2020 Gingerbread Exchange Goes Virtual

 Hi Friends,

The Gingerbread Exchange will be a little different this year.  Instead of physically mailing paper gingerbread men to other classrooms, each class will email a photo of their creation to twelve other classes.  Including a letter about your class and location in the email is also encouraged.  Please don't email any photographs of students in your class. 

Each teacher can print out the gingerbread man photographs that you receive to show them to your class and/or display them on a map.

I would love to be included in these emails so that I can share photos of the paper gingerbread men here on GrowinginPreK.blogspot.com.

Here is the Sign Up Genius Link.  Please DO NOT provide your physical address this year, just your email address.

Blessings,

Eilis

GrowinginPreK

Gingerbread Exchange 2018

It's time for the annual Gingerbread Man Exchange!  Each December, wonderful Pre-K and Kindergarten classes have been mailing paper creations to each other and learning a little geography in the process. If you would like to participate this year, the deadline to sign up is November 27, 2018. In the photo above, the students wrote letters.  It is fine to send out a teacher written letter done on the printer.

The gingerbread men must be mailed between December 1 and December 4, 2018. Gingerbread men may be decorated with glitter, yarn, fabric, stickers, markers, crayon, paint, etc. (no candy or food items.) Please include a short note from your class and if possible a photo of the students. You will mail one gingerbread man to each class on the list you sign up on.  You should receive one gingerbread man from each of the classes on your list.

If your class would like to send out and receive 12 paper gingerbread men, sign up once.  If you want to exchange 24 paper gingerbread men, you may sign up on two lists.
You may notice that there is an extra sign up slot on your list, that is because your class will not be sending a gingerbread man to your own address.

When signing up, PLEASE LOOK to see who has already signed up on a particular list.  Everyone wants to send and receive mail from as wide a variety of places as possible.  Try to sign up on a list that does not yet have a school from your state signed up. (For some states like Georgia and Texas, this in unavoidable because we get a big response.  Let's try to limit each list to two schools from these states.)  Please don't sign up more than one class from the same school on the same list. I will be checking the sign up to see if it is filling up and we need to add additional lists.  YOU CAN edit your own sign up if you realize that you provided the wrong zip code, etc.

If you would like to Skype in addition to the mailing project, please put that information and your email address under your address.  That way, other teachers on your list who wish to Skype with you can contact you




Here's the link to sign up.  Have fun!!


If you would like to have your gingerbread bulletin board featured in the future, please email me a picture.

Eilis
growinginprek@gmail.com

2017 Gingerbread Exchange

It's time for the annual Gingerbread Man Exchange!  Each December, wonderful Pre-K and Kindergarten classes have been mailing paper creations to each other and learning a little geography in the process. If you would like to participate this year, the deadline to sign up is November 27, 2017.

The gingerbread men must be mailed between December 1 and December 4, 2017. Gingerbread men may be decorated with glitter, yarn, fabric, stickers, markers, crayon, paint, etc. (no candy or food items.) Please include a short note from your class and if possible a photo of the students. You will mail one gingerbread man to each class on the list you sign up on.  You should receive one gingerbread man from each of the classes on your list.

If your class would like to send out and receive 12 paper gingerbread men, sign up once.  If you want to exchange 24 paper gingerbread men, you may sign up on two lists.
You may notice that there is an extra sign up slot on your list, that is because your class will not be sending a gingerbread man to your own address.

When signing up, PLEASE LOOK to see who has already signed up on a particular list.  Everyone wants to send and receive mail from as wide a variety of places as possible.  Try to sign up on a list that does not yet have a school from your state signed up. (For some states like Georgia and Texas, this in unavoidable because we get a big response.  Let's try to limit each list to two schools from these states.)  Please don't sign up more than one class from the same school on the same list. I will be checking the sign up to see if it is filling up and we need to add additional lists.  YOU CAN edit your own sign up if you realize that you provided the wrong zip code, etc.

If you would like to Skype in addition to the mailing project, please put that information and your email address under your address.  That way, other teachers on your list who wish to Skype with you can contact you




Here's the link to sign up.  Have fun!!


If you would like to have your gingerbread bulletin board featured in the future, please email me a picture.

Eilis
growinginprek@gmail.com

Gingerbread Exchange 2015

It's time for the annual Gingerbread Man Exchange!  Each December, wonderful Pre-K and Kindergarten classes have been mailing paper creations to each other and learning a little geography in the process. If you would like to participate this year, the deadline to sign up is November 27, 2015.

