Looking for a fun, low-prep December activity that your students will absolutely love? This year, send your gingerbread man on an adventure across the USA with our free editable Canva template!
This project pairs perfectly with The Gingerbread Man story and adds an exciting twist: your Gingerbread Man “runs away,” and students receive postcards and letters from people all over the country who have “spotted” him.
It’s engaging, simple to set up, and gives students a chance to learn about geography, writing, maps, and communities beyond their classroom.
How the Traveling Gingerbread Project Works
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Read The Gingerbread Man
Kick off December by reading the classic story as a class. -
Send the Gingerbread Man Off on His Adventure
Tell students he has “run away,” beginning his big holiday journey! -
Share Your Letter or Flyer
Use the free Canva template to ask friends, families, or other classrooms to mail postcards or letters describing their gingerbread sighting. -
Track His Travels
When the postcards arrive, students can mark locations on a map, compare distances, and learn facts about different states and cities. A bulletin board can be made to track his travels! -
Celebrate His Return
Wrap up the project by reviewing everywhere he traveled. Students can even write their own stories or draw illustrations of his adventures!
What to Include in Each Postcard or Letter
To keep the activity fun and consistent, invite participants to include:
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Where they saw the gingerbread man
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What he was doing when they spotted him
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A fun ending line:
“He ran away saying, ‘You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!’”
This simple structure makes postcards easy for others to write—and exciting for your students to read!
Download the Free Editable Canva Template
We’ve made the project as easy as possible for teachers!
Use our free Canva template to customize:
-Your classroom details
-Your mailing address
-Any instructions you want to add
