Vanishing Cultures: Far North Reindeer Activity

Make a Reindeer
Homeschool Activity for
Vanishing Cultures: Far North
written and photographed by Jan Reynolds

Activity by Anastasia Suen

Make your own reindeer out of papier-mâché. Also see The Papier Mâché Resource for information about creating objects with papier-mâché.

Materials:
newspaper, torn into strips
papier-mâché paste
a form
salt

The type of paste you make depends on the form you use. For wire forms, use a paste that turns into clay. To make this type of papier-mâché, mix torn newspaper into the paste to make pulp. Salt may be added to the pulp to prevent mold. For more information about papier-mâché paste, check out: Ultimate PaperMache.

If you use a three-dimensional form such as one made out of cardboard paper towel rolls, use a paste made out of water and flour. Dip the torn newspaper strips into the paste and wrap the strips around the form to build a reindeer. Learn more at Kids' Turn Central.

Let the reindeer dry overnight and add another layer of papier-mâché the next day. For best results, repeat the process a third time, so there are three layers of paper.

After you finish building your reindeer, let it dry overnight again. The reindeer is now ready to paint. You may paint the reindeer brown, as in real life, or make it shiny with foil or metallic paint for the holidays.

Share pictures of your reindeer. Take a digital photo and post it in our Photobucket album.

Happy creating!

Author/educator Anastasia Suen began teaching in the home. The author of over 100 books for children, she has also taught kindergarten to college in the classroom. Today homeschoolers use her blogs for book activities, reading lists, and writing lessons.