Is this baking cookies or making playdough! Whether you love baking gingerbread man cookies, are planning a gingerbread theme lesson, or just love anything scented, our newest gingerbread playdough recipe is the answer. Our playdough recipes are really popular, and this year I wanted to come up with a gingerbread playdough. Enjoy the scented sensory play of gingerbread this holiday season!
Easy Christmas Sensory Activities
Playdough is an excellent addition to your preschool Christmas activities! Even create a busy box from a ball of homemade Christmas playdough, a small rolling pin, and accessories for cutting out Christmas shapes.
Every now and then, I love to throw together a brand fun theme playdough recipe for a morning’s sensory play session. We don’t often buy playdough from the store these days.
This is such a pliable, soft, and easy playdough recipe to use for Christmas play. Plus, it smells amazing!
Love sensory play? Check out our list of Christmas sensory activities!
More Easy Playdough Recipes
There are so many fun variations of playdough to make and enjoy with young kids. Here are a few of our favorites…
- No Cook Playdough
- Foam Dough
- Strawberry Playdough
- Super Soft Playdough
- Edible Frosting Playdough
- Kool-Aid Playdough
- Glow In The Dark Playdough
Free Printable Gingerbread Playdough Mats
Grab our free printable Math worksheets below to practice numbers 1 to 10 with gingerbread playdough…
Gingerbread Playdough Recipe
Want to know how to make gingerbread playdough without cooking? Check out our no cook playdough recipe!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup salt
- 2 cups water
- 4 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 2 cups flour
Instructions:
STEP 1. Combine the salt, water, oil, cream of tartar, ginger, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling begins.
STEP 2. Add the flour and lower the heat, stirring vigorously until the dough pulls away from the sides of the saucepan and begins to form a ball.
There might appear to be small lumps of flour not blending in but these will blend during kneading. (We think the dough looks like refried beans!)
STEP 3. Remove from the heat and turn out onto parchment paper or wax paper. Allow to cool briefly.
STEP 4. Knead well, having fun by rolling and punching. This will blend in the small lumps of flour.
TIP: Store the gingerbread playdough in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before playing.
Printable Gingerbread Man Project Pack
For a complete pack of instructions, templates, and extras, grab our Gingerbread Project Pack!
How To Use Your Gingerbread Playdough
Make Gingerbread Men
Roll out the gingerbread playdough and use gingerbread man cookie cutters to create festive shapes. Add details like eyes, buttons, and smiles using small pieces of playdough or decorative elements. This activity is great for practicing fine motor skills and allows for imaginative play.
Build a Gingerbread House
Use the gingerbread playdough to construct a miniature gingerbread house. Kids can shape walls, roofs, and even add tiny decorations to decorate their playdough houses.
Practice Counting with Christmas Playdough Mats
Print out our Christmas counting mats above with numbers and corresponding spaces. Children can use small balls of gingerbread playdough to represent the specified number of baubles on each mat.
Make Gingerbread Letters
Roll out the playdough into ropes and shape them into letters. Kids can spell out simple words or their names with the gingerbread playdough letters.
Sensory Play with Gingerbread Scent
Simply, allow kids to engage in free play, exploring the texture and scent of the gingerbread playdough. Add in some other scented items like cinnamon sticks and cloves for a fun Christmas sensory activity.
Check out more fun ways to use playdough here.
More Fun Gingerbread Activities
Check out all our gingerbread STEM activities.
- Make some stretchy gingerbread slime with borax.
- Alternatively, try this scented edible gingerbread slime.
- Play this fun printable gingerbread man game.
- Create a colorful paper gingerbread house.
- Make crystal gingerbread men with borax or salt.
- Watch dissolving gingerbread and more…
More Fun Christmas Play Ideas
Love sensory play? Check out our list of Christmas sensory activities!
- Christmas Slime You Can Make
- Christmas Sensory Bins
- Christmas Activities For Preschoolers
- Christmas Games
Printable Playdough Recipes Pack
If you want an easy-to-use printable resource for all your favorite playdough recipes, including this one, and exclusive (only available in this pack) playdough mats, grab our printable Playdough Project Pack!
- Homemade Playdough Recipes including traditional, no-cook, super soft, and even taste-safe ideas!
- Playdough Mats with an Early Learning Theme, including space, seasons, volcanos, bees, and more!
- Playdough tips, tricks, and ideas!
