In the hands-on Gingerbread Adventures program at The New York Botanical Garden, children learn about the different plant parts used in creating the favorite holiday snack, gingerbread. From November 21 through January 10, 2010, in the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, youngsters will be amazed to discover that cinnamon comes from the bark of a tree and ginger is derived from an underground stem, as they use their senses to examine these and other plant ingredients that go into a classic gingerbread recipe.
Vibrant vignettes of a gingerbread town deck the halls of the Discovery Center where Gingerbread Adventures takes place. A gingerbread jazz band, ice skaters, and farmer are among the colorful characters displayed having adventures of their own. Meanwhile, children grind and examine gingerbread ingredients under a microscope and develop a field research notebook about their visit. They’ll also have the opportunity to decorate pots with faces and plant wheat seeds that will quickly grow into a miniature head of wheat hair at home and be a fun, living reminder that flour, a key ingredient in gingerbread, is derived from a plant.
While in the Adventure Garden, families should not miss the display of gingerbread houses. Some of New York’s best and most imaginative bakers prepare an exhibit of whimsical, one-of-a-kind gingerbread creations sure to capture the imaginations of children and adults alike.
The bakers who are creating fairy tale-themed confections this year are: Jill Adams, The Cake Studio, Brooklyn; Kate Almond, Sugar and Spice Bake Shop, the Bronx; Liv Hansen, Riviera Bakehouse, Ardsley; Kate Sullivan, Lovin Sullivan Cakes, Manhattan; and Mark Tasker, Balthazar Bakery, Manhattan.
The New York Botanical Garden is located at Bronx River Parkway and Fordham Road.
