There’s something especially fun about a picture that doesn’t reveal itself right away! This Christmas Reindeer Dot to Dot activity lets kids connect the numbered dots one by one until an adorable Christmas reindeer appears.
It’s part puzzle, part drawing activity, and part Christmas coloring page—all wrapped into one simple printable.
Grab a pencil, start at number 1, and see who is hiding among the dots!
🦌 Discover a Christmas Reindeer
At first, the page may look like a collection of scattered numbers and dots.
But there’s a festive friend hiding there.
Follow the numbers in order and slowly connect each dot to the next. With every new line, the mystery picture becomes a little easier to recognize.
Eventually, a Christmas reindeer with magnificent antlers appears!
Could it be one of Santa’s reindeer preparing for the big Christmas Eve flight?
That part is up to your imagination.
🔢 Start at Number 1
Completing the dot-to-dot is easy.
Begin by finding number 1.
Draw a line from number 1 to number 2.
Then connect:
2 to 3
3 to 4
4 to 5
Continue following the numbers in order until you’ve connected all the dots.
Try not to skip any numbers along the way.
Once the final dot is connected, the complete reindeer picture should appear.
✏️ Use a Pencil the First Time
A pencil is a great choice for completing a dot-to-dot puzzle because mistakes are easy to erase.
If a child accidentally connects the wrong numbers, simply erase the line and try again.
Once they’ve successfully completed the picture, they can trace over their pencil lines with:
- A black marker
- A colored pencil
- A crayon
- A fine-tip marker
Tracing the finished outline can make the reindeer stand out even more.
🔍 Find the Next Number Before Drawing
For children who are new to dot-to-dot puzzles, here’s a helpful trick.
Before drawing each line, locate the next number first.
For example, if you’re currently at number 8, find number 9 with your eyes before moving your pencil.
Then connect them.
This helps prevent accidentally connecting to the wrong dot when several numbers are close together.
🧠 Learning Through Christmas Play
Dot-to-dot activities are simple, but kids can practice several skills while completing them.
Connecting the numbered dots encourages practice with:
- Number recognition
- Counting
- Number sequencing
- Pencil control
- Hand-eye coordination
- Concentration
- Fine-motor skills
- Following directions
Children also get the satisfaction of watching a recognizable picture emerge from something that initially looked like a jumble of dots.
🔢 Practice Counting Out Loud
Turn the activity into a little counting practice by saying each number aloud.
As children connect the dots, they can count:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5…
Continue until the entire picture is finished.
For younger children who are still learning their numbers, an adult or older sibling can help locate each number along the way.
You can also pause occasionally and ask:
What number comes next?
It’s an easy way to sneak a little number practice into Christmas fun.
🎨 Color the Reindeer When You’re Finished
Connecting the dots is only the beginning.
Once the reindeer appears, bring out the crayons, markers, or colored pencils and turn the finished drawing into a Christmas coloring page.
Try traditional reindeer colors such as:
- Warm brown
- Dark brown
- Tan
- Cream
- Gray
Or forget realism completely and create a magical North Pole reindeer.
Maybe yours is purple.
Perhaps it has blue antlers.
Or maybe it has rainbow fur because Santa needs an especially magical reindeer this year.
There are no rules!
🔴 Give Your Reindeer a Famous Red Nose
Could this mystery reindeer be Rudolph?
There’s one easy way to make it happen.
Add a bright red nose!
Children can color the nose with a red crayon or marker and imagine that their reindeer is leading Santa’s sleigh through a snowy Christmas Eve sky.
Or give the reindeer another colorful nose and invent an entirely new member of Santa’s team.
🎅 Give Your Reindeer a Name
Rudolph isn’t the only reindeer who deserves a name.
Once the picture is complete, encourage children to invent their own Christmas reindeer.
Some fun name ideas include:
- Snowflake
- Jingle
- Twinkle
- Holly
- Peppermint
- Frosty
- Tinsel
- Sparkle
- Cocoa
- Mistletoe
- Merry
- Starlight
Write the reindeer’s name somewhere on the finished page.
Then decide what makes this particular reindeer special.
Maybe Snowflake can make it snow.
Perhaps Twinkle can find lost Christmas presents.
Maybe Peppermint knows exactly where Santa keeps the candy canes.
✨ Decorate the Antlers
Antlers are perfect for a little extra Christmas decorating.
