Around Oakley: Gingerbread a joy through the eyes of a child

By Roni Gehlke
HOME VALUES may be down this year, but that hasn't stopped a determined group of Oakley preschoolers from going on a building binge. They don't expect to close any sales, but there are definitely sweet rewards for their labors.

It took more than a week for the youngsters at A Child's Place Preschool to build their "gingerbread community" as part of their holiday treat this year.

"Lots of learning and fun going on this week with colors, counting and fine motor coordination, while making our gingerbread community," said Carolyn Hays director and owner of the preschool.

Along with their building, the little ones had a chance to count cereal and candies, as well as name the colors that went into designing their works of art. While those are normal skills learned at preschools, these kids learned some skills that are even tough for most adults to learn: getting the buildings to hold together.

Building gingerbread houses has been the bane of my existence for the last several Christmas seasons. Sure it looks easy and there are lots of kits for sale, but getting the buildings to stand in the square shapes is another story altogether. Even so, these children and their amazingly patient caregivers were able to build houses that not only stood on their own, but stayed that way long enough for the houses to be completed and entered into the Contra Costa Times community gingerbread contest.

Lucky for these preschoolers they had a secret weapon. The knowledge of several years of testing their building skills from the staff at A Child's Place. One of the tricks of the trade they learned was that it takes a very thick set of powdered sugar and water to hold the building together. Sometimes even adding some vanilla frosting to the mix helps strengthen the frosting "glue." The only problem with that it just tastes so darn good, so getting toddlers to understand the white sweet stuff goes on the houses and not in their mouths was a little difficult.

Parents at A Child's Place donated various kits, candies and decorating items for the gingerbread houses. Many of the houses looked like the original houses that became famous by the Brothers Grimm when they published their fairy tale collection which included "Hansel and Gretel" in the 19th century. Even so there were some children who showed their budding architectural skills by building some flat-top adobes and two-story duplexes.

Of course gingerbread houses can look like whatever the designer wants them to look like, as long as they are made of gingerbread. The original gingerbread cookies were carved works of art that served as a sort of storyboard that told the news of the day, bearing the likeness of new kings, emperors and queens or religious symbols. The finished cookie might be decorated with edible gold paint or flat white icing to bring out the details.

Following the Christmas holiday traditions was the theme at A Child's Place over the past couple of weeks. Bringing back tradition of her childhood, Hays offers a hot chocolate social. Parents and children from the preschool were invited to meet and enjoy hot cocoa and Santa Claus for the evening.

The children also had a chance to decorate a Christmas tree with child safe ornaments. This is a special tree where the children get to decorate it over and over again. The dress-up room, which usually holds doctors' uniforms and firemen outfits were filled with wise man hats, elf outfits and black boots.

There was even a gift-wrap room where kids could learn to wrap up gifts for the holidays. A big change from what the kids are doing today as they busy themselves with unwrapping the presents. Too bad we all can't be preschoolers again. They just have the most fun.

No matter what you celebrate this time of year — Christmas, Kwanzaa or Hanukkah — take the time to see them through a child's eyes and have a great day.

Roni Gehlke is an Oakley resident. Reach her at ourbackyard@comcast.net.