Run! Run, as fast as you can! . . . straight to the printer for a classroom set of our gingerbread man printable book! Your students will love this new twist on a childhood favorite. It’s a great activity to include in a gingerbread man theme for your class this winter.
You can grab your copy at the very bottom of this post.
Are you following my preschool printable Pinterest board?
If you’ve kept up with Fun-A-Day over the years, then you may already know that I’m a fan of making books with the kids. Some of the books we make are simple printable readers. Others incorporate original student art, coloring, or fill-in-the-blanks.
The gingerbread man printable books just happen to include illustrations for the children to color. Not only do the kids get to illustrate their own book, but they get to practice so many early literacy skills, too!
Gingerbread Man Printable Book
The kids are going to love this unique take on The Gingerbread Man. They’ve likely heard the folktale over the years, but maybe they haven’t gotten to actively engage in telling the story themselves. This printable book gives them the opportunity to do just that!
Related: Gingerbread Butter Slime with Model Magic
Materials for the Gingerbread Man Emergent Reader
Making books with children is surprisingly simple! You will only need a few materials to help your little illustrators get started.
- Gingerbread Man printable book (get your copy at the end of this post)
- Printer
- Stapler
- Crayons
- Popsicle sticks
The materials listed above are what we used. You can put your book together in several different ways! Here are some other options:
Assembling the Gingerbread Man Mini Book
Now, let’s put together the gingerbread man book! It’s super simple. Check out the video below.
First and foremost, click on the link at the bottom of this post to get your copy of The Gingerbread Man printable book. Make sure to print a copy for each student in your class, as well as yourself. Be sure to follow the downloading and printing directions at the bottom of this post.
I have also included some small gingerbread man cards in the printable. You can print one copy of these, or a classroom set for the students to use individually. I decided to glue them to popsicle sticks to use as reading pointers.
Once your documents are printed and ready to go, fold each page along the center line. You can do this yourself or let the kids practice on their own. Then help the kids put the pages in order. I would suggest reading the story with the kids and holding up the sequencing cards as you go.
Next, bind the pages. Do this by neatly stacking the pages in order and then stapling along the left side of the book. Alternatively, you can punch a few holes in the pages and use some small binder rings or ribbon to bind the pages together. Either way, you’ll want to do so on the left side.
Finally, let the students color the pictures. I like to show the kids a sample of a completed work. But that doesn’t mean they have to copy mine or use realistic colors for this specific book. Let them use their creativity!
And that’s it! Now, your students each have a beautiful copy of The Gingerbread Man to keep!
Using the Book with Your Students
I’m a huge proponent of getting the most out of all of our learning materials. And I’m happy to report that the gingerbread man printable book can be used in several different ways! I think it’s great to use one item or set of items to teach more than one thing – especially if it’s something that the kids enjoy.
The most obvious use of the printable folktale is to assemble the book, color it, and then read it. When you’re reading with the students, let them point out letters and words they may know within the text. It is also always fun to have themed props like puppets or small toys on-hand to use while reading. Visuals and pictures are always helpful aids when helping students learn to read.
A lot of young children love to read the same story over and over. And if you’re basing your lesson plans around a gingerbread man theme, I think it’s certainly okay to read this printable book several times over. I would suggest, first, reading the story aloud to the children. Then let a small group sit with you and look ar the book with you as you read and follow the words with your finger. Finally, once they’re comfortable with that, let the kids tell you the story.
Let the preschoolers teach you by telling you a story for a change!
Child-Led Story-Telling
Another great way to use the printable books in the classroom is to have the students work together to tell the story. That may include anything from asking the students what they think will happen next to letting the kids tell the story all on their own. When we let the students tell stories in their own ways, it gives them extra confidence in their abilities!
You can cut the pages apart and make your own sequencing cards with them! Pass the cards out to individual students and then have them arrange themselves at the front of the classroom from left to right in the correct order. Then have the remaining students check their work!
Another way to use the books is to have the students use puppets or masks to act out the plot of The Gingerbread Man. The kids will have an absolute blast with that. Make sure you let them take turns being the gingerbread man!
You can even set up a gingerbread man dramatic play activity for the kids! The kids can use the printable book as a guide for their pretend play.
If the Gingerbread Man printable book interests you, test out the Gingerbread Man book making activity with your students. This one is a little more intricate and time-consuming as each page is hand made, using a variety of materials and art techniques!
More Gingerbread Man Activities
Looking for even more gingerbread man activities? Look no further! Check out the super fun gingerbread man activities below from some other amazing blog sites.
Gingerbread man sensory bags | Gift of Curiosity
Gingerbread Man Holiday Sticker Match-Up | Days with Grey
Printable Gingerbread Man Scavenger Hunt | Sunny Day Family
Scented Sandpaper Gingerbread Ornaments for Preschoolers | Happy Hooligans
Scented Gingerbread Man Art | Fun at Home with Kids
Which activity are you going to try with your students? How will you use The Gingerbread Man printable book in your classroom? Make sure to let us know all of your gingerbread man plans in the comments below!
Gingerbread Man Lesson Plans
Does it ever seem like you and your preschool class are treading water, doing the same predictable routine week after week? Well, I have certainly fallen into a lesson-planning rut in the past. If you’ve ever felt the same, let Preschool Teacher 101 help you spice things up! We have tons of full and comprehensive lesson plans, activity packs, and our very own song series to help save you time this school year.
Most of our products have a particular theme in mind. If you like The Gingerbread Man printable book, you will absolutely love our gingerbread man lesson plans, song pack, and book set! Click on the images below to learn more about each product.
Don’t forget to sign up for The Pack waiting list for even more savings!
Free Gingerbread Man Printable Book
If you’re a member of Fun-A-Day’s free email community, you can grab the gingerbread man reader via the form below. Just add your email address and the download links will be sent to your inbox!
If you’re not a member, no worries. You can add your information to the form below to join us. Then you’ll receive access to the printable as a welcome gift.
You can also access the printable in a new tab if you’d prefer.
I hope you and your students enjoy using the printable book!
The post Gingerbread Man Printable Book for Preschoolers appeared first on Fun-A-Day!.