Looking for a fun and safe Christmas Eve activity that the whole family can get involved in?
On Christmas Eve, as Father Christmas takes to the sky rushing from house to house to deliver presents to all the good boys and girls, his reindeer will need a quick snack to keep their energy levels up.
And what should we give they I hear you ask? Homemade reindeer food of course.
What's great about reindeer food is that a majority of households don't need to buy special food, there's a huge chance you will have everything you need in your cupboards.
Here are the ingredients you will need for a nutritious, delicious and kid-approved eco-friendly reindeer food:
- A handful of rolled porridge oats
- A small cup of dried fruit like cranberries and apricots (however, if you have a dog, avoid using items like currants, grapes, raisins and sultanas as they can be poisonous).
- Some mixed seeds or wild bird seed which include kibbled peanuts, black sunflower seeds, sunflower hearts, dried mealworms or yellow millet.
- A hint of chilli powder. It helps keep Rudolph's nose shining bright and will stop rodents from stealing the food before the reindeer arrive.
Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and sprinkle your magical reindeer food on your lawn while reciting the special poem.
"Sprinkle on the lawn at night,
The moon will make it sparkle bright,
As Santa's reindeer fly and roam,
This will guide them to your home."
For many years, various websites and blogs have recommended glitter and edible glitter as the main ingredient in reindeer food but while it may be safe for human consumption, it poses a serious threat to both flying reindeer and garden wildlife, such as birds and small animals.
Most if not all standard glitters contain small plastic products that are not only harmful to animals, they are bad for the environment.
What might seem like a harmless bit of fun, it is a potential hazard for our waterways, particularly in the ocean and can have fatal consequences for marine life.
As well as this, edible glitter is not good for the digestive system of animals like squirrels, foxes and other small mammals.
