Okay. Who doesn’t like reindeer? These large animals are in the deer family along with several others but reindeer are my favorite. Regular deer are in ample supply where I live and I have nothing against them. I enjoy watching groups of them wander through the back yard, until my little boy scares them off even though he thinks he is both whispering and being stealthy. Aren’t kids’ whispers the best? So loud but still so cute. Do not get me wrong, moose and elk are certainly impressive. I would love to see one in person someday. Their size is somewhat intimidating though, which brings me back to the reindeer. These guys are bigger than ordinary deer, have impressive antlers of their own, but still look approachable and friendly. Add the magic of Christmas and these animals are definitely on my list of UPBISWO (unlikely pets but I still want one). The other great thing about them is, they are real. The Christmas season is sprinkled with all sorts of magical traditions including Santa, the elves, the North Pole and how children’s gifts are delivered. Let’s not forget the legend of the magical snowman that comes to life. I love that this famous character is based on an amazing and real animal. You can go see a reindeer if you want and take your kids! In fact, I started searching online and found a 10-day trip titled, “White Christmas in Scandinavia: A Holiday Tour of Finland and Norway. You should look it up. You would literally be traveling to a winter wonderland. The trip includes Christmas markets, traveling to the Finnish Lapland, the Aurora Borealis, a reindeer safari, a glass igloo suite, dog sledding and snowmobiling through arctic wilderness, a king crab tour, and a journey along the arctic coast. The pictures are breathtaking. Did I mention a reindeer safari? I know this is not a travel blog so on with the reindeer games.
I don’t know about you, but my kids love to play games. Card games, board games, tag, hide and seek, it really does not matter. They make up games to play. The rest of us do not understand the rules, but we do our best to go with it. What I love is how much fun they have. There is a whole other amped up level of excitement in my boys when we play games. The laughs are contagious, the smiles are genuine, and the noise level makes me thankful for noise canceling headphones. So, today’s theme is all about fun silly things my boys love to do with an added holiday reindeer emphasis.
We fully embraced our reindeer theme staring with breakfast and these cute reindeer donuts.
Just grab some chocolate donuts from your favorite local spot, add pretzels, red M&Ms and some candy eyes. Open the article in this link and scroll down for a picture. Reindeer donuts
Here are some great ideas for some games that will keep you and your little ones laughing.
- Christmas Mad Lib: We did these all the time when I was little so I tried making one up for my kids at Thanksgiving last year. They loved it so I did it again this year. Naturally, I wanted to continue the fun into the Christmas season. Check out the template below that you can print and fill out to make your own silly story!
- Reindeer Antler Ring Toss: My boys love to throw things, sometimes at each other. This game allows them to do that without the potential for injury. Add some healthy competition and this can be loads of fun. Check it out
- Reindeer Riddles: Again, these are the kinds of things my two love to do. We really enjoy any kind of trivia or puzzles, so I created this worksheet that is made up of riddles that they match up with the correct Reindeer. Print it off and see if your kids can match up all 8!
- Holly Jolly Bingo! Who doesn’t love a good bingo? I love the possibility of just getting to shout, “bingo!” and this version is, of course, Christmas themed. I created four different cards packed with holiday items to get you started. You just need to have a caller make a list of the items on the board, cut them up, and toss them into a cute Christmas cup. Then start drawing and calling out items. You can use candy, such as M&Ms for the kids to cover their spaces, or buttons work well too.
Holly Jolly Bingo board 2 PDF
Holly Jolly Bingo board 3 PDF
Holly Jolly Bingo board 4 PDF
- Reindeer Scavenger Hunt: Okay. This is probably my favorite. My boys love a good scavenger hunt. I have come up with several over the years and they keep asking for more. In a non-pandemic situation, you can really have fun and drive all over town to find hidden clues but for this one, I kept it confined to home and yard. Rudolph is missing! It’s almost Christmas and Santa needs him. I set it up for us to imagine we are in and around the North Pole and each of the clues is provided by a fellow reindeer. The great part about that is you can hide little reindeer with each clue to go along with the theme. This just adds to the fun. You can get as creative as you want to. Amazon has a great selection of small stuffed reindeer. I used a mixture of some ornaments and some little plush reindeer. I wrote each clue to include some narration by you as you help drive the theme with the reindeer. Then you can switch voices and be the reindeer to read off the clues. You can really use whatever you have so for instance, if you want to incorporate your elf on the shelf, you can for one of the clues. I have provided my scavenger hunt clues that you can print so you are all ready to go! I also included a blank template if you want to use that and modify your reindeer hunt. Hopefully, I can save you a little bit of time!
Reindeer scavenger hunt clues PDF
small stuffed reindeer options
These activities provide so much joy for my little ones so I hope you will enjoy them too!
After all that hard work saving the day, it was time for a book and a snack. Why not go with Rudolph’s pick?
Reindeer Food
- Marshmallow Reindeer: This sweet snack is super easy. My kids love marshmallows, and these are dipped in chocolate. Add some pretzel antlers, a red nose, and eyes just like you did for your donut and this will keep them going for more antler ring toss! Personally, I love how frazzled my reindeer looks. As a mom, I have that same expression often.
- Reindeer cookies: As an option for something a little different, you can make sugar cookies and then decorate them to look like reindeer. I provided the link to my preferred sugar cookie recipe as well as the instructions for making these edible reindeer.
Early in the post, I mentioned the magic of Christmas and how cool it is that even though reindeer are all over these traditional stories, they are in fact a part that we can point to and say, “No, wait, that part is real.” Except for the flying part. Also, depending on your household traditions and your kids’ ages, they may still believe it is all real, but I think you get my point.
As we kick off Advent, I also want to be sure we focus on the best part of Christmas and the whole reason we celebrate. The season of giving is such a joy in honor of the greatest gift, Jesus.
I am so grateful for God’s very real, abundant love and all He has done for us.
Wishing you great joy this holiday season, great moments with your kiddos and wishing for a holiday tour of Finland and Norway in my stocking. I wonder….how does one ship a reindeer?
I know. Not likely.
Stay tuned for more of the 12 Days of Christmas!
