Reindeer Coloring Page

This reindeer coloring page shows a sweet reindeer face with tall branching antlers, a round nose and a big smile. He wears a collar with a jingle bell over a cozy sweater. Two little stars sit on the tips of his antlers, and snowflakes fall on both sides. It suits kids from about age 4 to 8.

The head is one big round shape, so it is quick to fill. The antlers take a bit more care because the lines are thin and close together. Most kids need 15 to 25 minutes.

Who this page is for

Preschoolers can color the face, the nose and the sweater. Kids in first and second grade can take on the antlers and the bell, which need a steadier hand. If your child gets tired of the small parts, it is fine to color the antlers with one line of brown.

It is a good page for December, when many classes read holiday stories about Santa and his team of reindeer.

Reindeer coloring page color ideas

Real reindeer are brown and gray with a lighter neck, so a medium brown face and a light tan muzzle look natural. Give the ears a darker brown inside. The antlers can be a tan or a soft gold.

The nose is where kids have the most fun. A bright red nose gives a classic holiday look. Pink cheeks make the face extra sweet. Color the collar red and the bell yellow or gold so it shines. For the sweater, green works well with the red collar, or kids can add stripes and dots.

A soft cream or peach background keeps the picture warm and bright.

Tips for coloring the reindeer

• Start with the big face. Once it is brown, the eyes and the smile are easy to see and work around.
• Use a sharp colored pencil for the antlers. A crayon tip is often too wide for the thin branches.
• Leave a small white spot on the nose. It looks like a shine and makes the red pop.
• Draw a few small lines on the sweater before coloring it. They look like knitted wool.

Fun facts about reindeer

Reindeer live in cold places in the far north, such as Norway, Finland, Russia, Alaska and Canada. In North America, wild reindeer are called caribou. You can learn more on Wikipedia.

Here is a fact kids love. In most kinds of deer, only the males grow antlers, but both male and female reindeer have them. Their wide hooves also work like snowshoes, which helps them walk on deep snow.

Ideas for after coloring

Cut out the face and tape it to a craft stick to make a reindeer puppet. Kids can put on a short show, or sing a holiday song while they hold it up.

Teachers can turn the page into a writing prompt. Ask the class to name their reindeer and write where it would fly on Christmas Eve. Younger kids can draw a sleigh next to it on the back of the page.

For a science link, show a map and point to the places where reindeer live. Then talk about why their thick fur keeps them warm.

The page also makes a sweet holiday card. Fold a sheet of card stock in half, glue the colored reindeer on the front and write a short note inside. Grandparents love getting one in the mail. If you print the page at a smaller size, two reindeer fit on one sheet, so siblings can each make a card for a friend.

More pages to color

Find more holiday pictures in our Christmas coloring pages. Animal fans will also like the kitten in a Santa hat, which has the same cozy holiday style.