Easy Gingerbread Cookie Recipe for Kids

Easy Gingerbread Cookie Recipe for Kids

Gingerbread cookies are a classic Christmas treat that are delicious and perfect for decorating with kids! Baking and decorating gingerbread cookies is a great holiday tradition that teaches young children important skills in math, science, and literacy. This recipe is easy to follow which makes it great for your little baker! ​

Ingredients:

​This fun activity is one of 200 hands on preschool activities featured in our Pre-K Play Ideas eBook! Purchase our eBook to have all of these activity pages at your fingertips.

Baking gingerbread cookies might be a staple in your holiday traditions or maybe it’s your first time! Either way, there are so many fun and exciting things to do with gingerbread, turn it into a whole theme!
As you gather the ingredients take the opportunity to discuss them. This is a great time to ask questions. “What do you think this ingredient is used for?” “Have you seen this one before?” “What do you think of the smell?” 

For the cookies:
1 box of gingerbread cake mix and 1 egg and 1 ¼ cup of water per package
Sprinkles 
White frosting
Piping bag
Sprinkles for buttons 
Gingerbread person cookie cutter

Directions:

​Start by preheating the oven to 425 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (makes for perfectly cooked gingerbread and an easy clean up).  

​Follow instructions on packaging to mix the gingerbread batter. Mixing is a great step  to have your preschooler assist you with. Ask them if the batter is easy or hard to stir (throw in the 50-cent word "consistency"), and remind them about the importance of slowly mixing. Bonus, it's great for working on those fine motor skills! 

Pour the batter onto the lined baking sheet. It's helpful to tap the baking sheet onto the counter to make sure your batter is evenly spread. Ask your preschooler questions about the unfinished cookie, what do they think will happen after the big cookie is in the oven. 

​Once all the batter is poured onto the sheet,  bake for 20-25 minutes.

While the cookie is in the oven, fill a piping bag with white frosting and  cut the tip close to the end to allow for a thin line of frosting to be piped.

​Once the large cookie is cooled completely, use the cookie cutters to cut out your gingerbread people. This is a great time to demonstrate how to use the cookie cutter and then give your preschooler a chance to try. 

​With the piping bag,  pipe on the eyes, nose, and mouth. Then create designs at the arms and legs. Pipe on three dots for the buttons and place sprinkles on top. This might be a tougher job for your preschooler but with a bit of help this is a great task for them to assist with. 

Continue this step until all of your gingerbread cookies have been frosted and decorated. Decorating gingerbread cookies allows your preschooler to use creativity while decorating. 

​There is no correct way to design a gingerbread cookie, let your preschooler’s imagination run wild as they decorate their own cookie. And, my favorite part- eat enjoy!

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​Buy the eBook!

Save time planning your hands on preschool activities! Find detailed directions for this activity + 199 more in our Pre-K Play Ideas eBook! Print each activity page, or access them digitally!

More Gingerbread Theme Preschool Learning Ideas

Gingerbread and Sweet Treats Theme Planning Page
Bakery Dramatic Play
Gingerbread Man Storybook Theater

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