contest to vote for the “Best Tree,” “Best Wreath,” and “Most Spirited” design.
Teacher’s Note: Make sure to provide gumdrops in a variety of seasonal colors, including red, green, yellow, white and blue.
Activity 4: Coding With Gingerbread Men
Supplies Needed: Grade-level appropriate coding sheets, dry erase pockets and markers, erasers
STEM Skills: Technology
Even elementary school-aged students can follow simple coding activities because, at their age, it’s simply learning to dictate and outline a series of instructions. Using the commands “Up,” Down,” “Left,” and “Right,” have students write out a plan — code — for safely getting their gingerbread man from Point A to Point B. If you want to incorporate non-STEM skills into this, have them create a story about their gingerbread man escaping an evil villain or getting lost heading for home.
Teacher’s Note: Even though this is technically “coding,” you don’t need computer access for this activity. Check with your school’s technology coordinator or go online for coding worksheets that you can use for this activity.
Activity 5: Gingerbread Ornaments
Supplies Needed: Water, salt, flour, cinnamon, ginger, acrylic paint, paintbrushes, thin ribbon or string, cookie sheet, rolling pin
STEM Skills: Science
This is a great option for incorporating gingerbread and science activities. Making these ornaments is a great way to teach your students about the science behind baking — how different ingredients react when combined, what the heat of baking does to them and more. If you don’t have access to an oven at your school, you can have your students create the dough, roll out their ornaments and then take them home to bake. Once they’re baked, you can bring them to school for your students to paint.
Teacher’s Note: These aren’t edible, but if you leave the backs unpainted, they’ll give off a fantastic cinnamon aroma.
Gingerbread, STEM and School
Just because the holidays are looming doesn’t mean learning has to stop. Set your students up for a successful transition into winter break by providing them with fun, educational activities.
Engaging students in fun and meaningful learning activities should be a year-round goal for teachers and parents alike. Since 1999, Science Explorers has been providing high-quality educational camps and clubs for students of all ages and interests. We serve thousands of students throughout Deleware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and our goal is to make science fun. After all, the best way to learn and remember facts is to have fun while you’re doing it.
Our after-school STEM clubs are a great way to engage students in the fun of learning. These interactive programs feature topics and activities in the areas of biology, physics, coding, anatomy and more. Find a club near you or learn more about starting Science Explorers in your area.