Where Did the Gingerbread House Originate?

Gingerbread houses were born in Germany during the 16th century. The tasty cookie houses became associated with the Christmas tradition. They became even more popular when the Brothers Grimm wrote the story of Hansel and Gretel and told of the house of sweets deep in the forest. Over the years, Germany has continued to perfect the craft of Gingerbread house-making and hosts massive Gingerbread House Competitions each year. We’d love to help you teach your students about the history of the cookie houses they love, beginning with our Christmas Around the World activities.

Introduce your students to Christmas traditions and cultures around the world with our Christmas Around the World printable activities. This Christmas craft can be used to teach students about different countries and their traditions, as well as how each country celebrates Christmas. The download includes a fun cut-and-assemble Gingerbread house, which is a well-known holiday tradition in Germany.

Show Your Students Christmas in Germany with a Printable Gingerbread House Template

The activity pairs well with our Christmas Around the World printable books, so you can use them at home or in the classroom to educate your children about other cultures’ celebrations this holiday season.

To use, students will first color and cut out the gingerbread house pieces. These are then layered and glued onto construction paper or cardstock to form the house. Finished gingerbread houses make perfect Christmas decorations for the classroom!

Easily Download & Print Your Paper Gingerbread House Craft

Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to download the PDF version of this resource. 

This resource was created by Katy Blevins, a teacher in Georgia and Teach Starter collaborator.