For as long as I can remember I have loved gingerbread houses. They look good, taste good and are fun to make. It’s a great family Christmas tradition and can be a lovely way to spend some time all together.
But lets be real for a minute.
Life with young kids can be chaotic at best. The thought of baking, building and decorating a gingerbread house with toddlers probably brings you out in a cold sweat – and I don’t blame you! But it can be so much fun and a great activity to pass the time on the run up to Christmas and keep the magic alive. I’ve done it with my boys, aged 2 and 4, and not only lived to tell the tale – I actually enjoyed it. But how did I do it?

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Tips For Making A Gingerbread House With Toddlers
Manage Your Expectations
First and foremost, take your vision of a lovely afternoon decorating gingerbread houses as a family, all joy, peace and perfectly placed sweets and throw it away. You need to prepare yourself for a house thats a little wonky, probably missing sweets in places and a few squabbles along the way. The important thing is to stay calm and relax.
One of the things that gets said a lot in our family is “stop trying to control the fun”. Kids don’t always have the same vision as us, and that’s totally fine! Let them take the lead a little, be that placing sweets in unusual places or helping to stick it all together. If you are relaxed then they will also be relaxed. Let those little hands get stuck in!
Use A Kit
While I applaud people who can use a template and and know how to make a gingerbread house from scratch – when you’re working with toddlers or young kids it’s just not practical. You can cut a few corners buy buying a gingerbread house kit that contains everything you need for an afternoon of fun. You can buy kits that are purely for decorating, with the pieces of the house all ready with icing and sweets for decorating, but I still enjoy the baking element. My kids love to bake too, so one of the standard gingerbread house kits is perfect. Pro Tip: Use a pizza cutter on your dough for a smooth finish around the template.



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Get Everything Ready In Advance
It is worth spending a few minutes getting everything out and ready before you let the kids see it. Familiarise yourself with the instructions, hide the bits you don’t need till later (like the sweets for decorating!) and know what your plan of action will be. There is nothing worse then trying to work it all out with over excited kids at your feet.
Give Everyone A Job
Giving everyone an assigned job will save arguments in the long run. Someone will be in charge of pouring, someone stirring, rolling out, cutting, holding the sides, building the roof etc. Even when it comes to the sweets, it is often best to split them up in to bowls and give everyone their own to decorate with. That way there will be no squabbles and it’s all fair.



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Buy In Some Extra Sweets
This one goes without saying really doesn’t it. Sweets WILL get eaten, I think it’s just what happens when you decorate a gingerbread house with toddlers. Actually not just with toddlers! The kits are great but they don’t always allow for the amount of sweetie eating that goes on, so have some more on hand for finishing off the job.
Be Prepared To Finish It Yourself….
Or to drag them away screaming when it’s done – there never seems to be an in between. After the initial excitement my kids tend to lose interest and I’m left finishing off our projects myself (or in the case of gingerbread houses – trying to salvage them). There is no need to stress about them not wanting to finish it, just get it done yourself and then enjoy eating it with them.
We were gifted a gingerbread house kit in order to create this post.
Giveaway
Fancy giving it a go? I have teamed up with Wicked Uncle to give one of my readers a Gingerbread House Kit. Just enter using the widget below!
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Alison Jagroo
My favourite Christmas tradition is putting the presents around the Christmas tree, late on Christmas Eve.
Claire Nutman
We go to the cinema every christmas eve…………
Sarah Cooper
My favourite Christmas tradition is going for a Christmas walk on Christmas Eve.
Alison Johnson
Decorating the tree as a family, although I do sometimes have to rearrange afterwards to ensure the tree doesn’t fall over as the Grandchildren tend to only decorate one side!
John Taggart
Putting the Christmas tree up with all the decorations
Megan Kinsey
Leaving out a mince pie and sherry for Father Christmas and leaving out carrots for the reindeer
ashleigh allan
Elf on the shelf!
Carole Nott
I am always visiting my sister and family
michelle o'neill
my granddaughter always has to put the star on our christmas tree!
justine meyer
Ours is making Christmas cakes and Christmas pudding
Jayne Townson
Mine is our nice family festive walk after our Christmas lunch.
Rich Tyler
Watching elf on xmas eve
Valerie Brown
Bringing in the Xmas pudding all alight at the end of Xmas dinner
Amy bondoc
hanging up christmas stockings!
Sheila Sloan
Switching on the Christmas lights on December 7th in memory of my son who sadly passed away with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in 2004
Margaret Gallagher
CHRISTMAS eve mass with all The family
bet ferguson
our kids love to bake monkey bread for breakfast, so I think they would enjoy making this too
Kelly Wheelhouse
Mine is visiting my parents house on Christmas day to have a roast dinner with my family!
Katie B
Mine is Carol services! Love them!
Michelle Smith
Wearing Christmas jumpers
Louise A
Playing Christmas carols whilst decorating the tree
Laura
My favourite Christmas tradition is opening one small present from under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve before bed.
Ellie Spider
new pjs on xmas eve and then a christmas film
Jen s morgan
Hanging the stockings and leaving treats out for Santa.
Stephen Holman
a little christmas walk after the dinner and then back home for some booze and a snooze in front of the telly!
Kelly Cooper
My favourite tradition is when we put the Christmas tree up the kids put the star and the angle on the top.
adrian price
a good family arguement —is our main tradition
Laura Wheatley
christmas eve hot chocolates snacks and christmas movie
Tracy Astwood
We have a lovely small local theatre and we always go the Pantomime on Christmas Eve with the family.
Julia Linsley
Using silver sixpennies and threepennybits from my childhood n the Christmas puddings
Fiona Foskett
Going to midnight Mass on Christmas Eve at a local church, a church full of people singing carols is a fabulous way to start the festive period. Unfortunately this year it will be different but living in a Tier 3 area we are hoping there will be outdoor carol service somewhere local xx
Kelly steer
Leaving stockings on my children’s ved
Helen Tyler
Our tradition is, we always have cheese and crackers and party nibbles on Christmas Eve
clair downham
christmas pjs christmas eve
Adeinne Tonner
Has to be watching movies together with my family on Christmas Eve in our matching pyjamas.
Kim Neville
on Christmas Eve after getting Santa’s treats ready the kids choose a presie to open each
Kay Broomfield
My children have a Christmas eve box delivered by Santa with a festive book or DVD, sweet treats, hot chocolate and some reindeer food! They absolutely love it!
Pippa Ainsworth
Our favourite Christmas tradition is the brand new pyjamas we are left by our elf when he goes back to the North Pole on Christmas Eve
Amy Jo
I love watching It’s A Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve.
Adrian Bold
We always open a present each on Christmas Eve.