Reindeer Finger Puppets
A set of eight (or nine!) reindeer finger puppets lets children act out the famous poem while developing fine motor skills. Each puppet is made from a brown felt loop with yarn antlers, googly eyes, and a red pompom nose for Rudolph.
What You'll Need
- Brown felt — cut into small rectangles for puppet bodies
- Yarn in brown — for antlers
- Googly eyes — tiny ones
- Red pompom — for Rudolph's nose
- Fabric glue — for assembly
- Marker — to write reindeer names on each puppet
How to Do It
Step 1: Make the body. Roll a 2×3 inch brown felt rectangle into a finger-loop and glue the seam.
Step 2: Make antlers. Cut yarn into short V-shapes or twist together for antler shapes. Glue to the top back of the loop.
Step 3: Add face. Glue on two tiny googly eyes. For Rudolph, add a red pompom nose; for others, use a brown or black button.
Step 4: Label. Write each reindeer's name in small letters on the inside of the loop.
Step 5: Perform! Slip a puppet on each finger and recite "The Night Before Christmas"!
🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop
Small-scale assembly — Working with tiny felt pieces and yarn builds precision.
Memory and recitation — Learning the reindeer names and poem builds memory and language.
Tips & Variations
- Make a Santa puppet for the thumb!
- Use the puppets to practice counting to 9.
- Make a stable/sleigh from a small box for the puppets to live in.
My Two Cents
Pre-cut the felt loops and make the antlers before the activity — the construction steps are fiddly for little hands. Let children focus on adding eyes, noses, and names, which gives them agency while keeping the project achievable.
