Magical reindeer feed gives Santa’s reindeer the energy they need to fly all night long. Plus, the extra sparkle shows them where to land at your house on Christmas Eve! Kari Tanta, an occupational therapist in Children’s Therapy, and her son, Tyler, show us how they’ve been making reindeer feed together for years. This activity can be a great way to challenge children to use their hands with a variety of spoons and tools, or with older kids as a math activity. Not to mention, it’s fun!
Materials
- Large bowl
- Variety of Spoons (ladle, large spoon, tongs, whisk, etc.)
- Rolled oats (or other grains)
- Sugary, sparkly candies (or colored sugar crystals) in colors of choice or red/green/white
Optional
- Small bags (re-sealable bags or decorative gift bags if opting to give as gifts)
- Markers
- Glue
- Tape
- Scissors
- Ribbon
- Twist-ties
Directions
- Add oatmeal (or grain of choice) to a large mixing bowl.
- Add some of the colored sugar crystals to the bowl.
- Mix thoroughly with spoon of choice, adding more sugar crystals as needed to achieve the texture you’d like.
- Add to bag of choice using ladle or spoon of choice. Seal bag. Add gift tags if sharing with your friends. Your gift tag might read: “Sprinkle this special mix on your lawn on Christmas Eve to light the way for Santa and his sleigh- and to keep the reindeer flying all night!”
- On Christmas Eve, toss reindeer food out onto the lawn so Santa’s reindeer have a sweet snack when they arrive to your home!
Note: Consider making sure all ingredients you choose for your magical reindeer feed are edible for birds, cats, dogs, or other animals that may happen upon the reindeer feed in your yard.
