Gingerbread Men Shaped Padded Envelope Poppers

The first real "sticking" snow of the season...

...means it's gingerbread men time at our house.

When the children were tiny we'd have a Gingerbread Man unit study.  Now, we pretty much settle for decorating the cookies, with maybe a story, and quick craft thrown in for the younger children.  I love how every year there's a new version of the old story to be found.  Our favorite this year (actually from 2009, but new to us) is "The Gingerbread Girl" written and performed by Jim Rule and Friends, and not to be confused with the picture book by Lisa Campbell Ernst (also a good story).

As to the craft, I lucked out, and had a grad gift for T delivered in a bubble wrap lined envelope instead of a box, so we could stick with our "keeping fall simple" theme, and re-use another old idea - padded envelope poppers.

I cut the bag open, then traced around a cookie cutter on the paper, and cut out gingerbread men...

...for the children to decorate...

...and pop.  Making for an extremely simple craft, and a toy to boot.  Who doesn't like to pop bubble wrap?  In fact, the teens were a little miffed I didn't save any for them.  I guess I know what I'll put in their stockings come Christmas.

A few tips: 

• Popping bubble wrap attached to a paper envelope is a little different than popping regular bubble wrap.  You have to place your thumb and fingers just right - and use more force.  It might be difficult for small children (it probably represents some kind of choking/suffocation hazard, too - so be careful).
• Some packing envelopes have bubble wrap that pops easier than others.  It's a good idea to test it out, before cutting the shapes.
• I was worried that washable marker used to decorate the shapes, would come off on the children's hands while popping the bubble wrap.  But, allowed to dry completely, the marker did not come off the paper.