Gingerbread Graph Ideas

It is very easy to incorporate graphing into a gingerbread man unit. Consider these possibilities to get the creative juices flowing. Remember to include different kinds of graphs as suggested below.

• Gingerbread Info.: As an introduction to the unit, graph how many students have eaten a gingerbread cookie, baked a gingerbread cookie or decorated a gingerbread cookie. [clothespin graph with simple yes/no options]
• Gingerbread Bites: Ask students to take one bite of their gingerbread cookie.   Graph or tally how many students bit off the head, the right arm, left arm, right leg or left leg. [bar graph, as shown, or pictograph using pieces]
• Gingerbread Taste Test: Have children taste several different gingerbread cookies, including homemade and store-bought. Ask students to vote for their favorite cookie. [bar graph]
• Gingerbread Man Stories: After reading several different versions of the classic story, ask students to vote on their favorite. [pictograph using book die cuts]
• Gingerbread Unit: At the conclusion of the gingerbread unit, have students vote on their favorite activity. [bar graph]

Catch the Gingerbread Man Game

For this game, students toss two dice (one regular and one marked A-B-C-D-E-F), form an ordered pair (e.g. B5), then remove the gingerbread man from that space, if there is one. Play continues until the timer rings or until one player has caught 10 gingerbread men. Students love playing the game and they get to practice their coordinate graphing skills in the process.

Coordinate Pairs: This seasonal version of the classic Battleship game provides practice in forming coordinate pairs, identifying the x-coordinate (A-F), then the y-coordinate (1-6) so that spaces are identified as C3 or E6. Hopefully, lots of practice will help students transition to the algebraic ordered pairs (x,y) where x and y are both numbers. Just be certain to reinforce the notion that the x-coordinate (across) comes before the y-coordinate (up or down). The alphabetical cues (across comes before up or down) help some students remember the order.

Download Catch the Gingerbread Man Game which includes game mat, directions and game pieces.

Gingerbread Man Problem Solving

Students are asked to use words, pictures and numbers to solve these gingerbread problems:

Gingerbread Bake Sale challenges students to figure out how many different gingerbread men Ruby can make for the holiday bake sale.


Gingerbread Man Chains requires students to calculate how many gingerbread men will be needed to create chains across the bulletin board.  Students also need to figure out how many sheets of brown construction paper will be needed for the project.


Creative Extension:  Ask students to write original problems that involve the gingerbread man.  Encourage them to think of measurement and patterns as well as numbers and operations as they create their word problems.  Provide time for students to type in, print out and decorate their problems.  Assemble them into a class Gingerbread Man booklet that may be shared with other classes as well.

Gingerbread Man Math

Gingerbread men and gingerbread houses enjoy special popularity around the holidays, but many of these gingerbread activities are timeless and complement literature titles that teachers use at the beginning of school or after the holidays. It's very easy to incorporate mathematics into a study of gingerbread men, and students will enjoy the data collection activities and games while learning math skills and deepening their understanding of important mathematical concepts.

Look through these math activities and add some to your repertoire. Consider broadening the gingerbread math to include measurement, games and problem solving this year.

Check out Mathwire's Gingerbread Man Math collection, part of Mathwire's themed math activities collection.

Counting Game: Run, Gingerbread Men, Run!

This game was designed to introduce students to the randomness of spinners and dice. Each color gingerbread man starts at the same place and has the same chance of winning by crossing the finish line, but does it work out that way? Students will enjoy playing the game AND use a clothespin graph [see sample on right] to collect some useful data on the winners.

Once students have collected class data from playing many games, they will come together to analyze the clothespin graph results. Students will be asked to discuss whether or not they think the game is fair for all of the gingerbread men and explain their reasoning.

Download the Run, Gingerbread Men, Run! game so that students can get started playing and collecting data. The pdf file contains the spinner, gameboard, clothespin graph icons, and an optional tally sheet.

Gingerbread Man Math Activities

Check out Mathwire's Gingerbread Man Math collection for timely math gingerbread activities to accompany this seasonal unit.  The collection includes activities to develop measurement, probability, symmetry, problem solving, games and literature links to popular gingerbread books.

Older students will practice coordinate graphing skills as they play Catch the Gingerbread Man, a Battleship-type game where students try to capture their opponent's gingerbread men.



Younger students will enjoy the Run, Gingerbread Man, Run! game which comes with a colored spinner, gameboard and directions for small group play.  Students will practice simple counting skills as they try to be the first to move through the colored board.

Students may use a copy of the gameboard to analyze the results of winners:

• Did the red, yellow, blue or green gingerbread man win more often?
• Does each color have an equal chance of winning?  Explain your thinking

Problem solving activities involve combinations.  Gingerbread Bake Sale challenges students to figure out if Ruby can make each of the 12 gingerbread cookies on a cookie sheet different, given the possible eyes and noses.  Gingerbread Man Combinations is a harder version of this problem, with more choices to challenge older students.  Gingerbread Man Chain requires students to use measurement skills to figure out how many gingerbread men will be needed to create borders at the top and bottom of a bulletin board.