Caribou

Introductory Facts

Caribou are also called reindeer. Watch the 2-minute video "Learn Facts about Reindeer". Reindeer are furry all over, including their nose and their hooves, and two different sorts of hair, with soft wool near the skin and long, hollow hairs on top which help them float if they need to swim across a river. They can swim 6-10kmph (4-6mph).

Activity 1

Caribou are the only domesticated deer species. People in the arctic use them like horses, for pulling sleds and carrying loads. See if you have what it takes to be a highly-trained reindeer!

Trotting: Practice galloping around the room, making sure your knees are high. Move on to skipping if you can.

Balance: Put a narrow plank or a piece of tape on the floor and practice walking along it

Sled pull: Fill a basket with doll and teddy bears and tie a rope around one end for a harness to pull across the room. Be careful so your passengers don't topple over or fall off!

Curriculum areas: S05a, S05b, S06a, S06c

Activity 2

Spread rice on a baking tray and use a finger, straw, pencil, etc to make sled tracks in the "snow": lines, waves, zig-zags, and letters.

Instead of rice, you could make fake snow out of 1 cup baking soda and 1/5 cup white conditioner, or use shaving foam.

Curriculum areas: L08a, L11a, L11c

Lunch Snack

Reindeer eat lichen, herbs, ferns, hay, beet pulp, and alfalfa. Make a beetroot salad for lunch.

For the salad:
- 1 can of chopped beetroot
- 1/2 red onion, thinly-sliced
- 1/2 cup of bean sprouts or alfalfa
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley, mint, dill, and chives
- 1/4 cup walnuts or pinenuts
- 1/2 cup feta cheese

For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp crushed garlic
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- pinch of salt

Curriculum areas: S13a, S13c

Activity 3

Glue together a rectangular carton and a paper cup to make a caribou head and body. Wrap brown yarn around them, as well as four sticks or pop-sticks to be the legs. Use velvety brown pipecleaners to make tall antlers.

Curriculum areas: M06b