Effective Preschool Art Activities
Gingerbread Men Activities

The gingerbread men preschool art activities will presents the preschool children with fun activities, which will be enjoyed by all!

The teacher should read or tell the story of the gingerbread boy, before any of the art activities are initiated!

During the gingerbread boy activities, the preschoolers will stimulate and develop their fine motor -, and their eye-hand-co-ordination skills.

This simple, but fun activity will develop their confidence when creating their own gingerbread boy!
Activity 1:

Materials needed for the Activity:

1. Gingerbread Boy Book
2. Colored Cardboard.
3. Black Marker Pen.
4. Gingerbread Boy Template.
5. Scissors.
7. Materials for Decoration.
8. Triangular Shaped Profile Pencils. (Ideal for improving the preschooler's grip.)

Procedure:

• The children will trace the gingerbread boy on their colored cardboard, using their triangular shaped pencils.
• They should outline the gingerbread boy shape, using the black marker pen.
• The children will next cut out the gingerbread boy.



• They should decorate their gingerbread boys with colored buttons down the front, and beads for the eyes, red for the lips.
• They could choose to color their gingerbread boys.
• The children will be encourage to explore their creativity, and then display their cardboard gingerbread boys!

Play Dough Gingerbread Men:

The preschool children will develop and stimulate their fine motor skills as well as explore their creativity during the activity!

Materials needed for the Activity:

1. Storybook with Colorful Pictures of the Gingerbread Boy.
2. Play Dough.
3. Materials for Decorations.(Beads for Eyes, Buttons for Jacket.)
4. Colored Paint and Paintbrushes.

Procedure:

• The children will start the activity by preparing their play dough. They will knead, roll, and play with the dough!
• The could start molding their gingerbread men copying the image of the gingerbread boy in the pictures, in the storybook.
• They should place their gingerbread men in a safe warm place, and wait for them to dry, or become hard.



• The children should use their materials to decorate the gingerbread men!
• They should choose to paint, or not, their gingerbread men.
• The colorful gingerbread men can be displayed on a display table!

Preschool Play Dough Recipe: (Cooked)

Ingredients:

1. 500 ml Cake Flour.
2. 30 ml Creme of Tartar.
3. 200 ml Salt.
4. 500 ml Water.
5. 30 ml Cooking Oil.
6. 2,5 ml Vanilla Essence.
7. 5 ml Vegetable Coloring. (Optional, or Paint and Paint brushes.)

Method:

• Mix all the dry ingredients together in a saucepan.
• Then little by little, add the water, cooking oil, vanilla essence, and vegetable coloring.
• Add all to the dry ingredients.
• Stir in slowly over a hot plate, until the mixture forms a stiff ball by stirring it with a wooden spoon.
• Switch the plate off, and continue stirring until all the moisture has disappeared.



• Let it cool a little.
• Knead the dough for at least two minutes.
• Store the soft dough in a air tight container. (It can last for at least three months, if stored like this.)