Gingerbread house decorating
Add snowy roofs, candy windows and a marshmallow path to a mini gingerbread house prepared by a grown-up, then give your tiny cottage a name.
Activity steps
- Prepare the mini houses the day before,Choose a kit with enough small houses and suitable construction icing. An adult follows the kit instructions, using a kitchen knife on a stable food-preparation board only if panel trimming is required. Assemble one house per child on an individual food-safe display board and let it become firm before the party. Follow the kit’s setting instructions, clean the preparation tools and put sharp tools away. Test one finished house and board in a carrier, then cover the decorating table.
- Set out a snowy decorating station,Check whether your chosen kit includes suitable decorating icing and candies, and use those first. Aim for about 60 g white decorating icing, 25 g mini marshmallows, 20 g chocolate candies and 5 g sprinkles per child if using all these decorations; buy only what you still need after checking the kit. A grown-up portions icing into one food-safe piping bag per child and snips a small opening with clean kitchen scissors, then puts the scissors away. For each group of six, put marshmallows, chocolate candies and sprinkles in three small bowls with separate teaspoons.
- Make the house your own,Pipe white icing along the roof edges and add a few marshmallows for snow. Press candies gently into fresh icing for windows, a door or a bright path, then finish with sprinkles. Choose boards with room around the actual houses for a little garden. Work on one area at a time; a grown-up can guide the bag while a child chooses the decorations.
- Meet the gingerbread village,Give each cottage a name and share a favorite detail. Keep houses upright while the icing sets. Follow your icing’s setting time; it may need longer than the party, so protect soft decorations during travel. Wipe sticky hands and spills with clean cloths, then place each board in a box with clear space above the roof. Support the box underneath, carry flat and follow the food products’ storage guidance.
This is a decorating session for school-age children with adult helpers. Assemble the houses ahead and check the actual ingredient labels for guests’ dietary needs. Check any included icing and sweets before buying extras, and provide one individual food-safe board per house for taking it home. Allow more preparation time for larger groups.
Shopping list for 6 people
- Mini gingerbread house kits — 6 houses
- White royal icing for decorating — 360 g
- Food-safe piping bags — 6 bags
- Mini marshmallows — 150 g
- Chocolate candy decorations — 120 g
- Colorful sprinkles — 30 g
- Food-safe boards for gingerbread houses — 6 boards
- Rigid carriers for finished gingerbread houses — 6 carriers
- Small bowls for candy toppings — 3 bowls
- Spoons for the topping bowls — 3 spoons
- Wipeable table cover — 1 cover
- Clean cloths for sticky hands and spills — 2 towels
- Clean scissors for the host — 1 pair
- Kitchen knife for adult preparation — 1 knife
- Kitchen board for adult preparation — 1 board
Use supplies you already have. Enable JavaScript to adjust guests and mark what you need.