Thanks to everyone for the tips on Gingerbread House making and the glass ornament idea. I'm sure we'll have a fun event. We are planning to call it the Holiday Breakfast, Basket and Book bazaar. We'll have pancake breakfast with Santa and the Mrs. served by student council reps, and our baskets prepared by each classroom (over 80!)for raffle along with many childrens books signed by the authors. Our chorus will perform Christmas Carols during the breakfast and crafters and consultants will be lined up in our gym. We are even hoping to do a parent Scholastic book sale in our library. We just need to find some space for the family craft project. Thanks again.
I did this last year with kindergarteners and am currently planning it with my pre-k'ers. I do all the same as above, except i don't use royal icing. I use the regular walmart icing in the little plastic tubs. It works well and dries prertty fast. I get different colors of icing, so they pick their color and when they are off to specials, I make the houses. By the time they get back, they are dry (about 20-30 minutes). For decorations, we use all kinds of candy (tootsie rolls are a little heavy though) and also sprinkles, and cookie decorations. I've even done pretzel fences. I put a little bit of icing in a icing bag for each child, so they can glue their own decorations. it is messy but loads of fun!!!
For christmas wreaths withpre-k and K, we cut a bell pepper across, and clean out the seeds, then dip it in green paint. The kids put it around the edges of a paper plate. They can then put red dots in the center for berries. I go back and cut the center out and attach a pretty ribbon. I have even put their picture in the middle. The kids love this too!
Did you say "mini-gingerbread houses out of graham crackers?" That's my specialty! Not really...but it has become quite the tradition for me. I make mini-houses every year for my two boys classes for their holiday party. My oldest is now in 6th grade and we've done this since preK. It's a little work up front...but the results are so worth it.
I make the houses ahead of time and bring them to school. I send a note home with the kids to bring different candy (the best are star burst, skittles, kisses, mini candy canes, tootsie rolls, mini marshmallows and mini shredded wheat cereal). I divide these up into muffin tins - so each table of kids get a muffin tin of candy. Using royal icing, I "glue" the mini house onto a paper plate. I bring several big bags of royal icing in an icing decorator bag with a round tip. I give each mom there helping a bag of icing. We go around and outline the houses with icing and the kids stick on the candy. If your icing is right, the candy dries hard enough in about 30 minutes (you have to work fast with this icing or the candy won't stick within about 5-10 minutes). We only outline parts of the house at a time. By the time the party is over, the kids can easily take these home without too much damage. And the kids love this!! This is something most kids don't make so it's really special.
I love making real gingerbread houses, too. Our family designs a house each Christmas break and make one together. We save Halloween candy (cause they get way too much!) and use it for our Gingerbread house. It's easy to stick a bag of it in the freezer and pull it out a day before you decorate the gingerbread house. The kids pick off the candy all through Christmas. And I love having the big house we make together and the two smaller houses they made in school as our breakfast table centerpiece.
Also...Oriental Trading also sells a foam gingerbread house craft kit. This could be really fun to make at a craft party.
Oh well..I kind of went on and on. Sorry about that. I think you have a great idea!!
Hi - I'm looking for any insight that anyone may have on these activities or others. We are considering buying wreaths and decorating them as a family activity at our pancake breakfast/basket raffle. Does anyone have experience with this? We are also toying with the "make your own mini-gingerbread house" idea using graham crackers and icing (dry time may be an issue). Anything that is a family craft project that folks can work on together and take home. All ideas appreciated! Thanks.
