Building a gingerbread house with your kids is a must-do holiday tradition . . . but with the holiday craziness, it's perfectly OK if you haven't quite gotten to it yet. Your kids won't care in the least because they get to play with candy (and eat the leftovers). Pro tip — they come in especially handy a week or so into the New Year when you need something to keep the kids busy for a while!
We're sure you'll need to make a Target run (or 10) soon, and it just so happens to be one of our favourite places to pick up a gingerbread house. They have the best selection (you can even get Santa's camper!), and most are currently sale, so you can snap up a few for an afternoon when sugar will only help the situation. Read through to see 13 of our favourite gingerbread houses that you can build with your kids for some delicious family fun [1].
Gingerbread Chalet
This A-frame Gingerbread Chalet [3] ($3, originally $10) is straight out of a wooded Winter wonderland. Large pieces mean less opportunity for construction mishaps and lots of space for decorating.
Bullseye’s Gingerbread Dog House
If your kids can't get enough of Bullseye the Target dog, they'll beg (or roll over) for the chance to build a gingerbread house that's just his size. Complete with dog bone candy pieces and a Bullseye to decorate however you like, Bullseye's Gingerbread Dog House [4] ($2, originally $7) is paws-itively perfect.
Pre-Built Gingerbread House
Do your gingerbread construction skills leave something to be desired? Skip the hard part, and get straight to the fun with this Pre-Built Gingerbread House [5] ($13). This bare-bones kit doesn't come with decorations, which means your family can use all the leftover decorations from your holiday cookies. Score!
Gingerbread Camper
Eschew the traditional gingerbread house for Santa's kitschy Gingerbread Camper [6] ($3, originally $10). Seriously, if anyone deserves a relaxing weekend in the woods this time of year, it's the big man in red.
Mickey’s Gingerbread House
Add one more piece to your family's Disney holiday decoration stash [7] with Mickey's Gingerbread House [8] ($4, originally $13). Your kids will love placing Mickey's friends throughout the house and, of course, the colourful Mickey-shaped candies.
Jelly Belly Gingerbread House
Feed your jelly bean obsession with this Jelly Belly Gingerbread House [9] ($3, originally $11). It might be hard to resist sneaking a handful (or two) of those uniquely flavoured beans, but try to save a few for the house.
Tootsie Roll Gingerbread Cottage
Most gingerbread kits come with the same old candies, but this Tootsie Roll Gingerbread Cottage [10] ($3, originally $11) comes with an assortment of classic candies, including chocolate and fruity Tootsie Rolls. It also comes with a handy tray where you can build your house and let the icing set.
Haribo Gingerbread Cottage
Love gummy bears? You'll love this fruity, chewy take on the traditional gingerbread house. This Haribo Gingerbread Cottage [11] ($3, originally $11) also utilises "link and lock" pieces, making it easier to build than most gingerbread kits.
Llama Sugar Cookie House
It's not technically gingerbread, but this whimsical Llama Sugar Cookie House [12] ($3, originally $10) is so cute that we don't care. You only need to attach the house front to the base before your kids can go wild with the icing, sanding sugar, and premade figurines.
Deluxe Gingerbread House
Your aspiring artists can go to town with the variety of candies in this Deluxe Gingerbread House [13] ($3, originally $10). Many reviewers were less than impressed by the quality of the icing in this kit, so you may want to buy your own or, if you aren't planning to snack on your gingerbread house, use hot glue.
Gingerbread Pre-Built House
This prebuilt option [14] comes with everything you need to frost and bedeck the gingerbread home of your dreams. With the Gingerbread Pre-Built House [15] ($3, originally $11), you can decorate as soon as you pull the house out of the box, instead of listening to your kids ask over and over it it's dry yet.
Nestle Gingerbread Cottage
The Nestle Gingerbread Cottage [16] ($3, originally $11) lets you dress up your house with Nerds, SweeTARTS, Runts, and Bottle Caps! We don't know how to actually make it snow candy, but snow made from Nerds would be a dream come true.
Gingerbread Mini Village
The Gingerbread Mini Village [17] ($3, originally $10) is perfect for families who like a little friendly competition. Let everyone build and decorate their own minihouse and then vote on a winner!