The gingerbread men must be mailed between December 1 and December 3, 2015. Gingerbread men may be decorated with glitter, yarn, fabric, stickers, markers, crayon, paint, etc. (no candy or food items.) Please include a short note from your class and if possible a photo of the students. You will mail one gingerbread man to each class on the list you sign up on.  You should receive one gingerbread man from each of the classes on your list.

If your class would like to send out and receive 12 paper gingerbread men, sign up HERE.
If your class would like to send out and receive 20 paper gingerbread men, sign up HERE.
You may notice that there is an extra sign up slot on your list, that is because your class will not be sending a gingerbread man to your own address.

When signing up, PLEASE LOOK to see who has already signed up on a particular list.  Everyone wants to send and receive mail from as wide a variety of places as possible.  Try to sign up on a list that does not yet have a school from your state signed up. (For some states like Georgia and Texas, this in unavoidable because we get a big response.  Let's try to limit each list to two schools from these states.)  Please don't sign up more than one class from the same school on the same list. I will be checking the sign up to see if it is filling up and we need to add additional lists.  YOU CAN edit your own sign up if you realize that you provided the wrong zip code, etc.

If you would like to Skype in addition to the mailing project, please put that information and your email address under your address.  That way, other teachers on your list who wish to Skype with you can contact you.

Have Fun!

Eilis

2014 Gingerbread Exchange

The annual Pre-K/Kindergarten Gingerbread Man Exchange is back by popular demand.

Veronica sent me this photo of her map from last year.  I love it!

I am pretty swamped with kindergarten and other projects at the moment, so I have come up with a more self-serve style of swap this year.  If you want to participate, you can go to either of two Sign-up Genius links.  You will add your mailing address to a list and mail ONE paper gingerbread man to each class on your list by December 3rd, 2014.  You should receive one gingerbread man back from each of the other classes on your list.

Please, please, please....
look at the other addresses on the list you are signing up on.  If your state already appears more than once, please go down to another list.  Most participants want to send and receive gingerbread men from classes all over the country. (Likewise, if there are two classes from your school participating, please sign up on different lists.)

When mailing your paper gingerbread men, please keep these things in mind:

Please do not include any candy or food items.  The gingerbread men can be decorated with ribbon, lace, stickers, paint, markers, etc.
Please include a short note telling a little about your class, school, or hometown.
The kids love to see a picture of your class if you are able to include one.
Please be sure to mail your gingerbread men by December 3rd.  Last year we had lots of weather delays.  I am hoping this earlier deadline will ensure that all the gingerbread men arrive before Christmas holidays begin.

Here's the link if you want to mail 12 Gingerbread men:
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a084bacac292-exchanging

Here's the link if you want to mail 20 Gingerbread men:
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a084bacac292-exchanging1

If you realize that you want to change the list you are signed up on, you can add and/or delete yourself. You can also fix errors in your address, etc.
Please do not make any more changes after Nov. 30th, since people will be addressing envelopes by then.

If you have a question that hasn't been covered here, please email me at growinginprek@gmail.com. Again, I am really hoping that this will kind of take care of itself this year :).

I would love to post pictures of your bulletin boards if you email them to me.

And...
The GrowinginPreK Facebook Page is just 15 away from 1000 likes.  Please make my day and help me reach 4 digits!

Blessings,
Eilis

A Little News

Here are a few more wonderful Gingerbread Exchange 2013 photos.  Thank you Angela and Drea for emailing these to me!

Love, love, love this idea shared by Sarah from North Carolina:

A little background on how we share:

We get our gingerbread mailbox and sing: "We just got a gingerbread, we just got a gingerbread, we just got a gingerbread, let's see where it's from!"  (like the song from BLUES CLUES - "we just got a letter").

Then we open our gingerbread mail, pass around the gingerbread boy/girl, and then find the place where the gingerbread came from on the fabric/cloth map. Later, Ms. Nik places a gingerbread sticker (as a marker) on the laminated poster map and a matching gingerbread sticker on the gingerbread received to be displayed.

Leah and Sue and Debi also emailed me some great photos:

I also have some news.  I will be teaching kindergarten in my new city starting in January!  So... I look forward to participating in the 2014 Valentine Exchange with my new class.  I will put the information here in mid January.

It seems appropriate for me to change the name of this blog slightly.  It will now be called GrowinginPreK and K. The link to it will still be GrowinginPreK.blogspot.com.

