Holiday Traditions: Making Reindeer Food

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The holidays are full of traditions for all families. Growing up my parents incorporated old family traditions while still trying to create new ones during the holidays. One thing I remember always looking forward to, was collecting pinecones and decorating them with my dad. We would tie yarn to the top, use glitter and paint to decorate the scales, and hang them on our tree like an ornament. It was the simplest craft, and something my dad came up with to entertain us easily, but it became the highlight of every Christmas for us!

Like most parents, I struggle with trying to fit all of the holiday activities I can leading up to Christmas. But one tradition that is a staple for us is making Reindeer Food on Christmas Eve. Reindeer Food was introduced to us a few years ago when my oldest was in pre-k, but he had so much fun sprinkling it on the lawn that year that we have made it every year since! Reindeer Food gets sprinkled on the lawn Christmas Eve night to help guide Santa’s hungry reindeer to our house & the glitter in the food lights up under the starry sky and acts as a beacon for them! 

To make reindeer food you really do not need a lot of supplies, and can even have fun with the ingredients to make it your own. For us we usually do:

Reindeer Food Ingredients

  • oatmeal
  • glitter
  • sugar or sprinkles
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This year I had to modify our timeline for making the reindeer food because we are planning on being away for Christmas Eve. Thankfully my oldest made a batch in class this year, so he helped my youngest make some at home this evening. We made sure to add something sweet (rainbow sprinkles work best) for the reindeer as well!

Every year my boys cannot wait to sprinkle it on the lawn, and then wake up Christmas morning looking to see if it was all eaten up by the reindeer! Do you have any favorite family traditions you look forward to every year?

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