Looking for a creative holiday craft to keep the kids entertained? This “Disguise a Gingerbread Man” activity is perfect for sparking imagination and creativity! With 20 free printables (10 pre-colored and 10 to color), your little ones can transform a classic gingerbread man into a variety of fun characters—from a cowboy to a dinosaur!
Disguise a Gingerbread Man
What You’ll Need:
- Scissors ✂️
- Glue stick
- Crayons or markers (for colouring options)
- Optional: glitter, stickers, and any other fun craft supplies
How to Get Started:
- Download the Free Printables: Scroll down to find 20 disguise templates—10 pre-colored designs for quick crafting and 10 blank ones for your kids to color in.
- Cut Out the Pieces: Print your favorite gingerbread disguise or use the color-in versions for a more personalized touch. Carefully cut out the gingerbread man and the chosen disguise elements.
- Assemble the Disguises: Experiment with different disguises—maybe your gingerbread man will be a pirate today or an astronaut tomorrow! Once you’re happy with the disguise, glue the pieces onto the gingerbread man.
- Personalize: Add extra details like glitter, stickers, or even your own drawn accessories to make your gingerbread man unique. I think using puffy paint would be excellent
Themed Gingerbread Disguises:
Here’s a sneak peek at some of the disguises included in the printables:
- Grinch Gingerbread
- Snowman Gingerbread
- Cowboy Gingerbread
- Astronaut Gingerbread
- Elf Gingerbread
- Pirate Gingerbread
- Dinosaur Gingerbread
- Angel Gingerbread
- And more!
Why This Craft is Perfect for Kids:
This cut-and-paste activity helps develop fine motor skills, encourages creativity, and keeps kids busy during the holiday season. Plus, it’s a fun alternative to the traditional gingerbread house activity!
Download Your Free Disguise a Gingerbread Man Printables Below:
We’re thrilled to offer this free printable Disguise a Gingerbread Man as a free gift to you and your family. It’s our way of sharing the wonders of the Christmas season.
These printables are offered for your non-commercial personal use only. Mass-production of this printable is not permitted, even for non-profit purposes. Please do not upload this disguise gingerbread man disguise project printable to other sites – instead, if you want to let people know about these freebies, post a link to this page. Pinning is okay as long as the pin links back to this page. Thanks!
All you need to do is add click on add to cart and the free Gingerbread man project Craft will be added to your shopping cart. When you are finished click on the orange cart menu at the top right of your page and follow the instructions on the screen. You will not be charged and the free pdf file will be available for you to download immediately and will also be emailed to your inbox.
Share Your Creations!
We’d love to see what your kids come up with! Share their disguised gingerbread men with us on social media using the hashtag #TMHGingerbreadDisguise.
This Disguise a Gingerbread Man Cut and Paste Craft can be a fantastic, hands-on activity for teachers to use in conjunction with reading The Gingerbread Man by Karen Schmidt. Here’s how it can be incorporated into a lesson plan:
1. Pre-Reading Discussion:
Begin by introducing The Gingerbread Man story to the class. Ask the students if they are familiar with the tale and discuss the main themes, such as adventure, trickery, and teamwork. Set the stage by explaining that they will create their own disguised gingerbread men after reading the story.
2. Storytime – Reading The Gingerbread Man:
Read the book The Gingerbread Man by Karen Schmidt aloud to the class. As you go through the story, emphasize the gingerbread man’s journey and how he tries to escape various characters who want to eat him. This will naturally lead to a discussion about how the gingerbread man might have been able to escape if he had used a disguise.
3. Class Discussion on Disguises:
After reading, engage the students with questions like:
- “Why do you think the Gingerbread Man was always caught?”
- “What if the Gingerbread Man had a disguise? How might that have changed the story?”
Encourage students to think creatively about how disguises could help the Gingerbread Man escape detection.
4. Introduce the Disguise a Gingerbread Man Craft:
After the discussion, introduce the Disguise a Gingerbread Man Craft. Explain that each student will have the chance to create their own gingerbread man with a unique disguise, just like they discussed earlier. Let them know they can choose from the pre-colored designs or color their own disguises.
5. Craft Time:
- Hand out the gingerbread man templates and printable disguises.
- Allow students to choose their favorite disguise or color their own.
- Once finished, they will cut out and paste the pieces to create their gingerbread man. As they work, encourage them to think about why they chose certain disguises and how it might help the gingerbread man on his adventures.
6. Creative Writing Extension:
Have students write a short story or draw a comic about their disguised gingerbread man. Ask them to imagine how their gingerbread man uses the disguise to escape or go on an adventure. This helps reinforce literacy skills and creative thinking.
7. Display and Share:
After completing the craft and stories, allow time for students to share their disguised gingerbread men with the class. They can explain why they chose their disguise and how it might have helped their gingerbread man escape.
Create a classroom display of all the disguised gingerbread men with a title like “Can You Spot the Gingerbread Man?” or “Our Cleverly Disguised Gingerbread Men!” This not only showcases their creativity but also ties in with the theme of the original story.
Educational Benefits:
- Literacy Skills: Ties into the narrative structure of The Gingerbread Man and helps students explore the concept of plot and character development.
- Creativity and Critical Thinking: Students must think critically about how disguises could change the story’s outcome and then apply that creatively in their craft.
- Fine Motor Skills: Cutting, pasting, and coloring help develop fine motor skills in younger students.
- Engagement: By making the story interactive with an art activity, students are more engaged and able to connect with the story on a deeper level.