Ossining Kindergarteners Create Gingerbread Story Museum

The gingerbread theme was everywhere at Park School the week before holiday recess, from “The Gingerbread Man” book and all its adaptations to gingerbread houses and a “story retell path” in kindergarteners’ “Gingerbread Story Literacy Museum.”

The interactive museum, which opened on Dec. 19, comprised literacy projects each class created from the many versions of the book, such as “Gingerbread Friends,” “The Gingerbread Bear,” “Gingerbread Pirates” and “Gingerbread Baby.”

For one of the exhibits, children held a paper gingerbread man on a string and recited parts of the “The Gingerbread Man” as they walked down the “story retell path.” Part of Lisa Heila-Clemmens’ kindergarten class’ exhibit was a letter to the fox that said, “Do not eat the Gingerbread Man because it is not nice to eat somebody!”

Downstairs, students created a gingerbread house on a wall outside the gymnasium. Each class added decorations, such as paper plates decorated with polka dots and wrapped to look like pieces of hard candy.

Also during the week of Dec. 18, pre-kindergarteners performed in the “Many Holidays” assemblies. Kindergarteners served as ushers for the event. On the last day before the holiday break, Park students watched a PBIS – positive behavioral interventions and supports – skit that featured an appearance by the Gingerbread Man.

At Park School Dec. 19, Parent Erin Brady helped her daughter May decorate a gingerbread man cookie with icing and pieces of candy. “It’s so nice to celebrate the holidays in her class and see what they do all day,” Ms. Brady said.

Jackson Joyce, 5, said he loves gingerbread cookies and likes to make them all year long, not just around the holidays. He enjoyed reading “The Gingerbread Man.”

“I really like how they made the story,” he said.

Children in Shiloh Trotman’s class cut out snowflakes, played the memory game with snap words written on paper cards shaped like mittens, and did other activities. The highlight was making graham cracker gingerbread houses and decorating them with gum drops, licorice, Sour Patch Kids and other candy. Ms. Trotman gave them directions before they started on the houses, cautioning them not to put the plastic knives for icing into their mouths.

“So the icing is the glue. You have to put icing everywhere. And guess what? If it gets on your finger, you can take a lick,” she said, and children responded with cheers of “Yay!”

A.J. Bozzi, 5, said he enjoyed visiting the museum created by his fellow students. “I liked walking down the hall and seeing gingerbread stories,” he said.