Descubre cómo llevar a tu clase de inglés con los más peques esta nueva versión de la historia de The Gingerbread Man. En este blog, te sumergirás en la emocionante aventura de explorar una nueva versión de la clásica historia de The Gingerbread Man y aprenderás cómo llevarla a tu clase de manera dinámica. Prepárate para descubrir estrategias, recursos divertidos y consejos prácticos para hacer que tus clases sean experiencias inolvidables mientras compartes con tus estudiantes el encanto de este clásico navideño.
The Gingerbread Man and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Once upon a time, there was a Gingerbread Man who lived in a cozy kitchen during the festive season. He was made from the best gingerbread dough and had candy eyes, a gumdrop nose, and a liquorice smile. When he was baked, he came to life and was filled with lots of excitement.
When the oven door opened and the warmth surrounded him, the Gingerbread Man jumped off the tray. He was so eager to explore the world outside the kitchen.
He quickly ran through the house, passing by the dining room where a family was having supper. They asked him to stop and wanted to take a bite of him because they were hungry. But the Gingerbread Man ignored them and kept on running, wanting to have an adventure.
Outside, he saw a playground with children laughing and playing. They asked him to play with them, but he ran past them, too excited to stop.
He ran through gardens and fields, and no one could catch him. He teased them by saying, «Run, run as fast as you can! You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!»
Finally, he reached a river and thought he had outsmarted everyone. But there was Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, sitting on the riverbank. Rudolph offered to help the Gingerbread Man cross the river by jumping on his back.
At first, the Gingerbread Man was unsure, but when he saw Rudolph’s kind smile, he decided to trust him. They crossed the river together, with the water touching their feet.
When they reached the other side, the Gingerbread Man thanked Rudolph and hopped off his back. Just then, a sly fox appeared, but Rudolph sensed the danger and quickly led the Gingerbread Man away to safety.
Rudolph took the Gingerbread Man to a group of friendly woodland animals. They all worked together to build a cozy gingerbread house where the Gingerbread Man could live happily with his new friends.
And so, the Gingerbread Man’s adventure had a happy ending. He learned the importance of trust and the kindness of strangers, especially when guided by a loyal friend like Rudolph. Now, he had a joyful and secure home with his new friends.
A continuación, te proponemos una serie de dinámicas, ideas y actividades a realizar a partir de esta nueva versión del cuento. Al final, también se incluye un pequeño guion teatral adaptado para representar en el aula con tus peques.
⛄Descubre cuánto saben tus estudiantes sobre los personajes navideños más míticos
1. Santa wears a…
a) Red suit and a hat
b) Blue suit and gloves
c) Green suit and boots
2. Who has a shiny red nose?
a) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
b) Frosty the Snowman
c) Santa’s elves
3. What brings gifts to children on Christmas Eve?
a) The Gingerbread Man
b) The Tooth Fairy
c) Santa
4. Who lives in the North Pole?
a) Mrs. Claus
b) The Easter Bunny
c) Santa
5. Who helps Santa make toys?
a) The Grinch
b) Rudolph
c) Elves
Answers:
1. a) Red suit and a hat
2. a) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
3. c) Santa
4. c) Santa
5. c) Elves
🦌Presenta a los personajes y el vocabulario clave de la historia
Gingerbread Man
A cookie made from special gingerbread dough with candy eyes, a gumdrop nose, and a liquorice smile
Idea de juego para presentar al personaje: Coloring Gingerbread Cookies
Materials: Gingerbread-shaped cookies cutouts
Activity: Let the kids decorate and colour their own gingerbread cookies
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Description: A friendly reindeer with a bright red nose who helps the Gingerbread Man
Game: Pin the Nose on Rudolph
Materials: Picture of Rudolph without a nose, red circular stickers
Activity: Blindfold the children, give them a red sticker, and have them try to stick it on Rudolph’s nose on the picture
Key Vocabulary
- Cozy: warm, comfortable, and snug.
- Sugerencia de juego para explicar el concepto: Cozy Hide-and-Seek
- Activity: Have a cozy hide-and-seek indoors using blankets or pillows as hiding spots.
Teased: playfully provoking or taunting others.
- Sugerencia de juego para explicar el concepto: Teasing Freeze Dance
- Activity: Play music and pause it randomly. When paused, the kids freeze and tease their friends by making funny faces or movements until the music starts again.
Trust: believing in someone and relying on their support or help.
- Sugerencia de juego para explicar el concepto: Trust Walk
- Activity: Pair up the children, blindfold one child, and have the other guide them through an obstacle course, fostering trust between them.
Secure: feeling safe and protected.
- Sugerencia de juego para explicar el concepto: Secure Shelter Building
- Activity: Provide materials (like cardboard, blankets, and pillows) for kids to build forts or shelters, ensuring they feel secure inside.
