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Instead of 'Run, run, as fast as you can.....,'' your preschooler will "stuff, stuff as fast as they can." lol.
I couldn't resist a cheesy line there! But this gingerbread man craft sure is a hoot! In the end, your preschooler will have his/her own Jumbo Stuffed Gingerbread Man. Now if only it were edible ; ) Right?!
Gingerbread Man Craft Preschoolers Will Love
Although I am specifically calling out preschoolers for this gingerbread craft, I think kids of all ages would like to jump in and make one themselves and/or help you set up the activity for the little to make. There is a bit of prep work involved, so perhaps reward any helpers with a real gingerbread cookie ; )
But I am also tagging this as a preschool craft because of all the fine motor skills that are involved in making this gingerbread man. There's the use of a hole punch, threading yarn, stickers, and more!
Supplies:
- large brown paper grocery bag (or use brown wrapping paper
)
- hole punch
- white yarn
- dot stickers
- scissors
- black sharpie marker
- paper clips
(optional)
- stuffing material
- glitter glue
(optional)
Make a stuffed gingerbread craft
From a paper grocery bag, draw out a gingerbread man outline with a pencil or google a gingerbread man template.
With scissors, cut the outline out.
If your paper bag has writing on the front, turn the outlines around so that the gingerbread man body is all brown. Alternatively, you can cut the paper bag into two pieces, flip them over, trace the shape, and then cut. Sometimes I make things harder than they need to be!
** As noted in our supply list, another option is to trace and cut the gingerbread man's body from brown wrapping paper
. The large roll can then be used for wrapping paper!
Next, we decorated our gingerbread man with dot stickers and added eyes and a smile with a sharpie marker.
To keep the two outlines together, I placed paper clips around the gingerbread man. This helped with the next step... using a hole punch!

With a hole punch, start at the top and work your way punch holes around the gingerbread craft outline.
Ours were pretty close together, but fair warning that so many holes close together may tire little hands while lacing the yarn through the holes.
Although, bigger gaps might allow for the stuffing to pop out.
** If you choose to space the holes further apart, you may want to have a stapler handy for when you stuff the gingerbread man's body.

Alright, our gingerbread man's face is decorate, the holes are prepped... now it is time to add the icing! Aka.... white yarn!!
Use a paper clip to hold the yarn in place and from there begin to lace the yarn in and out of the holes-- all the way around the gingerbread man's body.
This gingerbread man craft is a fun, hands-on way to work on fine motor skills for preschoolers - 2nd grade! Who wouldn't love to have their very own giant gingerbread man?!! He's the perfect buddy to have this Christmas!
Once you lace the yarn almost all the way around the body, stuff the gingerbread man with Easter grass, tissue paper, paper towel, etc.
Use a pencil or some other long object to push the stuffing into the gingerbread man's legs and arms.
Finish lacing the gingerbread man and tie the ends of the yarn together.
And your gingerbread man craft is complete!!
Isn't he adorable?!
** If desired, continue to decorate your gingerbread man with glitter glue and/or other festive decorations!
If your little one enjoyed the making of this gingerbread man craft, he/ she might like creating Jumbo Stuffed Christmas Tree that uses the same concept! Check it out!
Such a "sweet" craft for preschool and kindergarten. Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteAww, thanks Laura for taking the time to comment! Hope you enjoy a similar craft with your little one(s).
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