Candy Cane Reindeer

Make a festive reindeer craft perfect for the holiday season!

Skill Level: Easy

Time Needed: 1/2 hour

Age(s): 5 to 12

Appropriate For: Christmas

Supplies Needed:

Project Rating:

Glue a pair of Jiggly Eyes to the straight part of a candy cane, just before it starts to curve. Make sure the hook of the candy cane is facing away from you.
Glue a pom pom to the candy cane below the eyes. This will be the nose.
Tie a ribbon around the candy cane below the nose.
Take a pipe cleaner and form it into a "U" shape. Place the "U" shape under the hook of the candy cane with the two sides of the pipe cleaner pointing upward. Twist the two sides of the pipe cleaner together over the top of the candy cane. Form the two sides of the pipe cleaner into antlers.
Use the hook of the candy cane to hang up your candy cane reindeer as an ornament!

Time-Saving Hints:

Leave the candy cane wrapped in plastic. That way, it can be eaten later if wanted.

Teaching Tips:

Discuss reindeer with your students. Explain to students that reindeer are medium-sized members of the deer family. They are also called caribou. Talk about a reindeer's physical appearance, diet, and habitat. Have students write the new facts that they learn on a note card.
Talk about the habitats of reindeer. Explain that reindeer are mostly found in cold, frozen climates. Introduce vocabulary words such as arctic, tundra, and plain. Have students locate countries where reindeer live on a classroom map or globe.
Most students should be familiar with the story of Santa Claus and the reindeer that pull his sleigh on Christmas Eve. Each of Santa's nine reindeer had a specific name. Allow students to brainstorm their own list of names for Santa's reindeer. (Examples: Speedy, Lightning) Encourage students to be as creative as possible in their brainstorming.