Estos juegos pueden ayudar a reforzar el vocabulario y a involucrar a los niños pequeños en actividades relacionadas con la historia del Hombre de Jengibre y su aventura con Rudolph.
Narra y dramatiza la historia
- Utiliza marionetas: Utiliza muñecos o marionetas del Hombre de Jengibre y Rudolph para representar la historia de manera visual y entretenida. Los niños pueden seguir la historia con las imágenes y gestos de los muñecos.
- Emplea un lenguaje sencillo y gestos expresivos: Utiliza un lenguaje simple y gestos expresivos al contar la historia. Asegúrate de hablar despacio y enfatizar las emociones y acciones de los personajes para mantener la atención de los niños.
- Involucra a los pequeños: Haz preguntas mientras narras la historia para involucrar a los niños. Por ejemplo, «¿Qué crees que pasará después?» o «¿Qué harías tú si fueras el Hombre de Jengibre?»
- Utiliza música y baile: Acompaña la narración con música que represente diferentes momentos de la historia. ¡Incluso puedes invitar a los niños a bailar como el Hombre de Jengibre mientras corres!
Al utilizar estas estrategias y actividades, podrás mantener a los niños comprometidos y ayudarles a comprender mejor la historia del Hombre de Jengibre y su aventura con Rudolph.
📖 Reordena los eventos de la historia
- He teases those who try to catch him by running faster and saying, «You can’t catch me!»
- Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer helps the Gingerbread Man cross a river and protects him from danger.
- The Gingerbread Man finds a happy ending when he is taken in by friendly woodland animals and lives happily in a gingerbread house.
- A Gingerbread Man comes to life and is filled with excitement when baked.
- The Gingerbread Man runs past a family and children who want to interact with him, as he is eager for adventure.
Answer key
- A Gingerbread Man comes to life and is filled with excitement when baked.
- The Gingerbread Man runs past a family and children who want to interact with him, as he is eager for adventure.
- He teases those who try to catch him by running faster and saying, «You can’t catch me!»
- Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer helps the Gingerbread Man cross a river and protects him from danger.
- The Gingerbread Man finds a happy ending when he is taken in by friendly woodland animals and lives happily in a gingerbread house.
📖 Comprueba cuánto recuerdan tus estudiantes de la historia con este divertido Quiz
1. 🍪 What was the Gingerbread Man made of?
a) 🍫 Chocolate dough
b) 🍬 Gingerbread dough
c) 🍪 Sugar cookies
2. 🏠 Where did the Gingerbread Man live?
a) 🌳 In a garden
b) 🏠 In a cozy kitchen
c) 🎪 In a playground
3. 👃 What did the Gingerbread Man have for a nose?
a) 👀 Candy eyes
b) 🍬 A gumdrop nose
c) 🍫 A chocolate nose
4. 🦌 Who offered to help the Gingerbread Man cross the river?
a) 🦊 A fox
b) 🦌 Rudolph the reindeer
c) 🐰 A rabbit
5. 🍽️ Why did the family in the dining room want the Gingerbread Man to stop?
a) 🎮 They wanted to play with him
b) 🍽️ They were hungry and wanted to eat him
c) 🎁 They wanted to give him a gift
6. 🏃 What did the Gingerbread Man say to the others when they couldn’t catch him?
a) «Catch me if you can!» 🏃
b) «You’re too slow!» 🐢
c) «Run, run as fast as you can!» 🏃♂️
7. 🏡 Where did the Gingerbread Man finally live happily?
a) 🏰 In a castle
b) 🏡 In a gingerbread house with new friends
c) 🎪 In a playground
8. 🦊 Who helped the Gingerbread Man stay safe from the sly fox?
a) 🦌 Rudolph
b) 👧 The children at the playground
c) 🐱 A friendly cat
9. 🤔 What did the Gingerbread Man learn during his adventure?
a) 🤝 The importance of trust and kindness
b) 🕊️ How to fly
c) 🍪 How to make gingerbread cookies
10. 🚣♂️ Who did the Gingerbread Man trust to help him cross the river?
a) 🦋 A butterfly
b) 🦌 Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
c) 🐿️ A squirrel
Answer key:
b) Gingerbread dough
b) In a cozy kitchen
b) A gumdrop nose
b) Rudolph the reindeer
b) They were hungry and wanted to eat him
c) «Run, run as fast as you can!»
b) In a gingerbread house with new friends
a) Rudolph
a) The importance of trust and kindness
b) Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
🕺 Get them moving!
