The Gingerbread Man books are classic Christmas stories that students of all ages enjoy. Not only are the stories fun, but there are also many activities and books teachers can use to bring the Gingerbread Man to life in their classrooms. In this blog post, I will list 10 Gingerbread Man Books and some Gingerbread activities that will get you in the Christmas spirit!
Gingerbread Man Books:
The Gingerbread Boy by Richard Egielski- Let’s start with the classics. You have to read an original Gingerbread Boy story to your kids. This is one of the great gingerbread man books. It’s your traditional story with an updated urban setting.
The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett- This book is also a classic. The Gingerbread Baby runs away from so many people, but he doesn’t get eaten. He gets caught by a little boy. Read to find out how the boy catches him.
Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett- This is the sequel to The Gingerbread Baby. The Gingerbread Baby is sad because he doesn’t have any friends. He goes out looking for new friends, but can’t seem to find any. Of course, it has a happy ending.
The Gingerbread Girl by Lisa Campbell Ernst- This is one of my favorites. I love to see a powerful female character in a story. The Gingerbread Girl can’t be tricked by the fox. Find out what she does. There is also a sequel to this book.
The Gingerbread Pirates by Kristin Kladstrup- This is a great book to read around Christmas time. It even has Santa in it. The illustrations are beautiful and your kids will love them.
How to Catch a Gingerbread Man by Adam Wallace- This is a newer Gingerbread Man book that is so fun to read to your class. It gives instructions on how to catch a Gingerbread man. Your kids can even come up with more ways when they are done reading the book.
The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray- This one is a series of books. There are 5 so far and they are so much fun. The Gingerbread Man goes running around the whole school and all the kids and teachers are after him. You have to check this book out!
The Gingerbread Cowboy by Janet Squires- This is another fun book to read to your kids. It is in a desert setting and instead of a fox, there is a coyote. Such a fun version of the Gingerbread Man.
The Ninjabread Man by C. J. Leigh- All kids love ninjas. They will love the Ninjabread Man. Can he trick all the ninja animals? You’ll have to read this book to find out.
The Gingerbread Man 2: What Happened Later by Stephen Dixon- This is a great story that shows what happened after the fox ate the Gingerbread Man. It is so cleverly written and your kids will love what the fox did next.
Gingerbread Man Activities:
There are so many fun activities you can do after reading some of your favorite gingerbread man books. Here are just a few of my favorites that your kids will love.
Make Gingerbread Men Ornaments– I have done this in the classroom and the kids love it! It is a little time-consuming and messy but it is a memory they will never forget. I did it with a few kids at a time while the other kids were working on something else. Here’s the recipe for how to make them.
Create a Gingerbread House out of Recycled Materials– How much fun would it be to gather up a bunch of milk cartons, magazines, straws, pom poms, and other stuff you have stashed away in your closet. Hand it over to your kids and have them create a gingerbread house. You could even have them use their Gingerbread Man Ornaments to put in the house. This would be a great group project.
Disguise a Gingerbread Man– My kids always loved doing art activities. This is a great STEM activity for kids to do to disguise their gingerbread man. Learn more about the activity here.
Act Out the Gingerbread Man Story– Have your kids write out a script of the Gingerbread Man with several different parts. Have some of the kids design props for the story. Then have them act it out for the class or another grade level.
Write a New Ending to the Gingerbread Man Story– There are so many great stories that can come out of the Gingerbread Man. Authors have been writing new endings to the gingerbread man books for years. Why not have your kids write a new ending and see what happens to the gingerbread man if he were to escape the fox. I have a free organizer, cover, gingerbread shaped writing paper that your kids could use to write their new story. Check out this Gingerbread Man Freebie.
I also have made some fun story maps and writing activities that go along with some of my favorite Gingerbread books. I have a story map for Gingerbread Girl and Gingerbread Friends, Gingerbread Cowboy Sequencing Activity, and more writing activities. Just click on the picture below to learn more.
With these gingerbread man books and activities, you and your students will be sure to have a blast while getting into the Christmas spirit! Do you have any other favorite Gingerbread Man books or activities? Share them with us in the comments below!
If you want to learn about other books or writing activities about the Gingerbread Man, check out more here.
