A gingerbread house decorating party for kids

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Building a gingerbread house is slow, sticky work. Decorating one is fast and fun. At this party, adults do the building the day before, and kids spend their time on candy and icing. Each child goes home with a finished house.

Two weeks before: the guest list

• Six to eight kids is a good size for one or two adult helpers.
• Age 5 and up works best. Younger children can join with a parent sitting next to them.
• On the invitation, ask parents about food allergies. The nine major US food allergens are milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish and sesame.

The day before: build the houses

Adults should build every house ahead of time. Royal icing needs several hours to set before the walls can hold a roof and candy.

• Gingerbread house kits save a lot of time. Homemade gingerbread works too.
• Make royal icing with meringue powder or pasteurized egg whites. Don’t use raw egg whites. They can carry salmonella, and kids will lick their fingers.
• Set each house on its own cake board. Write the child’s name on the board.
• Make one or two extra houses in case a wall breaks.

Some hosts use a hot glue gun to build a house that is only for display. Only adults should handle hot glue, and the glue gun should stay out of children’s reach at all times. Nobody eats a house built with hot glue, so mark it clearly and keep it apart from the edible ones.

Allergies and candy labels

Gingerbread contains wheat and often eggs and milk. Many candies contain milk, soy, peanuts or tree nuts, or are made where those foods are used. Royal icing contains egg, even when made with meringue powder. Read every label, including the icing mix and sprinkles. If a child has a serious allergy, ask the parent what is safe. A parent can also bring a safe house and candy for that child.

Hard candy, small round candies and whole nuts are choking hazards for children under 4. Leave them out if any child under 4, guest or sibling, will be at the table.

Set up the stations

• Cover the table with plastic tablecloths. Icing and sprinkles get everywhere.
• Give each child a disposable apron and a spot with their house on its cake board.
• Sort candy into small bowls or the cups of a muffin tin, with a spoon in each. Spoons keep hands out of the shared candy.
• Fill disposable piping bags about halfway with royal icing. Twist the tops closed. Make two or three bags per child, since they run out fast.
• Keep paper towels and a trash bag nearby.

The 90-minute plan

First 10 minutes, arrivals: everyone washes hands and puts on an apron.

10 to 50 minutes, decorate: show kids how to squeeze a little icing and press candy into it. Adults can help hold the bags.

50 to 65 minutes, snack break: everyone washes hands again and moves away from the candy table for a simple snack and drinks. The icing on the houses gets a chance to firm up.

65 to 80 minutes, finish up: kids add last details. For kids who finish early, set out printable activity pages for coloring and puzzles at a separate table.

Last 10 minutes, pack up: slide each house, still on its cake board, into a bakery box. Write the child’s name on the box.

Food safety notes

• Wash hands before decorating and after the snack.
• Don’t leave perishable food out for more than two hours. Put the snack away after the break.
• Throw out leftover candy that children touched.

Cleanup and going home

Roll up the tablecloths with the crumbs inside, then wipe chairs and the floor. Send houses home in their boxes, carried flat. A sturdy plate works if you don’t have a cake board. Only send home houses built with icing. A display house built with hot glue stays with you.