BEDFORD – The tradition of making gingerbread houses has become an annual event for kindergarten students at Lincoln Elementary School at Christmas time.
The school has carried on this tradition for more than 18 years. On Wednesday, this year kindergarten students in both April Colchin’s and Kenzi Terry’s classes carried on the tradition.
“I love to see the joy on the kids’ faces and the parents’ and grandparents’ faces,” said April Couchin, who has participated in the school’s tradition for 10 years. “Years later I will see a student and they still say it was one of their favorite things they did in kindergarten.”
“Their smiles are worth it all,” added Kenzi Terry. “Tradition is everything. It helps us connect relationships and generations. It’s passed down from one to the next bringing everyone close. Tradition contributes a sense of comfort and belonging making memories that last a lifetime.”
Building a gingerbread house allows a child’s creativity to run wild. The graham crackers serve as a blank canvas for them to create the house they imagine.
Students carefully constructed houses, complete with sturdy cookie walls and roofs, glued together with royal icing and decorated with candy treats.
Heaven Cooper helped her twin brothers Ryder and Kruz Cooper. Heaven attended kindergarten at Lincoln Elementary and reflected on the school tradition.
“My kindergarten teacher was Mrs. Maxwell and Mrs. Duncan was our aid,” added Heaven. “I still remember building my gingerbread house and wanted to share the experience with my brothers. It is something years from now we can sit and reflect on and remember doing it together and I can say I did it in kindergarten and now so can they. It’s a memory we can share. Hopefully, our little sister who is two will get to have the same memory.”
Lauren Hubbard was feeling nostalgic. She has made a gingerbread house with four of her children who attended Lincoln Elementary.
“This is my last year,” she added. “But a memory, I can now say I have shared with all my children.”
Odin said the best part was using the icing to glue the candies on the house.
Waylon Meadows and his father Joe and stepmother Nicole worked together on Waylon’s gingerbread house. Waylon was sampling the candy while constructing his masterpiece.
“I like making the windows,” Waylon said. “The gumdrops and Jolly Ranchers are really good.”
Five-year-old Paul Query liked decorating his gingerbread house.
“The chocolate candies are the best,” he added.
