This holiday season, bring a little Thinkery magic into your kitchen with a hands-on gingerbread activity the whole family will love! Whether you’re using a Thinkery Gingerbread Kit or baking and decorating with supplies from home, this STEAM-filled activity invites children to explore creativity, design, engineering, and a whole lot of sweet and joyful learning.
From festive sweaters to silly faces, there are endless ways for little makers to build and decorate their own sugary masterpieces!
At Home Baker Activity
Use a Thinkery Gingerbread Kit, bake your own gingerbread people, or decorate with any kit you have at home!
Tools
- Scissors (for cutting piping bags)
- Small knife or spatula (for spreading icing)
- Optional: squeeze bottles, toothpicks, or spoons for adding detail
Materials
- Gingerbread people
- Icing (piping bags or homemade icing)
- Assorted candy or sprinkles
- Optional: cardboard or a paper plate as a “building base”
Steps
1. Plan Your Design!
- What will your gingerbread creation look like?
- Encourage kids to sketch their ideas; it’s a fun way to bring art and design into the process!
2. Prep Your Icing
- Use scissors to snip the tip of your icing bag.
- A small cut creates thin lines for details. A larger cut creates thicker lines for outlines or gluing candy.
- Press gently from the top so the icing flows smoothly.
3. Decorate
- The fun part! Use icing to add patterns, faces, buttons, or clothing to gingerbread people, and attach candy, sprinkles, and other details.
- Encourage kids to experiment with patterns, symmetry, shapes, or repeating colors.
4. Show It Off
Let your gingerbread creation dry for a few minutes, then display it as part of your holiday décor – or dig in right away!
Whether you’re decorating at home with a Thinkery Gingerbread Kit or creating your own sweet setup, this festive activity is a perfect way to spark creativity, create family traditions, and explore a little STEAM learning together. Get ready to design, decorate, and sprinkle your way into the holiday spirit!
