Gingerbread Science for Preschool, Pre-k, and Kindergarten

Gingerbread is the perfect theme to do during the holiday season or Christmas season! It is fun, festive, and sure to keep your student’s attention! There are so many hands-on gingerbread science activities for preschool, pre-k, and kindergarten students. Keep reading for gingerbread man experiment ideas and a gingerbread man theme FREEBIE!

Grab the complete Gingerbread Science Unit, the Gingerbread Math & Literacy Centers, and the Gingerbread Book Comparison Pack for everything you need for the whole month!

Gingerbread Science Unit

5 Senses Experiment! Start off the gingerbread science unit by doing a 5 senses experiment during circle time! I teach a 5 senses science unit at the beginning with the year so my students are already familiar with their 5 senses. This allows me to go more in-depth during this winter theme. Grab some gingerbread cookies and have a taste test to start the unit. This is one of my favorite gingerbread activities.  

Science Read Aloud! Use this printable gingerbread 5 senses book for a science read aloud. Students can hear the rich vocabulary while enjoying the bright, simple pictures. It is the perfect addition to your gingerbread theme ideas. 

Setting Up the Science Table! Create an inviting science table that will draw your students in and engage them in learning activities. To make your table like this you will need the printables, smell containers (salt and pepper shakers), listening containers (small red containers), a gingerbread sensory bin (made with pinto beans), and writing utensils.

Hearing Experiment! A great way to explore the sense of hearing is to make listening containers. These are the little red containers in the photo. They are filled with the objects on the mat, and students shake them and try to guess what is inside. Kids of all ages will love this fun idea to practice listening. 

Listening Containers! The listening containers are made from a little container I found at the dollar store. I placed the objects inside. I put red tape around the outside so students couldn’t plainly see what was inside. To check their guess, students can look through the bottom.

Smell Experiment! To investigate the sense of smell, I made smell jars and a guessing game. Students smell the jars and guess what is inside. They can sort the smells, too, on a yummy/yucky board. Little learners will have a great time with these smelly science experiments. This is part of the Gingerbread 5 Senses Science Unit if you have it.

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Touch Experiment! Explore the sense of touch with this gingerbread science activity guessing game. Young kids place their hands in the bags and guess what is inside. This is a fun Christmas science experiment.

Sight Experiment! Put the makings of a gingerbread man in a sensory bin and give students a eyesight hunting game. They search through the sensory bin to find the objects to complete their gingerbread man. I have ribbon, buttons, candy cakes, eyes, bows, pom poms, and a gingerbread man cookie cutter in my sensory bin.  I love simple science activities that can give little learners a chance to improve problem-solving skills, critical thinking skills, and science concepts. 

Gingerbread 5 Senses Tubs! If your science table isn’t that big, create science tubs that can be placed on a shelf. I love making science tubs because if students are very interested in a topic, I can leave the tub out but change the science table for the next theme.

Gingerbread 5 Senses Book! Have students create their own gingerbread 5 senses book. Short books are great for teaching basic book handling skills, moving left to right and top to bottom, along with picking up on sight words or vocabulary words.

Dough Versus Cookie! To complete my gingerbread man science experiment, I like to have a dough versus cookie senses experiment. Students can use all their senses to complete this activity and they will have so much fun!

Sandpaper & Cinnamon Letter Writing! Give students an opportunity to practice writing letters but while using their senses! Write letters on pieces of sandpaper and use cinnamon sticks to trace them. Students get a smell, touch, sound, and sight sensory input. This is a great way to make learning fun while developing fine motor skills. 

Now that you have seen all the fun things you can do with a preschool gingerbread theme in the science center, I know you will want to do one in your classroom! Grab your lesson plans and the printables below to get started, and be sure to tag me on social media so I can see all the gingerbread fun! These ideas would work great for preschool through first grade students.

Take the theme all over the classroom with more gingerbread unit resources for little learners!

Grab this book comparison pack for reading different versions of the gingerbread man story to your young children. 

Check out this post for math, literacy, STEM activities and more gingerbread science ideas for a gingerbread week or month! There are even gingerbread man crafts that are easy to implement for preschool teachers. 

See how I make a milk carton gingerbread house here.

Watch this video for ideas on the gingerbread friends visiting the classroom!

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