Last Updated on August 10, 2025 by Sheryl Cooper
Inside: Create your own gingerbread bakery dramatic play activity this Christmas with baking supplies, cookies, and more!
If you include a gingerbread man theme in December, add this cute gingerbread bakery to your toddler and preschool dramatic play center.
Children can pretend to be bakers as they use the mixer, putting cookies in the oven, and selling cookies to friends.
We love to kick off December with a gingerbread man theme, having fun with activities such as:
So we love adding a gingerbread bakery to our dramatic play area to continue the fun!
Gingerbread Man Dramatic Play Activity
Watch the video:
What I love about the dramatic play center is that you can add your own touches. Take a look at what you already have and use what you think will work!
I will share what we used, but you can certainly make changes.
What We Used
- Signs, labels, forms, and coupons from our Gingerbread Packet
- Empty coffee and hot cocoa tins
- Tea kettle
- Coffee maker
- Gingerbread man hot pads
- Gingerbread man spatula
- Cash register
- Assorted pretend gingerbread men and Christmas cookies
- Mixer
- Spoons and other utensils
- Aprons
Set Up
I set up a new dramatic play area about every two weeks, when we change out our theme.
Here are some examples of activities we’ve done during the year:
Even more: 25+ Dramatic Play Activities
If printables are involved, as they are in this activity, I print them on cardstock and laminate for durability.
When the children arrive after a theme change, they are always so excited to see the new activities, especially in the dramatic play area.
I make sure all the signs are up, laminated so that I can use them year after year.
Anything with a cash register is a hit with this age group.
I always make sure we have more than one for that reason.
It’s all set for young children and their imaginations!
The dramatic play area is especially helpful for two year olds as they are becoming more verbal.
At the start of the school year it’s more side-by-side playing, but as the year progresses, they play with each other.
It’s a wonderful thing to watch!
Related: The Benefits and Importance of Play
It’s a busy area during our free-choice centers time and an area of the classroom that I see so much social growth!
Gingerbread Man Books
- The Gingerbread Man (Easy to Read Folktales)
- Gingerbread Baby (Jan Brett)
- How to Catch a Gingerbread Man (Adam Wallace)
- Ten Tiny Gingerbread Men (Tiger Tales)
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