2 Winter
Gingerbread House
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
BIGGIE Patterns With a Purpose Scholastic Teaching Resources
Gingerbread House
Winter
2
Build-a-House Party
Gingerbread Fest
Nothing spells winter fun like baking gingerbread cookies!
Here’s an easy, fun way to make your own “gingerbread” houses!
Write the dough and icing recipes below on chart paper. Encourage
children to help read the recipes, and involve them in measuring,
mixing, and decorating the baked cookies. When you’ve rolled out
and chilled the dough, cut the dough in the shape of gingerbread men
and houses. (An adult should complete this step. Use cookie cutters if
desired.) Bake and cool before
decorating with icing, sprinkles, and so
Standards
on. Then share this favorite recipe with ● Knows that materials can be
combined in different ways to
families. Make a copy of the
make something new
gingerbread house template and write
● Uses reading strategies to
the recipe on the back; then make
understand informational text,
double-sided copies to send home
such as written directions
to families.
Invite family members and other classes to join you for a festive
holiday house-building party. Create flyers and invitations with the
gingerbread house pattern. Copy the pattern and write the time, place,
and date on the door and windows. You might also use the pattern to
send home notes asking family members to donate house-building
materials for the big day (see list below). Invite children to color and
decorate the invitations. When you’ve
gathered your supplies and your guests,
Standards
let small groups team up to become
● Creates three-dimensional
structures using concrete
“architects.” Give each group a paper
materials
plate, plastic knives and spoons, and a
● Works cooperatively within a
set of house-building “treats.” Have
group to complete tasks and
groups follow the steps below.
achieve goals
ie Dough
Gingerbread Cook
Ingredients:
tter
✓ 1 cup melted bu
✓ 1 cup sugar
es
✓ 1 1/4 cups molass
✓ 2 eggs
✓ 1 teaspoon salt
ing soda
✓ 1 teaspoon bak
d cloves
un
gro
✓ 1 teaspoon
eg
tm
nu
on
spo
tea
1
✓
und ginger
✓ 1 tablespoon gro
namon
✓ 1 tablespoon cin
ur
flo
s
cup
✓ 6
,
mix together butter
1. In a large bowl,
eggs.
sugar, molasses, and
dry
wl, mix all theine
with the
2. In another bo
Comb
ingredients together.
wet mixture.
cookie
ugh on a floured
3. Roll out the do
-inch thick. Chill for
sheet, to about 1/8
1 hour.
m
shapes and place the
4. Cut out coodkie
sheet.
on a grease cookie
10 to15 minutes. Let
5. Bake at 350˚ for
cool.
House-Building Supplies
Icing
Ingredients:
✓ 2 tablespoons me
ringue powder
✓ 1 pound confec
tioners’ sugar
✓ 1 teaspoon van
illa extract
✓ 6 tablespoons wa
rm water
1. Beat all the ingred
minutes, until the ients together for 10
mixture forms stiff
peaks.
2. Fill small resealabl
icing (add food cole plastic bags with
oring if desired).
3. Cut off one cor
ner of each icing bag
To decorate your coo
.
kies, just squeeze!
✓
paper plates
✓
gumdrops
✓
plastic knives
✓
licorice
✓
plastic spoons
✓
bite-size cookies (variety of shapes)
✓
graham crackers
✓
✓
canned frosting
round colored candies (such as chocolates
or fruit chews)
✓
tubed decorative icing (variety of colors)
✓
jelly beans
House-Building Directions
1. Use a paper plate as a base for your house. Spread frosting lines on the plate to make a square.
2. Place a graham cracker on each line to make the walls of your house frame. Spread more frosting
to stick the edges of your walls together.
3. Pipe a line of frosting on the top of each graham cracker wall. Place more crackers on top to
make your roof.
4. Wait for your house frame to “set.” Sing a song or read a story!
5. Decorate by using the frosting or tubes of icing to stick on candies and cookies. Use the licorice
to form window or door shapes.
6. Share your house with the group!
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
BIGGIE Patterns With a Purpose Scholastic Teaching Resources