Reindeer Theme Ideas
Reindeer Facts
 Usually only male deer
have antlers. Both male and female reindeer have
antlers. Reindeer have their antlers for several
months; then they fall off. New ones grow back
later.
Reindeer live where it is
cold and snowy. They have special fur that keeps
them warm. Next to their skin, reindeer have
thick, woolly fur. During the summer, the fur
thins out so the reindeer will be cooler.
Reindeer have hooves that
spread out when they walk on them. They are used
to find food beneath the snow.
Reindeer travel in large
herds from place to place to find food.
Reindeer live near the
North Pole
Reindeer are closely
related to caribou
The
Wild Christmas Reindeer
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Activities
to Use With this Story
Dramatize
the story with one child being Teeka and
eight children as reindeer. In the
beginning of the story, Teeka is very
rough with the reindeer. At the end of
the story, she has changed her approach.
Take turns being Teeka and the reindeer.
Discuss how it felt to be yelled at by
Teeka.
Invite
another class over and read the book to
them. Dramatize the book; wear reindeer
antler hats.
Click
Here For a Grade 2 Matter Lesson using
this book!
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Classroom Activities
Have your class make this
popular craft called reindeer food. We have made
FREE template for you to use with the craft.
Click
here to view and print the template for this
craft.
Place the following in a
ziploc bag or another type of baggie.
1/2 cup of oatmeal and a
1/2 a cup of sugar.
You will see the recipe
call for glitter, we have replaced the glitter
with sugar. This way if your students place the
recipe on the ground, then they will not harm the
animals.
Tell you class that this
recipe will help santa find the way to their
house.
The
tag below is found
here… in
our winter do it yourself kits!
Will
Santa Come Tonight?
The book is written by Joan Dinan and
illustrated by Mai S. Kemble. Joan,
wrote the book to share a family
tradition that came about from her
teaching second grade for twenty years!
Joan states that, “As
Christmas approached, no matter how good
a child was, every second grader was
always concerned that they had been
“good enough” for Santa to
come. So each year, I would
have them write letters to Santa sharing
all the ways that they had tried to be
good. After we mailed the letters,
the children were directed to sprinkle
Enchanted Reindeer Treats on their lawn
right before they went to bed on
Christmas Eve, because everyone knows
that the “glow of the crystals in
the moonlight and the aroma of the oats”
will guide Santa’s reindeer directly
to your home. Voila! In all
my years of doing this, it has NEVER
failed!”The
book is wonderfully written and
beautifully illustrated. Perfect
Read Aloud for Preschool aged children
all the way up to any true
believers. The book starts
out with a little girl and her mother
stringing popcorn to hang on the
tree. The little girl ask her
mother if Santa will come tonight.
The mother explains that he will come
because she has been a good helper.
The book continues with the girl asking
the same question more and more
enthusiastically. The mother
answers each time and states a new reason
Santa will come. The fun and
happy illustrations compliment
the text with many examples of
holiday happenings and positive
behavior. Perhaps, your very
own children will get a few ideas of the
good deeds they do that will encourage
Santa to come to your house this
year. I love that this story
highlights the positive behavior in
children. As the story ends the
mother explains the magic of the
Enchanted Reindeer Treats.
The
illustrations show the family out
sprinkling the treats for Santa’s
Reindeer. Finally, when all is
quiet you see a beautiful picture of
Santa and the Reindeer in front of the
child’s home. I guess the
magic of the Enchanted Reindeer Treats
did their trick for this little
girl! They can do the trick for
your favorite kiddo too…
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Read
the book to your class. It will
really get them thinking about the ways
they have been good this year.
Brainstorm some ideas as a class and then
write letters to Santa.
I created three free Santa letter forms
you can use to create your letters. Click
Free
letters to Santa Templates to
download the set!
If
you are looking for a great Christmas
gift for each child, video each classmate
reading the letter and set it to
DVD. Click
here
to see an example of one I did for
my son’s second grade class years
ago.
Attach
a candy cane and some reindeer food to
the DVD and you are set!
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Reindeer
Sandwiches
Materials:
4" X 5" white or beige paper (at least
two pieces per student)
scissors
spoons or craft sticks
small containers to hold ingredients
paring knife
Ingredients:
whole wheat bread
peanut butter
raisins
red apple slices
pretzel sticks
gum drops
Directions:
Give each child a piece of 4" X 5"
piece of paper. Ask them to figure out how they
will divide it to make four triangles. Let them
experiment. Do not show them how to do this.
Allow plenty of time. When they have solved the
problem, let them cut their slice of bread in the
same way. Spread peanut butter on two of the
triangles. Decorate with raisins for eyes, a
slice of red apple for the mouth, a gum drop for
the nose, and pretzels for the antlers.
Provide books and have
your students do reindeer research. Can they find
the answers to these questions?
Where do reindeer live?
Reindeer belong to what
family?
What do reindeer eat?
Are reindeer good
swimmers?
What do we call a female
reindeer?
What do we call a male
reindeer?
What is a baby reindeer
called?
List Santa's reindeer.
Why was Rudolph's red
nose needed on Christmas Eve?
I am going to be reading
to my class Olive the other reindeer. Then I am
going to let my students make reindeer puppets by
using a lunch bag and turning it upside down. I
will have the students to trace their hands for
the antlers. Then I am going to put my second
graders into groups and they are going to make up
a puppet show using their puppets. Later on I
will make reindeer food for the students using
oatmeal, popcorn, and bird seed.I will attach
this poem on the bag
Reindeer Food
Tis the night before Christmas and every year you
feed Santa Claus. Now
feed his reindeer.
1. Wait until Christmas Eve
2. Open the bag. sprinkle reindeer fod on the
lawn.
3. Hop into bed.
4. Listen for Santa.
5. Close your eyes.
6. Watch the sugar plums dance.
Thanks,
Eileen
Great Goodies For Your
Unit-
Click on title to learn more!
Great Books For Your Unit-
Click on title to learn more!
My Favorite Reindeer Poems and Songs!
The
Reindeer Pokey
(tune:
Hokey Pokey)
You put
your antlers in.
You put
your antlers out.
You put
your antlers in,
And you
shake them all about.
You do
the Reindeer Pokey,
And you
turn yourself around.
That's
what it's all about!
You put
your hooves in....
You put
your red nose in...
You put
your fluffy tail in..
You put
your reindeer body in..
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Call
Rudolph
Eight
little reindeer pulling Santa's sled
One fell
down and bumped his head.
The
elves called Santa and Santa said,
"Can
seven little reindeer pull my sled?"
(count
down until one...)
One
little reindeer pulling Santa's sled,
He fell
down and bumped his head.
The
elves called Santa and Santa said,
"Call
Rudolph!"
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Santa's
Reindeer
One,
two, three, four, five little reindeer,
(Point to one finger
at a time.)
Stood by the North Pole gate.
"Hurry, Santa," called the
reindeer,
(Put hands around
mouth to call.)
"Or we will all be late."
(Look at
"watch.")
One, two, three, four, five little
reindeer,
(Point to one finger
at a time.)
Santa said, "Please wait!"
(Put hand to ear,
listening.)
"Wait for three more little
reindeer,
(Hold up three
fingers.)
"Then we will have eight."
(Hold up eight
fingers.)
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Other Sites With Great
Ideas
A Special Thanks to Donna For Sharing Some of Her
Favorite Links
Fun Things to Print
Fun Places to see
www.teachingheart.net
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