Cardboard Preschool Gingerbread Art {Ornament}

Last Updated on October 29, 2024 by Sheryl Cooper

Inside: Put together a simple preschool gingerbread art activity using recycled cardboard and pom poms. Add a hook and it becomes an ornament!

This preschool gingerbread art activity is a perfect way to recycle cardboard and can be used as a Christmas ornament!

The process involves painting and pressing pom poms on top, strengthening fine motor skills.

They look so festive hanging in the tree!

I love using cardboard for art activities.

It’s a great way to recycle something you already have, plus it’s sturdier than paper.

These previous cardboard art activities were my inspiration for today’s activity:

Cardboard Christmas Tree Art

Big Cardboard Snowmen

Cardboard Hearts

Watch: Gingerbread Theme Classroom Tour

Cardboard Preschool Gingerbread Art

What you will need:

Preparing this activity:

Cut gingerbread shapes from your cardboard. I had a gingerbread cookie cutter that worked as a template, but you could also use this free gingerbread template.

I used the Xacto knife for some of the cutting as well as scissors.

I also created a small hole at the top for an ornament hook, but you could also use yarn.

You will then want to mix equal parts of the glue and brown tempera paint in small containers.

Add a brush and you are ready!

The Invitation to Create

Since we had already read a gingerbread man book and had a variety of gingerbread man activities happening in the classroom, the children were familiar with what we were going to make.

(Scroll down to see other gingerbread man activities we’ve enjoyed.)

As your preschoolers sit at the art table, invite them to brush the tempera paint/glue mixture onto their cardboard gingerbread men.

It’s better if they apply a thick amount of the glue and paint, as the pom poms will stick better.

Some of ours weren’t thick enough so the pom poms weren’t on the cardboard as securely as I would have preferred.

This is why I added two coats of the acrylic sealer as a final step.

Then, give them some small pom poms to stick onto the glue/paint mixture.

See the position of the thumb and finger in the above photo? This pinching position is an important for fine motor development.

Make sure they really press the pom poms into the glue.

Invite them to tell you the different colors as they are being added to the gingerbread man.

Let the cardboard gingerbread art dry overnight.

You will then want to check if the pom poms feel secure on the cardboard.

As I mentioned above, some of ours were not, so I added an extra step of adding two coats of acrylic sealer.

When our gingerbread ornaments were finished, they were wrapped in our homemade gift bags along with our photo ornaments.

We added these tags to the fronts of the bags (each child got the first letter of their first name) and then they were handed out during our Cookies and Carols.

Watch: Our Favorite Gingerbread Circle Time Activities