FRANKLIN—S.P. Morton Elementary teacher Lisa Skeeters’ Christmas tradition marks a milestone this year.

For 25 years, Skeeters’ first-graders have made gingerbread houses, which they take home to share with family. Skeeters knows of at least one student from 10 years ago whose family saved the gingerbread house and still gets it out for Christmas.

Skeeters incorporated this year’s project into a reading program. Students read Jan Brett’s books “The Gingerbread Baby” and “Gingerbread Friends.”

“We look at fiction and non-fiction, story structure and problem-solving,” she said about the gingerbread unit.

Students made their candy land village using graham crackers for house walls and roofs, frosting for snow (and glue) and miscellaneous candy for accents.

“They had the best time,” Skeeters said.