Reindeer Games on Christmas Eve

Last year, we spent Christmas with my husband's parents and his sister's family. We decided it would be fun to play some festive reindeer games...but not just ANY reindeer games. Allow me to introduce you to the Christmas Eve Reindeer Games...a perfect mix of interactive games for kids and adults! Gather the family where they can all see the game board (pictured below) and read this lil' four line poem to kick things off...

Make sure everyone "dons" their antlers before you take a fun group photo! These came from the Dollar Tree last year.

Here's the game board: (nothing fancy..just a piece of foam board with scrapbook paper)

You will reveal (turn over) each game title one by one...so it'll look like the picture above at first,
then slowly turn into the picture below! (I don't know why I did it that way...maybe for the anticipation...?)

Once the game title has been revealed on the game board, read the game description and play each game one at at time!

Scrambled Reindeer - Unlike scrambled eggs, scrambled reindeer isn't very tasty. Kids, team up with an adult as you hurry and unscramble these famous reindeer names. The first person to be done with correct answers or the person with the most correct reindeer names in this one minute race wins! *handout sheet for each pair; Answer Sheet (in order): Donner, Comet, Blitzen, Dancer, Rudolf, Prancer, Dasher, Cupid, Vixen

                Dasher - asreDh
                Dancer - cneraD
                            Prancer - nacPrer            
                Vixen - xiVne
                Comet - meCot
                Cupid - iduCp
                Donner - noDren
                Blitzen - zitnBle
                Rudolf - oldRuf

Oh , Deer! - The North Pole is not a safe place to get lost with all that snow...but every now and then, Santa and his elves must go looking for a lost reindeer. Kids, there are 9 lost reindeer for you to find. Clues will help guide you. You must find each one in order! If you find one along your way, leave it there until the specific clue leads you to it. If you need help with a clue, ask the adults! When you find the lost reindeer, shout "Oh, Deer!"

                They all work together and receive small prizes after finding all 9 reindeer.

Here's how our clues looked... (attached to chipboard reindeer from Michael's last year)

        

Deer in the Headlights - Couple's Questionnaire. Give each adult a questionnaire handout and have them fill out. Give 5-10 minutes then go through each question and have each couple give their answers and compare. (Note: EACH person gets a questionnaire. The left column is what you say. The right column is what you THINK your spouse would say about you to that same question.) clear as mud, right? ;) 

ReignDeer Bubble Blowing Contest - Reindeer know just where to fly when Santa pulls the reins. But Sometimes, it snows heavily on Christmas Eve night and the reindeer must be skilled at blowing snow out of the way of the sleigh as it glides through the air. It's kind of like blowing bubbles with bubble-gum. Here's your chance to practice. The person to blow the biggest bubble will be the "reigning" champion!

Reindeer Poop - Reindeer sometimes can be a bit messy, it's true. It's the elves only complaint, having to pick up the reindeer poop! YUCK! But, it has to be done. Kids, grab a spoon and head out to the backyard tundra and let's have a race to see who can scoop up the most reindeer poop!

               (This is a timed race game in the backyard (or garage, or wherever!) where the kids pick up cocoa puffs (aka: reindeer poop) with a spoon and carry back to a designated spot to fill up their container.  

Rain-Deer Homes - In the North Pole, it's sure to rain and snow, and that is why reindeer must have a safe place to go! Kids & Adults, team up and get ready to build a Reindeer home out of marshmallows and toothpicks. You'll only have 5 minutes to build!  (provide enough toothpicks and mini marshmallows for all groups)

Reindeer Gear - Reindeer have some heavy duty gear to wear every day, not just on Christmas Eve. The antlers of reindeer can get up to 39 inches in width and 53 inches in length! That's quite the load to carry on your head! Let's give it a try, shall we? Kids, grab an adult partner and line up for further instructions.

You will be making antlers to go on each of the kid's heads. Blow up your balloons, and stuff them into the legs of the pantyhose. There should be 4 on each side. Then, the top part of the pantyhose should be worn on your head to complete your Reindeer Antlers!
         (pantyhose bought from walmart for less than a dollar; balloons from dollar tree)

Deer John - In their free time, reindeer love to write letters and re-write songs...  Their favorite one to rewrite and sing is "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer". Let's rewrite the song ourselves and sing it loud for all to hear!

               This is a Mad Lib game - fill out the madlib on the poster board with the group's shoutouts as you ask for each kind of word. Then reveal it at the end for everyone to read and sing.

Endeer to the End! - Reindeer have quite the job...flying all around the world in just one night! This is the last reindeer game and you must "enDEER" to the end!  Remember, reindeer are all tied together when they fly, but they work together to deliver all the toys. Kids, you must work together to pick up all these chocolates on the floor and put them in the bucket in 15 seconds. Any leftovers go to Grandpa!

Reindeer Snacks - After a long night of flight, reindeer love going back to the north pole for a cool, refreshing Root-Deer....along with some salty reindeer chex!

Oooh...if you can't tell, we had a lot of fun! Here are the printables you'll need if you'd like to host the Reindeer Games this Christmas Eve!

Game Board - Reindeer Games Title

Game Board - Game Titles 1 
Game Board - Game Titles 2
Game Board - Game Titles 3
Treat Table Labels
Reindeer Scramble Cards
Oh Deer! Reindeer Scavenger Hunt Clues
Deer in the Headlights - Couples Questionnaire
Full Reindeer Games Instruction Sheet (with game descriptions)