Quick Answer

Create a gingerbread building center where preschoolers can choose, decorate, and rearrange their own houses. This printable resource includes large house pieces, candy decorations, gingerbread neighbors, and optional house idea cards for table play, a magnet center, or a felt board.

What's Included

• 11-page printable PDF with 106 building and decorating pieces

• 4 large house walls in two heights

• 4 interchangeable roofs

• 12 doors in three designs

• 30 windows in three shapes

• 48 candy decorations: peppermints, candy canes, red gumdrops, and green gumdrops

• 4 gingerbread neighbors and 4 chimneys

• 4 optional house idea cards

• Teacher guide with preparation instructions, play surface options, and questions to use during play

• Preschool Vibes standards and thin gray cutting guides on every building piece except the house walls

Doors, windows, and candies are arranged closely on the page to make better use of your paper. Finished houses are approximately 6.5 inches wide when printed at 100%.

How to Use

Print at Actual Size / 100%, cut out the pieces, and laminate for repeated use if desired. Set out the pieces in small baskets and invite children to choose a wall and roof, add windows and a door, and decorate their house. Children can follow a house idea card or create their own design, then place their houses together to make a neighborhood.

Use the pieces loose on a table or add suitable magnetic or felt-board backing. Talk about window shapes and where children place each piece: above the door, beside the house, or behind the roof. Leave the pieces movable so children can change their designs and build again.

Why It Works

Children make choices, plan a design, fit pieces together, and use their hands to arrange small details. The interchangeable pieces encourage children to try different combinations, while the optional idea cards offer a starting point. Building side by side gives children a reason to describe their houses and share what they made.

Preschool Vibes Standards

• 1E. We can make a simple plan and follow steps during play (build, create, complete).

• 3H. We can understand and use words that describe where things are.

• 5O. We can describe shapes using attributes (sides, corners, curves) and build/create shapes with materials.

• 8C. We can use our hands and fingers to build and manipulate materials.

• 9D. We can build and create using open-ended materials (blocks, loose parts, construction).

• 9E. We can share our creative work and talk about what we made or tried.

Digital Download

This is a printable PDF download. No physical materials, magnets, or felt-board supplies are included.