Looking for a fun and hands-on way to teach shapes this holiday season? This shape reindeer craft is the perfect mix of learning and creativity for preschool, kindergarten, and first-grade students. Using a hexagon for the reindeer’s face along with other shapes for features, this craft lets kids explore geometry while creating an adorable seasonal decoration. It’s easy to set up, simple to complete, and filled with learning moments your students will love! Keep reading to see how you can use it with your kids!
Why Should I Use Shape Crafts?
Shape crafts bring together creativity and learning in a way that captures students’ interest. They allow young learners to use their hands and practice fine motor skills while working with different shapes and colors. This combination of hands-on activity and visual learning helps students recognize, remember, and understand shapes more easily. Creating a finished product builds their confidence and gives them something exciting to take home or display in the classroom.
Beyond shape recognition, these crafts also teach students to follow instructions, make choices, and use spatial reasoning as they piece shapes together. This active learning supports skills they’ll use in other areas, like math and problem-solving. Shape crafts provide a foundation for future geometry lessons and show students that learning shapes can be meaningful and fun.
When to Use a Shape Reindeer Craft
A Shape Reindeer Craft is handy in winter when teachers want to blend holiday themes with foundational learning. It’s perfect for introducing or reinforcing a lesson on shapes, as students can identify and assemble shapes like hexagons, triangles, and circles to create their reindeer. Here are a few fun ideas for using the shape reindeer craft with your students.
- Shape Recognition Lesson: Use the craft to interactively reinforce shape names and attributes. Model how to create the craft and then let kids make their own.
- Holiday-Themed Math Center: Set up the reindeer craft as a station where students can explore shapes and counting. As they add shapes to their craft, have them discuss and record their shapes.
- Fine Motor Practice: Help students build fine motor skills by cutting, gluing, and arranging shapes. If you have a fine motor station, this is a great addition.
- Seasonal Classroom Decor: To add holiday cheer, have students display their reindeer crafts on a winter bulletin board. All teachers love excellent holiday decor!
- Take-Home Project: Send the craft home as a holiday keepsake that reinforces learning outside the classroom. Laminate the projects once they are complete!
- Small Group Activity: Use it as a guided activity in small groups to give students individualized support with shapes. Discuss the attributes of shapes while you cut and paste the pieces.
- Following Directions Practice: Challenge students to follow step-by-step instructions to assemble the reindeer correctly. Note students who need extra help or who can help others.
- Holiday Gift for Families: Students can give their reindeer crafts as handmade gifts to family members. To make it extra special, write a message or a poem on the back.
- Storytime Companion Activity: Pair the craft with a reindeer-themed book to enhance literacy connections. Some suggestions include Olive, the Other Reindeer, or Rudolf, the Red-Nosed Reindeer!
- Early Finishers Project: Offer the reindeer craft as an engaging activity for students who finish other tasks early. Print the templates ahead of time to be ready for the whole month.
How to Make a Shape Reindeer Craft
Creating this holiday craft is very simple and a lot of fun. You only need a few materials, too!
Materials Needed:
- Construction paper or cardstock
- Shape Reindeer Craft
- Scissors
- Glue
- Googly Eyes (optional)
- Large red pom pom (optional for the nose)
Step-by-Step Instructions:
- Print off your reindeer craft. Print it onto colored construction paper or plain white paper if you want to color it.
- Cut out each of the shapes.
- Have students glue together the antlers and attach them to the back of the hexagon.
- Glue the diamonds next to the ears.
- Add the hearts on the cheeks and the eyes to the face.
- Last, add the red nose! Print the circle on brown construction paper if you don’t want a red nose.
Watch the video below to see how simple creating this shape reindeer craft is!
If you enjoyed this craft, you will love the Christmas Shape Craft Bundle! In addition to the reindeer, you will find a friendly elf and an adorable Christmas tree! These make fun math center activities or decorations for your classroom walls!
You will also enjoy these Christmas Crafts: