There are so many beautiful, detailed gingerbread houses around on the internet but when it comes to gingerbread houses for children I think you want to focus on fun rather than perfection. Kids want to be hands-on in an activity, and free to add their own creative flourishes, so here’s our solution for child-friendly houses: gingerbread cookies. Easy and quick to make so everyone can have (at least) one each, which means everyone can be making and doing all the time and can make their gingerbread house look exactly how they choose.
How to make gingerbread houses for children
The first step is to bake up a batch of gingerbread. We used our favourite gingerbread recipe and cut it out the shapes using a house cookie cutter.
Once the gingerbread houses are cool the decorating can begin. We used some small tubes of ready-mixed writing icing, which meant everyone had their own tube, so there was no waiting around. The tubes proved to be really easy for everyone to use by themselves. You can use the icing to outline windows and roofs, to draw patterns or as glue to stick on your sweets. Playing Christmas music so you can sing along while you decorate is fun.
Each child had a pot with a selection of sweets in, so no squabbling and you can control just how much sugar each child has access to! Some of our decorators decided less was more.
However, sometimes more is more – especially when you realise anything you put on your house is yours to eat.
I think our version of gingerbread houses for children turned out great – a fun Christmas activity and just right as a sweet gift for friends too.
More Christmas craft ideas
If you like our gingerbread houses for children you might also like the ideas in our Christmas crafts archive
happily shared with today’s creative blog and link and learn and the sunday showcase and for the kids friday and it’s playtime
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Love these houses! This activity is now on our to-do list for next weekend! Thanks!
YUMMY!
That fun! These look wonderful!
a friend tipped me off to using a hot glue for the house, then giving the kids the house(s) already assembled with super-glue, thick icing sugar to adhere the candy
These are super cute! Love how the flat aspect of it!
Thank you fo this post. I am totally in agreement – it’s not about looking perfect, it’s about FUN!!!
I’m stealing your recipe for sure. 
Such a great idea! Much more sensible than the over the top houses I try to do lol
Well I have never made a gingerbread house before.. (too fiddly).. but I will definitely try this one
Great idea to use a 2 dimensional tree which is much easier for younger kids! When I was teaching we used to make gingerbread houses with graham crackers and that is another easy way to make a “gingerbread” house.
Nothing quite like a gingerbread house! We are making ours this weekend
Thank you for sharing on Kids Get Crafty!
Maggy
Oh, this is exactly what we will be doing!
Great minds think alike!!!
I went the actual build a house route last year & it turned into more of a mom project so this year I decided that we needed something they could do all themselves!
Can’t wait!
Great idea! They look so cute all lined up. We may have to give this a whirl this year!
Kelly
We’d love to see a picture Little Wonders’ Days, if you do.
[...] 31. Eggs 32. The alphabet 33. Snowflakes 34. Cookies 35. A rainbow 36. A gingerbread man 37. A gingerbread house 38. Mini meringues 39. A car 40. Ice cream play [...]