Christmas is just around the corner, and what better way to get into the spirit than by doing some fun crafts with your kids? This recipe for oatmeal and sprinkles reindeer food is simple and easy, but it will make everyone excited for Santa’s arrival.

Let your little ones help you make this festive treat, then put it out on the porch so Rudolph can find your home easily. Merry Christmas!

Fun Christmas Eve Tradition for Kids: Leave Oatmeal and Sprinkles for the Reindeer!

There are so many holiday traditions I want to start with Lil Man. I just want the holidays to be extra magical and memorable for him. Maybe it’s because I didn’t have that growing up? OR it’s just the crafty mom screaming to come out. Either which way – I plan on doing a lot of stuff in the coming years that I hope he appreciates when he gets older!

So anyways… while searching for new ideas for our Christmas Bucket List, I kept on coming across the idea of Reindeer Food.

I have never heard of it before but after looking on Pinterest, everyone and their mama was doing it. Basically it’s just a simple thing for kids to do Christmas Eve and have the “reindeer of Santa’s sleigh” find your home.

After looking at how simple it was and how inexpensive the supplies were, I decided it had to be done.

We were recently snowed in Wednesday, so it was perfect time to pull it off. I gathered the supplies from our pantry and we set up shop on the kitchen table. Lil Man became a baker and was stirring up a storm. The next thing I know, our Elf on the Shelf {another tradition I really like} was helping out too.

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Christmas Eve Reindeer Food

Christmas is a special time when kids can enjoy fun traditions that make the season even more exciting. One of our favorites is leaving oatmeal and sprinkles out for the reindeer on Christmas Eve. This easy kids craft will keep them entertained and help them get into the Christmas spirit!

Supplies Needed:

Dry, Uncooked Oatmeal
Edible Holiday Sprinkles
Clear Gift Baggies
Ribbon or Twine
Large Mixing Bowl
Spoon for Mixing

Directions:

I didn’t put exact amounts in the supply list because it’s honestly up to you {and your child} on how much you want to make/mix together.
Most recipes I found online said 1 cup of dry oatmeal. That is about how much we used.
Then I eye-balled the sprinkles and glitter. If you do more or less, or don’t do sprinkles – it’s really not going to mess up the fun of it. It’s the overall concept of it!!!
As for the directions – those are fairly simple. Just combine all your ingredients into one bowl. {My son did a scoop of this & that – a sprinkle of glitter etc. He really got into “baking” the food.}
Once your reindeer food is mixed, pour into a bag and save for Christmas Eve.

RELATED —> Popsicle Stick Reindeer

Want the FREE GIFT TAG DOWNLOAD?!

And because I LOVE my readers, I’ve included a FREE printable that I designed with the reindeer food poem {this way everyone knows what to do with the oatmeal mixture when they receive it!}

The printable is free! Just download our Reindeer Food Gift Tag printable from our landing area, print it out on white cardstock paper and use them as gift tags because you will probably make more reindeer food than you know what to do with and gifting some of yours will encourage other friends {with our gift tag} to make the tradition spread on!

And although the printable is free, there are some rules to follow. Please only use this FREE printable for personal use. No sales or using it for personal gain. Give credit where it’s due! Then come Christmas Eve – sprinkle it all over your lawn with your child so Santa’s reindeer will find their way.

RELATED —> New Year’s Eve Keepsake

P.S. Isn’t this a fun tradition? Not to mention preparing oatmeal reindeer food encourages creativity, building fine motor skills, learning math concepts through measuring ingredients – the possibilities are endless!

Oatmeal and Sprinkles Reindeer Food