Winter is one of the most exciting and magical times of the year for preschoolers. If you’re looking for ways to bring winter-themed crafts into your home or school, then why not use some of these cute reindeer activities?
Reindeers have long been associated with winter and especially Christmas. Likewise, reindeer crafts can be a great way to spend time with your preschoolers.
These 15 entertaining reindeer crafts will grow their creativity and imagination, as well as use some of their motor skills.
1. Reindeer Finger Puppet
Finger puppets are always a popular choice for entertaining preschooler crafts, and this cute reindeer will be no exception! The first step is to cut two circles from brown cardstock, one that is four inches in diameter and one that is two and a half inches.
The smaller circle then needs to be shaped a little so that it looks more like a reindeer’s head. Cut two finger-sized holes in the bottom of the larger circle and stick them together, adding some reindeer ears, eyes, and clothespins for the antlers.
2. Reindeer Ornament
Decorate your Christmas tree or home with these lovely reindeer ornaments. You will need some plastic, fillable ornaments that you can fill with some brown materials, such as shredded paper, or pom-poms.
Seal the ornament shut, and then you can begin making it look more like a reindeer!
Wrap a pipe cleaner around the top of the ornament to make the antlers, and glue on a nose and some eyes. You can also use a permanent marker to draw on the ornaments or add some personalized messages.
3. Origami Reindeer Bookmark
Although easy, this origami will give your preschooler’s motor skills a workout! Begin with a square of either brown origami paper, or regular paper, and fold it as instructed, making sure to keep all of your creases sharp and straight.
Tuck the flaps into the pocket you’ve made, and your bookmark is ready to be decorated! Kids will have great fun making this bookmark, and they can also use it as they start their reading journey.
4. Craft Stick Reindeer
These cute reindeer are simple to make and don’t require many supplies. The base of the reindeer is just three glued together craft sticks painted brown.
Googly eyes and a red button make up the rest of the reindeer’s features, and its antlers are two brown pipe cleaners.
Attach a piece of string or yarn in a loop, so it can be hung, and you now have a cute, handmade decoration for your Christmas tree!
5. Footprint Reindeer
Using hand or footprints is an excellent way to customize a craft and create a memento that any preschooler’s family will love to receive and keep. They also allow kids to get messy! Cover the sole of one of your kid’s feet in brown paint and get them to step onto a piece of paper or card.
It may take a couple of attempts to get a good print, but once you have, your preschooler can then decorate their print to make it look more like a reindeer. These reindeer footprints are a great base to make Christmas cards with!
6. Paper Roll Reindeer
Why throw your toilet paper or paper towel rolls away when you can instead turn them into some lovable reindeer? Cut them down to about four inches in height and paint them a nice shade of brown.
The antlers are made from two pipe cleaners and attach to the top of the roll once the paint has dried. Your preschoolers can make the faces with googly eyes and small pom-poms, or simply draw them on with a sharpie.
A festive ribbon wrapped around the roll like a scarf can add a cute finishing touch!
7. Egg Carton Reindeer
Much like the paper rolls used for the previous craft, egg cartons are another household item that can be turned into a reindeer instead of thrown away! Begin by cutting out an individual egg cup from the carton.
The corner cups work best because they’re usually bigger and easier to cut. Paint the cup brown and when it’s dry, you can add the reindeer’s features such as googly eyes and a red pom-pom nose.
The ears and antlers are simply cut from some cardstock and stuck to the carton.
8. Reindeer Headband
This craft helps your preschoolers pretend to be reindeer and can be used for playtime or even plays! Download and print the pre-made template onto some brown cardstock and cut all of the pieces out.
You can also print it onto white paper and get the children to color it themselves. Then it’s simply a case of assembling the pieces as instructed and measuring the headband, so it fits your kids!
9. Jingle Bell Sticks
There are so many fun Christmas songs that you can enjoy with your preschooler, and this craft will help them enjoy making some noise while practicing their music skills.
Glue two googly eyes to the top of a craft stick and then thread a pipe cleaner through the loop attached to a jingle bell.
Fold another pipe cleaner into the shape of some reindeer antlers and then wrap the pipe cleaner on the jingle bell around the craft stick, making sure it also keeps the antlers in place.
Now your kids have their own reindeer bell to shake to the music!
10. Paper Plate Reindeer
Paper plates are always a good craft supply to have on hand, and this activity turns them into cute reindeer.
Each paper plate can make four reindeer too, making it a very economical craft! Paint the plate brown and then cut it into quarters.
You can then stick antlers, eyes, and a nose to the plate to give it some more reindeer personality!
11. Reindeer Noses Mason Jar
This craft makes a wonderful gift for someone special, such as a parent, guardian, or even a teacher!
Make sure your jar is nice and clean, and then paint a thick brown stripe around the middle of the jar. This may take a few layers to get good coverage.
When dry, decorate the front of the jar with googly eyes and red pom-pom to make your reindeer’s face. The reindeer’s antlers are made by taping a brown pipe cleaner to the jar lid.
With the jar now ready, all you need to do is fill it with some brown-colored treats such as malt balls or other round chocolates.
12. Yarn Wrapped Reindeer
With this craft, your preschooler can make a sweet reindeer while also practicing their motor skills.
Begin by painting two clothespins brown for the reindeer’s antlers. Cut a triangle out of some cardboard and tape the end of your brown yarn to it.
Then, let your preschoolers wrap the yarn around the triangle until it is completely covered. Add some finishing touches such as googly eyes, a red nose, and some pipe cleaners, and your yarn-wrapped reindeer is finished.
13. Candy Cane Reindeer
Just like reindeer, candy canes are also closely associated with Christmas and winter. These little candies can be easily made into a reindeer craft and make great small gifts for preschoolers and adults alike!
First, take two candy canes and tape them together so that the hooks face outwards and look like antlers.
You can wrap brown pipe cleaners around them to really achieve that antler look! Next, print out, or draw, some reindeer heads and stick them over the taped together part of the canes to make your candy cane reindeer.
14. Paper Reindeer Ornament
This craft will help test your preschooler’s scissor skills as they will need to carefully cut eight circles. The neater the circles are, the better the final effect will be.
Once cut, fold each circle in half and then glue them together, left fold to right fold, until they make a circle.
Before you glue the last circle, add a string or piece of yarn, so the ornament can be hung. You can then add some antlers and facial features for the finishing touch.
15. Reindeer Tic Tac Toe
Once finished, this craft also becomes an activity that kids can play together to improve their social skills. First, you will need eight pebbles of a similar size.
Paint them white, so they’re easier to draw on, and let your preschoolers draw a reindeer head on each one.
Color four of them with red noses and the other four with black, so the players each have a set of four. You can then make your own game board felt and even include a pocket on the back to store the pebbles while the game isn’t being played!
Final Thoughts
Entertaining reindeer crafts are always popular with preschoolers. Whether you pick something easy or more elaborate, your kids are bound to have fun with any of the 15 crafts on this list. They can help build your preschooler’s develop skills while also ensuring they have fun!
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