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Natasha’s Kitchen sponsored my son’s Sunday school Christmas activity; building gingerbread mangers. This is such a fun way to share the true meaning of Christmas with the little people in your life. Believe me, they’ll love it! I was super impressed with how creative these little engineers were in building their “gingerbread” nativity scenes. Such attention to detail! Cuteness and joy follows…
Here are the supplies/tools you’ll need to build gingerbread nativity scenes:
1. Graham crackers, or gingerbread (graham crackers were more practical)
2. Animal cookies
3. Marshmallows (large and colorful minis)
4. Frosting
5. Red and black licorice
6. Pretzel sticks
7. Peanuts for bay Jesus
8. White cardboard bases (I found these at a craft store and cut them in half). I think they were meant to be cake bases.
9. Lots of candy.
10. Ziploc bags for piping frosting
Here’s a closer look at the candy:
I made equal plates for each child to work with. I made about 15 of these plates. I also provided ziplocs for piping the frosting.
Engineers at work laying the foundations of their mangers:
There was also alot of this happening (that’s my son):
And here’s his cousin sneaking the sweeties (surprise, surprise, they are related)
The older kids came to help the younger kids since the wee ones were pretty much just eating everything.
I think they really liked this activity. The room was buzzing with cute little people making cute little mangers.
Look at the attention to detail:
They even found use for the cupcake wrappers I used to divide the candy on the plates. Angel wings. how perfect!
You know what they say about couples; they start to look alike after awhile. Check out Mary and Joseph in the next picture. Case in point. I’m sure I couldn’t have made a cuter manger.
Just look at those wisemen and their cute little hats. Aww.
The angels are holding hands (my heart!). And there’s a.. lion, protecting the baby? 🙂
The wiseman holding a present on the far left. He’s my favorite.
Here’s a two story manger with an attic and an angel on top! Nice! Look at the sugar drop eyes on that shepherd in the bottom left corner. awww.
This angel likely has karate skills. Watch out Herod!
Oh dear a leftover marshmallow. I might have to eat that.
I hope you enjoyed this post. Feel free to Pin and share it with the rest of the world. Merry Christmas!! Do you have any cool Christmas traditions?
Gingerbread Nativity Manger Scene
Ingredients
Here are the supplies/tools you'll need to build gingerbread nativity scenes:
- 1. Graham crackers, or gingerbread (graham crackers were more practical)
- 2. Animal cookies
- 3. Marshmallows, large and colorful minis
- 4. Frosting
- 5. Red and black licorice
- 6. Pretzel sticks
- 7. Peanuts for bay jesus
- 8. White cardboard bases, I found these at a craft store and cut them in half. I think they were meant to be cake bases.
- 9. Lots of candy.
- 10. Ziploc bags for piping frosting
Instructions
- Fill the ziplocs with frosting and cut a small hole in the corner of the bag.
- Distribute the goods and let the kids get creative.
Cute and adorable, Natasha, thanks! We want to do this as an activity at a Wednesday Advent service, and wonder how much time all your kiddos worked to accomplish their scenes?
Hi Carol! It all depends on how elaborate you want it to be! I hope the kiddos love this activity!
Soooo adorable
Love this scene
Aww thanks Angie!
I really like this scene.
Sooooooo adorable : )
I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Hi Natasha, I’ve just stumbled across your idea and absolutely love it. Just so cute and creative. I cannot wait to try this with my kiddos and I’ll be saving the pin to show to the other Kids’ Ministry leaders at Church. So gorgeous! Well done.
Hello Kerry! Thank you, I hope you and your family enjoy the project. Merry Christmas!
Thank you so much for your wonderful idea for kids to make a Manger/nativity for Christmas. We did it with our big extended family, siblings and cousins. Every one I mean from adults to kids had a blest. So much happiness and laughter we all had. And best of all awesome memories and time together just building them. If you could just see the faces!
God bless you and your family! !!
I’m so happy to hear your story. I’m imagining the sweetest scene of your family 🙂
Hi Natasha, im just curious did that frosting hold everything together? Do you know any homemade frostings I can make, but making sure that everything will hold?
I don’t have one posted but people use royal frosting. It’s egg whites with powdered sugar. Here’s a recipe I came across. I haven’t tried it but I trust this blogger 🙂 http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_a_gingerbread_house/
Natasha, that’s so creative! You came up with so many different ways to build things with food! Your kids don’t need LEGOs or Lincoln logs any more, LOL, they can just build with food! 🙂 You’re on a roll, girl, first, a fancy party for adults, now this fun event for kids! 🙂
Yeah, we stack sausages instead of lincoln logs. lol. Just kidding. I guess I won’t be very successful at teaching my child not to play with his food 😉
Such a cute idea! 🙂
Thanks Kimberly. It was so much fun to watch them work 🙂
What a cute and delicious activity! I showed it to to my kids they loved it and want to make it. Now will know what to do over the weekend. Thanks Natasha!
Awww how sweet! Have fun and I hope you post pictures of the finished product! 🙂
So adorable! My preschoolers used shredded wheat for the hay, but never went so far as to build the whole scene. Love it! Have a blessed Christmas!
Aww shredded wheat! Thats adorable 🙂 Thank you and a blessed and joyful Christmas to you as well! 🙂
Very cute,where is the gingerbread there ?
Oh, I see now it’s “or gingerbread”. I was jst looking at the picture at first.
Yes, the graham crackers were more practical for a large group. That would have been a lot of baking! 🙂
That’s so cool and so nice of you to sponsor the event! Now I have an idea to use all of that leftover Halloween candy.:) I’d rather have my kids glue it to the cardboard than eat.:)
That is a good idea! I don’t think much of these was actually eaten in the end but they sure looked adorable!
Sooooooooooooo soooooooo cute!
I thought so too 🙂
Oh they are so cute! : )
Thanks Mila. 🙂
Your a genius!!! These look wonderful and such a creative idea-I love it! That would be a perfect idea for my class. I saw the Pillsbury jar of frosting (in the pic), did that hold everything together and stiff up a bit? Im curious, since the kiddos will have to transport them home. Thank you in advance!
The frosting held things together! You could buy royal icing also or make it but I was concerned about the eggs in the frosting in case any of the kids might have intolerance or allergies to the egg whites. The store bought frosting was a great substitute and worked great!
Natasha I’ve been thinking what to do with my Sunday school kids this Sunday that would be fun but still contain the real meaning of Christmas. My helper suggested that we do ginger bread houses then we thought that it doesn’t really have to do anyting with the real Christmas story. I’m so glad you posted this great idea.thank you very much ❤ Merry Christmas!
You’re welcome! The kiddos really enjoyed this activity as well. Merry Christmas!
Too Cute!
Aren’t they? Thank you 🙂