Gingerbread and kids

[kthull]

I'm thinking about making either a gargantuan gingerbread house or (most likely) mini-gingerbread houses for the school holiday party this year. But my wife is convinced that most kids don't like gingerbread.

Anybody have thoughs on this? I know I loved it as a kid and both my little ones do too.

Thanks!

[nightscotsman]

If it's sweet, kid's will eat it.

[Ladybug]

My kids love gingerbread and in fact, they bug me every year to make a gingerbread house and/or gingerbread men.

I teach Sunday School and every year we let the kids (second graders) make "gingerbread" houses out of graham crackers, frosting and candy. It's a huge hit every year. I could feel bad about not making enough gingerbread and buttercream for 30 kids to make houses, but . . . naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah. They wouldn't appreciate it anyway and at this time of year, I don't have the time.

[HotCanary]

My kids, and all their little neighborhood friends, have always loved gingerbread. This always surprised me, because I never liked it as a child. I started making it for them primarily to decorate, but the little urchins actually ate it! As a former class mom, I can tell you that your idea will be a huge hit. With the kids. The mess might drive you crazy,however. Most fun ideas ARE messy

[Margaret Pilgrim]

For 30 years I have made gingerbread men (wrapped tightly in Saran and tied with red satin ribbons) at Christmas. We hang them on the tree, and they disappear over the holidays. We also have a basket of wrapped "men" for guests. For the last few years, I have let this tradition slide into the holidays, only to be asked at some point, "Where are the gingerbread men", and having to bake up several batches to assuage the demand! As Saab dictates, you'll have to "Find your own road!"

[Ling]

I've always loved gingerbread and the big gingerbread house sounds like an awesome idea. Even if some of the kids don't like eating gingerbread, I'm sure everyone will appreciate looking at it.

[ggglimpopo]

Hi, I live in France and the last time I was in the UK I bought a couple of packets of gingerbread men to bring home. The children had forgotten what they were and were delighted to eat the heads, arms and legs .........yummy. They were a huge hit, all gone the first day, and I have decided at the next school bake to make dozens of gingerbread men. Only problem is that I cannot find a cutter here in Bordeaux, and will have to remember to find and order one off the net a few weeks in advance - as opposed to the day before!

[mkfradin]

I've done gingerbread decorating parties with my kids in their classes ever since they were 2 (yes, 2), and no one has ever complained about the cookies being gingerbread. I think it helps that I give them all the garbage to put on top of them--it's a hoot seeing the younger kids trying to pile an inch-high pile of sprinkles, colored sugar and M&M's on a 3" round cookie--but they also enjoy eating their creations. Last year, my son's second grade class literatlly demolished their gingerbread houses a week after they decorated them with candy. Yes, it's a lot of work, but it's always one of the most memorable events of the year, according to the kids and the teachers. Another plus--gingerbread keeps for so long that I can always make the dough and the cookies well in advance of the party, and no one knows the difference.

Good luck!

Marjorie

[Wendy DeBord]

I vote that your right and your wife is wrong on this, too. You don't have to make them too strongly flavored-kids like it lighter on the molasses, mace, ginger, all spice (strong flavors you might use) and prefer it to be more cinnamon. The more frosting the better too.

Making a large house is more challenging structurely then it make seem. There's websites that feature some amazing gingerbread houses, you might want to look-up.

Also it doesn't seem very common to me that people and their children make gingerbread houses. So I think it would be way cool to share this experience with a group of children.

[kthull]

Thanks everyone for your opinions...I really appreciate it. Sadly, I'm changing my plans. You've all hit on the coolest part of all, the actual decorating. But this is only a dropoff so I would only be able to supply already finished individual houses. Not so much fun.

Now I'm leaning toward either meringue snowmen or more cookies on a stick. Unless anyone has other ideas! I'm trying to top my Halloween trays of bloody fingers and eyeballs.

[PastryLady]

Way back when in my memory I recall my grade school having a cake off type function where people would make cakes (gingerbread houses a good idea) and basically auction them off for fund raising. Maybe this is just a thought. Gingerbread is really seasonal and fun and kids really like the decorating factor. I don't think gingerbread is on the high end of kids' favorite things, but the decorating idea sounds good. Personally I haven't known anyone to actually EAT a gingerbread house since it usually gets decorated so elaborately that it sits out for a month and gets all hard. I would rather have a piece of fudge or something that my mother in law makes around the holidays than knaw on a month old house is all I am thinking.

How about the cookie on a stick idea combined with the decorating?!

[kthull]

Part of the problem with these school parties is there's only a short amount of time and from what I hear, it's enough of a challenge to get all the treats passed out and do something as a group. I think these "room moms" would kill me if I handed off a bunch of cookies and decorations and said, "Have a blast kids. See ya later!"

[PastryLady]

Sounds great to me Kevin! They get all the clean up too huh?! Lay down butcher paper everywhere!

[claire797]

Kevin,

Have you decided what to make yet? There are so many cute ideas on the Internet.

Why don't you make some chocolate shortbread Rudolphs? Here's a picture of one from Family Fun. There are a lot of great ideas for kids' parties on that site.

[kthull]

Claire, thanks for that idea. I've gone back and forth and it looks like that's what I'll be going with (the Rudolph cookies). I just baked off some test cookies and played around with different options for the decorations. Poor old Rudolph needed some ears, and the photo on the site looks a bit triangular. I took a large circle cutter and reshaped it a bit for the head and used the tip of an oak leaf cutter for ears. I also made the shape of the whites of the eyes more oval with the M&Ms at the bottom...he shouldn't look like he's staring down some headlights. And I swapped out the red hot for the nose (do kids even eat those?) with a red M&M.

[kthull]

Well, the cookies were a huge success. Here's a pic and thanks again:

[Wendy DeBord]

Very sweet Kevin, I bet they LOVVVVVVED those!

P.S. Your version was a nice improvement.