Reindeer Games

5 Reindeer Games for Active Kids

Supplies: Bean Bag Reindeer, target, cardboard boxes, craft skills and creativity, and accessories for each event (depends on events selected)

Reindeer Games is a series of games involving reindeer skills and this is great Christmas Party activity for kids. In this game, 3 or more events make up the reindeer games and the reindeer with the best skills gets a special prize. Note: You can choose to play one reindeer game or all of them. Some of these games take a lot of prep work, so choose the ones that work best for you.

Scoring & Points
Each player gets a chance to earn points in Reindeer games, there can be several ways to earn points.

1. Give out points to top performers of each round. Example: 1st place 5 points 2nd place 3 points and 3rd place 1 point. Then after 3 rounds the person with the most points wins. If there is a tie, then play one of the games again winner of that round wins.

2. Points per throw, have values with each game. A target could be worth 1, 3 or 5 points (adjust points as needed) depending on where the reindeer lands. Tally up all the points at the end for the winner. I think this is the best option. Point values can be 1,3 and 5 – 5, 10 and 15 or any amount you want but should be consistent throughout the game.

3. Have a winner per game or 1 point to the event winner and most points wins.

Below is an assortment of Reindeer Games select 3 games or more to play for your event and have fun playing Reindeer Games and if you have any new ideas, let me know and I can add them.

Choose Your Reindeer Games

Game 1. Reindeer Landing Practice
Lay out a target 10, 15, or 20 feet away. The older the kids are the further away the target should be. Now add a value to each ring of the target, the closer to the center the higher the points.

Set a throw line and then give each player gets three tries to land the reindeer on the target with the goal of trying to land it in the center which would have the highest point value. Recommend 5 points for landing in the center ring, 3 next ring and 1 for the outer ring.

Game 2: Reindeer Mountain Passage Test
While landing is important it is also critical that reindeer can fly around mountains and buildings, but stay low enough that they don’t interfere with any aircraft.

Now with cardboard create a mountain scene and make sure you have spaces where the reindeer can navigate through tricky mountain passages. Make sure your cut out has an easy, moderate and difficult throw – hence you will score the passages Difficult 5 points, Medium difficult – 3 points and Easy – 1 points. You will also need to have something that goes around the top like a broomstick or piece of wood. This will ensure that the reindeer learn to fly below airplanes.

Now the kids will get three chances to navigate the reindeer through the mountains. Each time they are successful they earn more points. No points are awarded if they hit the mountain or fly above the top of the game. Tally up the points at the end and score. Tip: Make sure you secure the cardboard so it is not knocked over by the reindeer.

Game 3: Up on the Rooftop Reindeer Paws
Now that the reindeer have learned landing skills and how to maneuver around mountains it’s time to see if they can put those skills together and practice landing on houses.

Take 3 to 5 cardboard boxes (shoe boxes work too) and give one a flat roof (largest box), one a roof with a slight pinch (middle sized box) and the third one with a steeper more difficult pinch (smallest box). Note: The pitch is the slope of the roof.

To make a slanted roof take a piece of cardboard that is larger then the top side of the box (roof) fold in half and the place an object between the flat roof and the cardboard to give the roof some slope. The tube used for paper towels would work and for the more difficult house something higher.

Again the goal is 3 houses of varying difficulty easy, moderate and difficult this will allow you to have scoring be 5, 3 and 1 points.

If the boxes are small do 2 easy houses, 2 moderate houses and 1 difficult house. Once you have your house you can decorate them or have the kids do it.

Now set up a start line and scatter the houses 10 or 15 feet. Now tell the players, that landing on targets and going around mountains is good but Santa needs reindeer that can land on houses. There are several houses and the object is that the kids must take the reindeer and land them on one of the roof tops. If they land on an easy roof 1 point but if they can land the reindeer on a pinched roof they will get more points 3 or 5.

The steeper the roof the more points you earn, but if you miss the house you don’t get any points. Have the kids toss the reindeer and then tally up the points.

Game 4: Which Reindeer Can Jump the Farthest?
If you have a slingshot, catapult or something like a slingshot, then you can play Which Reindeer can Jump the Farthest?

For this game set up a Jump / Start line and mark off distances for scoring and set a perimeter using tape. Again you want is set up Easy (closest area), Moderate and Difficult (farthest area – more skill needed so more points) sections in this game. If a reindeer fails to make the easy section or falls outside the scoring no points are awarded.

Show the kids how to use the slingshot and showing them how to pull the reindeer back, release and watch it fly.

Each player gets three tries to launch the reindeer for points, add up the points and score.

Game 5: Santa in the Big City
Reindeer rarely make it into the big city, but when they do they often have to dodge bridges, buildings and man made obstacles.

Make a city scape and create a bean bag toss, where you go under a bridge or through a tunnel or between two buildings that connect.

Make 3 holes in the City scene for the reindeer to fly through: 1 Easy (1 pt.), 1 Moderate (3 pts.) and 1 Difficult (5 pts.).
Each child gets 3 tries to throw the reindeer through the holes and score as many points as possible. After they have completed their three throws score the results.

Determine a Winner
To Determine the Winner of Reindeer Games Add up all the points and the highest total wins. If there is a tie replay one of the games.

Notes:
– You can set the score each Reindeer Game with any point value, just be consistent throughout the game.
– We recommend buying 3 or 6 bean bag reindeer for the games – Shop for Beanie Reindeer
– Play 1, 3 or 5 Reindeer Games at your Christmas party – it’s up to you.
– You can how a Winner for each game, an overall winner or both – You decide
– For the classrooms, plan one Reindeer Game each day. (But only if the students are on the nice list.)