Flying Reindeer STEM Challenge for Kids

Can you make your reindeer take flight?  In this flying reindeer STEM Activity, your child will challenge their STEM skills as they work to make a reindeer and see how fast their reindeer can fly. Christmas and Science are the perfect match for the holiday break!

Here’s how to make your own flying reindeer.

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Flying Reindeer STEM Challenge for Kids

We just finished watching The Santa Claus a classic Christmas Movie for all families. We watch all 3 every year in the series. One thing in the movie we find sweet is the reindeer that follow Tim Allen at the zoo and throughout the movie.

Add that to a few reindeer books from our book collection and you can find two little girls at my house who LOVE reindeer.

So I decided to challenge them to use recycled items and craft items we had around the house to create their own reindeer.  However, I had to add an extra element to the challenge… Can you make your reindeer fly?

Materials for Flying Reindeer STEM Activity 

• Recycled Cardboard Tubes
• Scissors
• Googly Eyes
• Brown Paint {optional}
• Paint Brush  {optional}
• String 
• Jingle Bell
• 3 Red Pipe Cleaners 
• 5 Red Recycled lids
• Red Foam, Pom pom or Red Paint for nose (if needed)
• Glue Gun or Craft Glue
• Hole Puncher 

Directions to Make Flying Reindeer 

1. Encourage your child to gather up recycled materials around the house to make their reindeer.  We used a cardboard tube and cereal box to form the body of the reindeer.  My oldest decided to cut a slit in the tube to make a place for the head to attach. Attach with glue for stability.

2. Insert reindeer antlers by using the hole punch on the head and then insert the black pipe cleaner.  Once halfway through begin to bend pipe cleaner to form the antlers.  The sillier the better.

3. Attach the googly eyes to the reindeer with glue.

4. Attach the red nose to the reindeer.  We used a hot glue gun for quick gluing and stability but you could also use craft glue but it will require a longer period for drying before moving onto step 5.

5. Attach reindeer legs onto the cardboard tube by using the hole punch to form two holes on each side of the tube near the front and back of the tube.  Then insert the pipecleaner halfway. Then bend down to create the legs of the reindeer.

6. Attach the recycled red lids onto the pipe cleaner legs of the reindeer. Try to challenge your child to also make the reindeer be able to stand on it’s own too by  using the feet lids.

7. Attach the collar for the reindeer so that it jingles when it flies!  Add a jingle bell to a pipe cleaner.  We also added some snowflakes for decoration.  Then we wrapped it around the reindeer’s neck.

8. It’s TIME TO FLY!

Using a string attach it to a stable location in your home that is higher than your child but still reachable. Then insert the string through the reindeer and push the reindeer all the way to the top.  Have you child hold the other end of the string.  Then challenge them to see how the reindeer can fly on the string by moving it up or down.

You can also have to people make the reindeer fly back and forth between you be raising and lowering the string. Encourage them to discuss what makes it fly faster and slower.

STEM WRITING CHALLENGE for your Flying Reindeer

Write a Step by Step Tutorial on How to Make a Flying Reindeer

Confession time… Admit it we all have had those Christmas morning, or late Christmas Eve when we can’t figure out how to put together a toy for our child.  Here’s a great way to get your kids on track to understanding directions.  Have them create their own.  Better yet feel free to email it to us or post in our facebook page.

While they are drawing their reindeer for the Tutorial you may want to check out How to Draw a Reindeer Art Project by Busy Kids Happy Mom inspired by ARTVenturous.com 

Are you READY for some more REINDEER activities?  Visit 101 Reindeer Activities for Kids  on The Educators’ Spin On It.  

Books about Reindeer

• The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Thea Feldman 
• Olive, the Other Reindeer by Vivian Walsh
• How to Catch a Reindeer by Alice Walstead
• The Littlest Reindeer by Brandi Dougherty
• The Christmas Wish by Lori Evert
• The Little Reindeer by Nicola Killen
• Dasher: How a Brave Little Doe Changed Christmas Forever by Matt Tavares
• Last Stop on the Reindeer Express by Maudie Powell-Tuck

For more Christmas Ideas you may enjoy the following…

CLICK HERE to discover even more Christmas Science Activities for Kids