Transforma el cuento en un juego interactivo de movimiento. Asigna a cada estudiante un personaje del cuento, como el Hombre de Jengibre, el hombre viejo, la mujer vieja, la vaca, el zorro, Rudolph. Mientras se lee en voz alta la historia, cada estudiante debe representar los movimientos de su personaje asignado. Por ejemplo, cuando el Hombre de Jengibre corre, pueden saltar o brincar alrededor del salón. Esta actividad involucrará su amor por el movimiento al mismo tiempo que mejorará su comprensión e imaginación.
🏃♂️ Carrera de obstáculos
Prepara un circuito de obstáculos inspirado en las diferentes escenas del cuento del Hombre de Jengibre. Crea estaciones que representen partes clave de la historia, como el río, el granero o la madriguera del zorro. Cada estación implicará una actividad física relacionada con la historia, como saltar sobre un «río» hecho con colchonetas azules o gatear a través de un «granero» hecho con cajas de cartón. Divide la clase en grupos pequeños y haz que naveguen por el circuito de obstáculos, fingiendo ser el Hombre de Jengibre escapando de los diferentes personajes. Esta actividad estimulará su amor por el movimiento, mejorará sus habilidades motoras gruesas y reforzará su comprensión del argumento del cuento.
Estas ideas brindarán una experiencia de aprendizaje atractiva y relevante para los estudiantes de preescolar, alineándose con su contexto y desarrollo apropiado para su edad.
🧮Divertidos problemas matemáticos: ¿Podrán tus estudiantes resolver estos desafíos navideños?
1. Gingerbread Man and Rudolph are baking cookies for their friends. Gingerbread Man made 5 gingerbread cookies and Rudolph made 3 candy cane cookies. How many cookies did they make in total?
2. Gingerbread Man and Rudolph are playing in the snow. Gingerbread Man makes 4 snowballs and Rudolph makes 2 snowballs. How many snowballs did they make together?
3. Gingerbread Man and Rudolph are decorating a Christmas tree. Gingerbread Man hangs 6 red ornaments and Rudolph hangs 3 green ornaments. How many ornaments did they hang in total?
Puesta en escena: Act it Out!
Characters:
- Gingerbread Man: A cheerful character made of gingerbread dough.
- Rudolph: A friendly red-nosed reindeer.
- Friendly Animals: A group of woodland creatures.
Scene 1: (Stage depicts a cozy kitchen with a large oven)
- Narrator: Once upon a time, in a kitchen filled with warmth and delicious scents, a Gingerbread Man came to life! He had candy eyes, a gumdrop nose, and a big liquorice smile.
- Gingerbread Man: (Popping out of the oven) I’m alive and ready for fun!
- (Scene transitions to the house)
Scene 2: (Gingerbread Man runs around, filled with excitement)
- Gingerbread Man: Whee! I want to explore the world!
- (He passes a family dining)
- Family: Stop, Gingerbread Man! We’d love to have you for dinner!
- Gingerbread Man: No way! I’m off to more adventure!
- (Scene shifts to children playing in the backyard)
- Children: Stop, Gingerbread Man! Play with us!
- Gingerbread Man: Nope, I’m too fast for you all!
- (Scene shows Gingerbread Man running away from everyone)
Scene 3: (Gingerbread Man reaches a river and stops)
- Gingerbread Man: I made it! I’m safe now!
- (Rudolph appears by the river)
- Rudolph: Hop on my back, Gingerbread Man. I’ll help you cross!
- Gingerbread Man: Okay!
- (Rudolph and Gingerbread Man cross the river together)
Scene 4: (Gingerbread Man jumps off Rudolph’s back)
- Gingerbread Man: Thanks, Rudolph! You’re a great friend.
- (Sly fox enters)
- Sly fox: I’ll catch you, Gingerbread Man!
- Rudolph: Quick, follow me!
- (Rudolph guides Gingerbread Man away from the fox)
Scene 5: (Gingerbread Man and Rudolph meet friendly animals)
- Friendly Animals: Welcome, Gingerbread Man! You’re safe here with us.
- Gingerbread Man: Yay! I found new friends!
- (They all build a cozy gingerbread house together)
Narrator: And so, the Gingerbread Man found a happy home with his new friends, safe and joyful forever!
(Characters wave and smile as the curtain closes.)
End of Play.
(Note: Simple props like a gingerbread cutout, a red nose for Rudolph, and friendly animal masks can bring this play to life for toddlers)
Manuela Mena es Licenciada en Traducción e Interpretación, Máster en Neuropsicología, Experta en Docencia Online & Qualified CELTA Teacher. Actualmente trabaja como directora académica de la escuela de idiomas The Language House y CEO de la consultora educativa feelthelanguage.com. Asimismo, imparte clases en la Universidad Antonio de Nebrija y el SDI de Múnich, además de examinar para los diferentes niveles de Cambridge ESOL.