Making reindeer food is a great way to celebrate the arrival of Santa and his helpful reindeer pals! Here’s a few quick tips on how to do this activity with your kids with minimal fuss or cost.
Making Reindeer Food
Santa’s reindeers are magical creatures who have surprisingly few real nutritional needs. Traditionally, they’ve been happy with munching on a carrot or a little spinach.
Today’s reindeers, however, have more developed palates and are very appreciative when kids go above and beyond in terms of supplying them with high-quality reindeer eats.
You might want to place this food either in or outside your home. We’ve got recipes for both.
Inside Reindeer Food
Now you can go classic Christmas and offer up the standard bundle of carrots or you can go gourmet! The choice is yours and may come down to how many hours of wrapping you have ahead of you! If you want to make it an ‘experience’ with your kids then we suggest heading into the kitchen to get your Masterchef on.
What you’re going to want here is to combine vegetables (chopped up carrots), oats (a handful of cereal will do in a pinch), and something shiny to get the reindeer’s attention. Be cautious of ANY material that can be transferred into children’s mouths or animals snouts. It’s imperative to have safety first at all times. Carrots can be particularly dangerous so be sure to chop them very small!
Outside Reindeer Food
If you’re going to sprinkle reindeer treats enticingly in your garden to attract Santa’s flying delivery service, be conscious that other little mouths may pick it up as well.
Outside reindeer food can be made from things like natural nuts and grains, vegetable compost and other organic material. You can also use oats and dye them beforehand in Christmas colours to add a little fun! It’s as easy as:
- Place 1 cup of rolled oats into a bowl with 1 teaspoon of food dye and 1/4 cup of water.
- Stir until all the oats are thoroughly coated and coloured.
- Pour the oats out onto a tray or plate lined with paper towel.
- Families Tip: Consider adding some dyed shredded coconut and dyed sugar to add a few different textures.
Please don’t include any magical glitter or other substances as local possums definitely don’t want to end up with a Christmas belly ache! We advise against using ANYTHING that is not food when it comes to creating your outdoor reindeer food.
Rudolph with your nose so bright
Rudolph and friends will be gliding through the air gracefully thanks to full bellies courtesy of your children’s reindeer food!
If you love reindeer, check out these reindeer Christmas onsies for adults and kids!
While you’re out and about in the lead up to Christmas, make sure you check out all the best Christmas lights tours in your city. We update this resource with information about local Christmas lights displays in your area. Have fun!
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Are cranberries shiny enough?