Looking for gingerbread man activities that go beyond coloring? Little letter buttons, bright bows and story pictures give you plenty to work with.
These ideas include matching games, decorated cutouts and a few festive projects you can try together.
You can keep things simple or go all out with sparkle. Pick a number game for your table or let everyone design their own gingerbread character.
Gingerbread crafts and activities to try
big eyes and a pink bow
We’re starting off strong with this super cute gingerbread cutout. I love the oversized eyes and pink cheeks.
The yellow and green buttons make it even sweeter.
Try white wavy strips around the arms and legs for that icing look. Don’t forget a big bow on top!
find the numbers
If you are looking for a simple number activity, this one is for you. The gingerbread outline has numbered circles scattered across its body.
You could call out a number and have your child point to it or color its circle. Keep going until you’ve found them all.
santa hat and a snowflake
How cute is this hanging gingerbread decoration? Those pink spiral cheeks are my favorite part!
A red Santa hat sits above the smiling face, with a big white snowflake on the tummy.
For a paper version, try drawing the snowflake and adding a red dot in its center.
gingerbread girl story order
Here’s a story activity with a little twist. This sheet is for The Gingerbread Girl, with character pictures arranged around numbered spaces.
After reading the matching story, invite children to put the pictures in order. Use cards that follow your particular book rather than assuming every gingerbread tale has the same characters.
match the shapes
The mismatched eyes on this gingerbread man are so cute. There’s an oval, a triangle and a big curved smile, plus different shapes across the body.
Try a cut-and-paste activity like this one, matching each loose shape to its outline. You can name the shapes together as you go.
letters down the middle
Want to give your gingerbread character a personal touch? This large cutout has colorful letters on white round pieces down its tummy, with white lines around the edges.
Try using the letters in your child’s name as the buttons. You could lay them out separately first so your child can arrange them in order.
green lacing and a bow tie
This lacing idea may just be one of my favorites here. I love how the green cord matches the little bow tie.
The holes follow the gingerbread shape all the way around.
For your own activity, prepare the holes first and let your child thread a short cord through them with supervision.
cookies with little expressions
Not every gingerbread cookie here is smiling, haha! Some have little frowns while others wear earmuffs or red scarves.
The pink, red and white decorations look so pretty together.
For a cookie-decorating activity, try giving each gingerbread person a different expression. Keep the detailed snowflakes as inspiration if you want something more intricate.
colorful pom-pom buttons
If you’re looking for a color-matching idea, try these gingerbread cards. Each character has a row of colored button circles, with red and blue pom-poms placed on two of the cards.
Invite children to match the remaining colors. Counting each button as they cover it would be a nice extra activity.
a chain of gingerbread friends
I am obsessed with this little gingerbread chain. The tiny smiles and alternating red and blue sparkly buttons are just too cute together.
Try making a connected paper chain for your own display. Let each child decorate one character if you want to turn it into a group project.
mix-and-match decorations
Don’t want to stick to white icing details? No problem!
This gingerbread character has green waves on its arms and legs, pink cheeks and red and green decorations on its tummy.
A toppings sheet sits beside it with more colorful shapes. You could offer a few different cutouts and let children create their own combination.
follow the dashed outline
If you want a blank starting point, this one is for you. There are no buttons or facial details to work around, just a dashed gingerbread outline.
Use it for supervised cutting practice or trace the shape before decorating. Your child can choose everything from the expression to the outfit.
find the matching letter house
How sweet are these little gingerbread houses? The large uppercase letters match the lowercase letters on the gingerbread character cards beside them.
Try setting out a few houses and asking your child to find each character’s match. I especially love the green doors and striped candy canes.
torn pieces and sparkling buttons
This is one of my favorite craft ideas on the list. I love the uneven brown pieces with those big googly eyes.
The gold-colored outline and jewel-like buttons add a little sparkle.
For a similar collage, let children fill a gingerbread outline with torn brown paper. A short thank-you message underneath would turn it into a holiday gift.
put the picture back together
The giant eyes and little tongue make this gingerbread puzzle so fun. Its picture is divided into six horizontal strips numbered down the side.
You could cut along the straight lines and mix up the pieces. Then use the numbers and picture details to help put the gingerbread man back together.
gingerbread characters in disguise
Is that a gingerbread Mario next to Alice? These little disguises are so cute!
There’s also a yellow zigzag shirt, a black pointed mask and a green outfit with fairy wings.
Let children pick a character and design a disguise for a plain gingerbread cutout. Keep one recognizable detail, like a hat or cape, as the starting point.
a red and white holiday card
Bring your gingerbread craft onto a holiday card with this pretty red and white idea. I love the tiny gingerbread figure sitting over the white circle.
For your own version, layer a dotted rectangle over a larger background and add a short greeting across the front. The gingerbread decoration can stay small and simple.
two matching sides
Don’t want lots of loose decorations? No problem there!
This gingerbread outline already has a bow tie, round buttons and wavy icing details.
The vertical center line gives you a starting point for a symmetry activity. Try coloring one side first, then matching those colors on the other side.
follow the story arrows
Last but definitely not least, we have this hand-drawn gingerbread story map. The arrows connect the characters and events, with little speech bubbles along the way.
Try drawing a map together after reading your chosen version. Keep the pictures simple and invite children to retell the story as they follow each arrow.
Just a little note - some of the links on here may be affiliate links, which means I might earn a small commission if you decide to shop through them (at no extra cost to you!). I only post content which I'm truly enthusiastic about and would suggest to others.
And as you know, I seriously love seeing your takes on the looks and ideas on here - that means the world to me! If you recreate something, please share it here in the comments or feel free to send me a pic. I'm always excited to meet y'all! ✨🤍
Xoxo Giulia
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