Isn’t Christmas the best time of the year? We think everybody would shout yes when asked this question, which is more like an answer for all of us. With Christmas bells ringing closer and closer, we have been engaged in activities that represent Christmas as our current interests. This involved gingerbread houses, an activity the children have been more than interested in! As we laid out all the pieces we needed for our gingerbread house, the children were already suggesting and brainstorming about the way they could decorate the house. Everyone helped us knead the icing and bring it to the required texture. Once that was done, the children took turns squeezing the icing out but it seemed a bit too hard as it tore through a corner, accidentally giving us an opportunity to problem solve and try something else to get the icing out. One of the children suggested to use a butter knife to smear it on the pieces and as we tried it, it worked! The children helped support the walls of the bread together as the educator put the icing on the breads. As everyone worked together to put the walls and the roofs together, one of the children suggested to put some icing on the roof too so they could sprinkle some on top and make it more aesthetically appealing. As the icing was being applied on the roof, other children began to decorate the other parts of the house using red icing as well. Throughout the experience, some children were more engaged in playing with just the icing and exploring sensory play as they rolled the mix of red and white icing together and discovered how the new colour appeared and continued on to make a sphere, incorporating a little talk of mathematics and shapes on the activity as well. By the end, the children decided to name the house a chalet and put up a board sign that said ‘Chalet’ for any ongoing traffic. The activity worked on the fine motor skills and cognitive hand-eye coordination as the children helped squeeze out the icing, carefully top the gingerbread with toppings and help hold it together. The overall experience provided children the chance to work together and problem solve their way through anything that came their way!