Blessings,

Eilis

Gingerbread Exchange Photos

Thank you very much to Jeanne  and Jess for emailing me some photos of this year's Gingerbread Exchange.

 I'd love to add some more here if you will email them to GrowinginPreK@gmail.com.

Looking for more gingerbread activities?
The FREE printable gingerbread man sight word hunt that I created last year is still available at my Teachers Notebook Shop.

Hope everyone has a wonderful last week before Christmas Break!

Eilis

Thank You for the Amazing Response to the Gingerbread Exchange

We have 126 classes participating this year!  The 2013 list is now closed.
I plan to do the Valentine Exchange again.  Check back in January for more information.
Be sure to follow this blog or Like the Facebook page so you will be notified in time to sign up.

Blessings,
Eilis

It's Time for the Gingerbread Exchange!

This year the Gingerbread Man Exchange will take place in a "pay it forward" style.  If you want your class to participate, please email the following information to me (by Friday, November 15th) at Gingerbreadletter@gmail.com:

School Name
Attn:
School Street Address

i.e.  Cookie Cutter School
      Attn:  Miss Flour's Class
       123 Sweet St.
       Sugarville, FL 12345

Please use the above format so that I can just copy and paste directly to my list.

If you wish to have the mail sent to your home address, please add (home), so I will know that you didn't forget to write the school name.

Please send me one email per participating class. Please only use the above email address, so I can keep track of this year's participants.

If two classes from the same school wish to participate, each teacher should send me a separate email.  If you have two classes (T-Th and MWF), and want each to participate separately, please send me two separate emails and differentiate the addresses in some way (so the mail will go to the right class).  This makes it much easier for me to keep an accurate count of addresses and email addresses.  Also, if you want to mail 24 gingerbread men and receive 24 gingerbread men, you can email me as if you have two classes.  Send two separate emails and add "part 1" and "part 2" to your address.  Ex:

First email:  Cookie Cutter School
                 Attn:  Miss Flour's Class  (Part 1)
                 123 Sweet St.
                 Sugarville, FL 12345

Second email:   Cookie Cutter School
                      Attn:  Miss Flour's Class  (Part 2)
                     123 Sweet St.
                     Sugarville, FL 12345

This will allow me to put you two places on the list, so you're not sending a gingerbread man to yourself and/or getting two from the same classes.

I will make one giant list of all the classes that wish to participate.  I will spread the addresses geographically around the list as much as possible.  Please understand that I usually get a large number of participants from Texas, Florida, etc. so you will probably be receiving more gingerbread mail from those states.  I don't want to turn anyone down just because I have a large response from a given state.

I will email the list to everyone on Monday, November 18th.  Please send one paper gingerbread man to the twelve classes that follow yours on the list.  Your class will in turn receive paper gingerbread men from the twelve classes the appeared above you on the list.  There is no set size for the gingerbread men.  I find that the ones that are attached to a card with the letter inside are easier to keep track of.

Your students may decorate the gingerbread men with markers, crayon, lace, ribbon, stickers, etc.  PLEASE NO FOOD OR CANDY.  You may add a photo of your class if you wish.  The kids love to see other classes!  Please include a brief letter with some interesting facts about your school, class, state, why you decorated it the way you did, etc.

All the gingerbread men should be mailed out by Wednesday, December 4, 2013. This should allow enough time for all the gingerbread men to arrive before Christmas breaks begin.

This exchange is intended for Preschool, Pre-K, Bridge, and Kindergarten classes.  Homeschoolers are welcome as long as they have students in this age group.

Again, the last day to sign up is Friday, November 15th.

I don't have a class myself this year since I recently moved cities. I would LOVE it if you share some photos of the gingerbread with me via email!

Blessings,

Eilis

Gingerbread Exchange

I have had a few emails asking whether I will be organizing a Gingerbread Man Exchange again this year.
The answer is "yes."  It will be in the form of a "pay it forward" exchange like I did with the Valentine exchange last year.  That means I will put everyone on one giant list.  Your class will send a paper gingerbread man to the twelve classes that fall below you on the list.  Your class will receive from the twelve names above you on the list.  This worked very smoothly last February.  I will try to spread the various states evenly around on the list.

Sign up will begin on November 1, 2013.  I will create a special gmail address for you to use at that time.
The Exchange will start right after the Thanksgiving break.  Full details will be included on Nov. 1 as well.

Blessings,

Eilis