Once the dot-to-dot is finished, kids can draw decorations hanging from the reindeer’s antlers.
Try adding:
- Tiny Christmas ornaments
- Bells
- Holly leaves
- Christmas lights
- Stars
- Candy canes
- Bows
- Snowflakes
- Tinsel
You could even turn the antlers into tiny Christmas trees!
❄️ Draw a Christmas Background
The completed reindeer doesn’t have to stand alone.
Kids can create an entire Christmas scene around it.
Draw:
- Falling snow
- Snow-covered pine trees
- Santa’s workshop
- A cozy Christmas cottage
- Wrapped presents
- Santa’s sleigh
- Elves
- Stars
- The moon
- Other reindeer
Maybe the reindeer is waiting outside Santa’s workshop.
Perhaps it’s practicing flying before Christmas Eve.
Or maybe it has wandered into a snowy forest looking for its friends.
📖 Tell a Reindeer Christmas Story
The finished picture can also become a storytelling prompt.
Ask children questions such as:
What is this reindeer’s name?
Where does it live?
Does it belong to Santa?
Can it fly?
What is its favorite Christmas treat?
Where is it going on Christmas Eve?
What adventure does it have before Christmas?
Younger children can tell the story aloud.
Older children could write their story on the back of the printable.
🏫 A Fun December Classroom Activity
A Christmas reindeer dot-to-dot makes an easy classroom activity because it requires very little preparation.
Teachers can simply print copies and provide pencils and crayons.
It can work well for:
- Morning work
- Early finishers
- Christmas learning centers
- Indoor recess
- Classroom Christmas parties
- December activity packets
- Number practice
- Quiet-time activities
Once everyone has finished connecting the dots, children can color and decorate their reindeer.
Display all the finished pictures together for a classroom herd of Christmas reindeer!
🏠 Easy Christmas Fun at Home
This printable is just as useful at home during the busy weeks before Christmas.
Print it when children need a quiet activity while you’re:
- Wrapping presents
- Cooking dinner
- Baking Christmas cookies
- Decorating the house
- Writing Christmas cards
- Preparing for visitors
All you need is the printable and a pencil.
Add crayons afterward and the activity can last even longer.
🚗 Add It to a Christmas Travel Pack
Visiting relatives over Christmas?
Christmas printables can be handy for keeping children occupied during holiday travel.
Create a small activity folder containing:
- Dot-to-dots
- Mazes
- Word searches
- Matching games
- Color-by-number sheets
- Christmas coloring pages
Add a pencil case filled with colored pencils or crayons.
You’ll have a simple activity kit ready for car rides, flights, restaurants, hotels, and visits with family.
🎄 Create a Christmas Printable Activity Pack
The reindeer dot-to-dot is even more fun when combined with other Christmas activities.
Pair it with the Christmas Activity Page for Kids, where children can tackle festive matching challenges, or add the Christmas Gnomes Activity Page for Kids for a word search and maze.
You could also add a Christmas color-by-number activity and several coloring pages.
Staple everything together and you’ve created your own little Christmas activity book.
🌟 Make Your Own Dot-to-Dot
Once children understand how the puzzle works, challenge them to make their own.
Start with a simple Christmas shape such as:
- A star
- Christmas tree
- Ornament
- Present
- Snowman
- Candy cane
- Stocking
Draw the picture lightly in pencil.
Place dots around the outline and number them in order.
Erase the original outline and give the finished puzzle to someone else.
Can they connect the dots and work out what you’ve drawn?
Designing a puzzle can be just as much fun as solving one.
☕ Make It Part of a Cozy Christmas Afternoon
Christmas printables don’t need to be elaborate to become a special December activity.
Put on some favorite Christmas music, make mugs of hot chocolate, and spread pencils, crayons, and several activity pages across the table.
Kids can connect dots, solve puzzles, and color while everyone enjoys a quieter moment during the busy holiday season.
Sometimes simple activities create some of the coziest Christmas memories.
❤️ Connect the Dots and Meet Your Reindeer
Start with number 1.
Follow the numbers.
Connect each dot carefully.
Before long, your mystery Christmas friend will appear!
Once your reindeer is complete, don’t stop there. Give it colorful fur, decorate its antlers, add a snowy North Pole background, and invent a name and story for your newest member of Santa’s reindeer team.
Grab a pencil and start connecting those dots! 🦌🎄✨
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