The holiday season is magical, especially for children. Here are some activities you can do with your child to set a festive mood.
Gingerbread Man Scavenger Hunt
Collect items to decorate a plain paper gingerbread man (a scalable gingerbread man template is provided below). Make a list of items to decorate him with in words or pictures:
- Crayons
- Buttons
- Glue
- Markers
- Construction Paper
- Rick Rack
- Sequins
- Scissors
Hide the items on your list around the house. Give your child the list and tell him to go hunting.
When he has all the items, it is time to decorate your gingerbread man. Encourage him to be creative: buttons for eyes, rick rack trim, colored construction paper and sequin decorations, markers and crayons to add color. Make several and see how many variations your child can produce.
When your child is through creating, it’s time for scavenger hunt number two.
- Hide the decorated men around the house. Have your child search for each. Help him out by using “hot” and “cold” directions.
- Keep the fun going by hiding the gingerbread men while your child is sleeping. He’ll be excited to get out of bed when he sees he has gingerbread men to find.
- Add numbers to each finished gingerbread man. When your child has found all of them, sort them in numerical order. This is a sneaky way to fit in math in a fun way.
Top off your Gingerbread Man Scavenger hunt by reading together. The story of the Gingerbread Man is a classic. Over the years, many books have been published that spin the tale in new and creative ways. Here a just a few. Ask your librarian for help finding the right version for your little one.
