Mom Moments

I love the idea of a gingerbread house.  But I don’t like the taste of gingerbread or all the measuring and cutting and WORK to have a boards of gingerbread to make a house with.

We will make ”alternative” gingerbread houses.

We make ours with a Tim Horton’s snackpack timbits box for the base (much sturdier than just the graham crackers “glued” together).  Its small enough for each kid to make their own (and a good excuse for me to eat donut holes!).

We’ll use graham crackers for the siding and pretzel rods for the roof.  After that, the kids are free to choose from the bowls of items I put out (Halloween mini candybars for the door, lifesavers, red and green m&ms, gumdrops, gumballs, white chocolate chips, snowcaps, sprinkles, mini candy canes, Chex cereal, red licorice) to decorate their homes.  Smart kids will make some candy trees and sidewalks too.

I make a thickened royal icing to use as glue (some instructions suggest melted white chocolate). 

When they dry, they are displayed on top of our entertainment center until Christmas Day.  Then the kids get to pick apart their house and eat the candy.  Its usually (mostly) edible!

Other ideas…

http://childrens-party-food.suite101.com/article.cfm/3_fast_easy_alternatives_to_gingerbread_houses

http://www.sparkplugging.com/kids-activities/christmas-crafts-graham-cracker-gingerbread-houses/