The Gingerbread Man: Stories, Songs and Fingerplays

We will begin celebrating the holidays and December at the New Bedford Whaling Historical Park with gingerbread men. Here are some fingerplays and songs I will be using during the program. They are not my original pieces but found on many websites over the Internet without attribution. Please feel free to use them in your work. 

I have also researched some stories, curriculum, and crafts, and of course a recipe should you wish to try your hand at making your very own Gingerbread Man!

FINGERPLAYS

Five Little Gingerbread Men

Five little gingerbread men lying on a tray,
One jumped up and ran away.
Shouting "Catch me, catch me, catch me if you can ...
I run really fast, I'm a gingerbread man!"

Four little gingerbread men lying on a tray...

Count down using the same lines above to one

No more gingerbread men lying on a tray,
They all jumped up and ran away.
Oh, how I wish they had stayed with me to play.
Next time I'll eat them before they run away.

ACTION RHYMES

Gingerbread Men

Stir a bowl of gingerbread, smooth and spicy brown.
(Pretend to stir.)

Roll it with the rolling pin up and down.
(Making rolling motions.)

Take a cookie cutter and make some little men.
(Use imaginary cutter to cut imaginary shape.)

Put them in the oven 'til half past ten. *
(Pretend to slide cookie tray into oven.)

MMMM!|
*You can count down from ten to one or start at five and down to one.

SONGS

Where is My Gingerbread Man? (to the tune of "Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?")

Oh where, oh where is my Gingerbread Man?
Oh where, oh where can he be?

He popped out of the oven and ran out the door.

Oh where, oh where can he be?

Gingerbread Song (to the tune of "The Muffin Man")

Oh, do you know the Gingerbread Man,
The Gingerbread Man, the Gingerbread Man?
Oh, do you know the Gingerbread Man,

Who ran and ran and ran?

He said, "Catch me if you can,

If you can, if you can."

He said, "Catch me if you can,
Then ran and ran and ran.

I can run like the Gingerbread Man.
The Gingerbread Man, the Gingerbread Man.
I can run like the Gingerbread Man.
Now catch me if you can.

12 Gingerbread Songs for Preschoolers  
https://preschooleducation.com/songs/gingerbread-songs-for-preschoolers/

STORIES

The Johnny Cake Boy - USA

https://www.authorama.com/english-fairy-tales-31.html

The Runaway Pancake – Many versions may be found here.
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type2025.html

Tales Similar to the Gingerbread Man
https://www.surlalunefairytales.com/oldsite/gingerbread/other.html

BOOKS

Gingerbread Baby
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gingerbread-baby-jan-brett/1101967600

The Gingerbread Man – I have this one in my personal collection. It has a recipe for cookies in the back.
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-gingerbread-man-jim-aylesworth/1103781792?ean=9780590972192&gQT=2

Gingerbread Stories from Around the World   
https://boymamateachermama.com/2013/12/02/book-mama-gingerbread-men-stories-from-around-the-world/

University of Northern Iowa - Lots of variations on the story here.
https://guides.lib.uni.edu/c.php?g=668416&p=4701295

CURRICULUM

15 Gingerbread Week Literacy Activities 
https://aroundthekampfire.com/15-gingerbread-week-literacy-activities/

Enchanted Learning – Worksheets and crafts to complement the folktale, The Gingerbread Man.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/stories/folktale/gingerbreadman/

Gingerbread Man Activities for Preschool
https://thecorecoaches.com/archives/55491

Gingerbread Man – Color by Numbers
https://www.allkidsnetwork.com/color-by-number/gingerbread-man-color-by-numbers

Kidzone -Gingerbread Man five-day theme Unit for grades K-2.
http://www.kidzone.ws/thematic/gingerbread/index.htm

Teaching Strategies = The Gingerbread Man 
https://teachingstrategies.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Read-Aloud-Gingerbread-Man_English.pdf

CRAFTS

DLTK-Kids – Pager chain craft.
http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/miscellaneous/mgingerbread.html

DLTK-Teach.com – The Gingerbread Man Puppets or Felt Board Characters; templates included.
http://www.dltk-teach.com/rhymes/gingerbread/felt.htm

JanBrett.com – Gingerbread Baby Masks to use with the book by Jan Brett, The Gingerbread Baby.
http://www.janbrett.com/gingerbread_baby_masks_main.htm

Gingerbread Men Ornaments

It is as follows:
1/2 c. cinnamon
1/2 c. applesauce
2 Tablespoons glue
Mix together and roll out onto wax paper. Use a gingerbread cookie cutter to cut out the shape. Poke a hole on the top with a straw. Let air dry for a couple of days. Then you can paint them if you like. But the smell is wonderful! This makes approximately six ornaments.
Thanks to Kristia Wildflower for sharing this craft.

RECIPE

Have fun making your own Gingerbread Man!
http://www.dltk-kids.com/recipes/gingerbread_cookies.htm

SOMETHING EXTRA

The Gingerbread Man Story: Here’s the History Behind the Fairy Tale
https://www.allrecipes.com/gingerbread-man-story-8410724

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Karen Chace 2012 © This blog post was researched and compiled by Karen Chace. Permission for private use is granted. Distribution, either electronically or on paper, is prohibited without my expressed written permission. For permission, please contact me at storybug@aol.com. Of course, if you wish to link to my blog via your website, blog, newsletter, Facebook page or Twitter please feel free to do so; I greatly appreciate your support and personal integrity.