December usually means a whole bunch of craziness in the classroom. Usually.
In order to keep my whole month from feeling like this...
I like to keep as much routine as possible and add just a dose of magic. It's a winning combination.
What's the right amount of magic you say?
It's what I have lovingly called Gingerbread Adventures and it has become the BEST kindergarten Christmas tradition EVER.
Okay, so picture doing a book study and immersing your students into it - only to encounter an enormous problem that they have to read other books to help come up with solutions.
And they can't get enough, and they talk about it all the time and they want to engage the whole school in it.
Yep - that's exactly what happens.
I take the two weeks right before Christmas and we read the classic story - The Gingerbread Man.
"Wouldn't it be fun to make our own gingerbread man?" {they agree}
"Let's do it!" {they are pumped}
Everything is super "normal" and all is dandy until someone opens the oven door and they escape.
What ensues is up to two weeks of reading, writing, plotting and scheming during our normal reading and writing whole group class times.
It all seems very spontaneous and magical but it's so masterfully planned by you that you can totally rock this look instead...
If you want the entire schedule, all of the printable resources and the low down on how to make this magic in your classroom - then you want to get your hands on the Gingerbread Adventures.
But, don't just take my word on how magical it is.
This is the third year my teammate and I have been using this unit and we LOVE it! It is amazing to see the innocence and imagination come out of the kids and it is so fun they don't even notice all of the literacy elements discreetly built in! Thank you for creating this and sharing it!" - Megan
OMG! I used this packet in December and my students LOVED it! It was hard for me to keep a straight face as we traveled around the school looking for our gingerbread friends that had run away... Can you tell I LOVED this unit? ” – tomrsj
I couldn't just do it for one year.
I was hooked on the whole experience.
Now I've now been at my building long enough that all of the grade levels are excited to watch the new kinders experience it too, having gone through it themselves.
It engages the whole school on some level which is way cool.
I mean, what else does that in today's school system?
If you're ready to start, grab the book The Gingerbread Man by Karen Schmidt (or another basic version) and then scour your library for alternate versions.
I'll tell you everything else you need to know in the Gingerbread Adventures unit.
Be ready to:
- decorate gingerbread cookies
- search the classroom for clues
- read emergent readers
- read different versions of the story to gather ideas
- create a class book
- create a class letter
- visit classrooms
- create lost posters
- create a "trap" aka gingerbread house
- capture gingerbread cookies
Get the Gingerbread Adventures Unit
Ready to take your students on an epic adventure of learning? It'll be the best kindergarten Christmas tradition ever.
If you like what I do here on KindergartenWorks, then be sure to subscribe today. I look forward to sharing ideas with you weekly.
More Christmas
- The Real 12 Days of Christmas – Holiday Kindergarten Activity {printable}
- Christmas Teen Numbers Card Game {Printable}
- 7 Winter Gear Tips That Will Save Your Sanity
- Easy Christmas Gift Wrap for Kindergartners
Laura says
Hi Leslie, I teach kindergarten at a private school that enrols foreign children, in China. I have just stumbled across your blog and am super excited to try a TON of your ideas. Only one problem... I can't access a bunch of the links you provide because China has a firewall up and it blocks so many links. Most importantly the link that allows me to subscribe to your site.... any advice? Laura
[email protected]
Leslie @KindergartenWorks says
Hi Laura,
My mom lived in Shanghai for a couple of years, let me see if she learned any ways around the issue of subscribing to blogs while she was there. Thanks for sharing your excitement!
- Leslie
Jamie Sullivan Williams says
I do a similar unit with a Leprechaun - I buy a real Shamrock plant and tell the kids I have a leprechaun friend and if we are quiet we might catch him... he leaves green "painted" foot prints all over the room throughout the week making messes, we lay traps for him etc and eventually I wrestle him down when they are at recess at the end of the week, and they tell him their wishes into the bag and he hands them a golden wishing coin, the older kids still show me their coins and can't wait each year to see what happens. We also write stroies about him...
Leslie @KindergartenWorks says
That sounds like so much fun! Thanks for sharing your tips Jamie. I like the idea of the wishing coin!
- Leslie