Candy Cane Callie
Events & Festivities Editor
Hello, merry friends! Candy Cane Callie here, bundled up in my stripiest scarf at the edge of the North Pole Games Field, because the 2026 Reindeer Games are officially underway! The big wooden arch is wrapped in holly and red bows, the lanterns are glowing, and Santa just rang the starting bell so hard his hat nearly flew off.
If you read last year’s coverage, you’ll remember Rudolph’s famous shortcut through the Frosty Loop. This year Rudolph traded his racing harness for a coach’s whistle, and the field belongs to the North Pole’s youngest reindeer: the Junior Flight Crew!
Meet the Teams
Two teams are competing this year. Team Dash wears shiny red harnesses covered in golden jingle bells. Team Snowflake wears cozy plaid scarves knitted by the Workshop Knitting Circle. Santa is cheering at the starting line with a clipboard that says “GO TEAM!” and a checkmark next to every single name. (I peeked. He checked it twice.)
Keeping things fair is Referee Pip, a tiny elf in a black-and-white striped jersey with a whistle in one hand and a checkered flag in the other. Pip takes the job very seriously. Pip also eats one gingerbread cookie between every event, which Pip says is “for focus.”
Event One: The Wreath Ring Jump
First up was Jump! The junior reindeer bounded over hay-bale hurdles lined with candy-cane poles, then leaped through a giant holly wreath hung high between two striped posts. Bramble from Team Dash sailed through the wreath with every bell jingling and landed in a perfect puff of snow. Pip waved the flag, and the first point went up on the scoreboard.
Event Two: The Hollow Log Dash
Next came Dash, a race through a long hollow log tunnel trimmed with garland and red bows. Little Clover from Team Snowflake was the smallest reindeer on the field and went into the log in last place. Then, with a giggle we could hear from the fence, she popped out the other end first in a cloud of sparkly snow! The score was tied, 1 to 1.
Event Three: The Sleigh Relay
The last race was the Sleigh Relay. Each team pulled a little red sleigh, loaded with presents and a sack stamped “North Pole,” all the way to the finish sign. The rule is simple: every present has to arrive safe and sound, just like on Christmas Eve.
Halfway down the track, Team Dash hit a snowdrift and a present tumbled out of their sleigh. And then something wonderful happened. Team Snowflake stopped right in their tracks, trotted over, and nudged the present back into the Team Dash sleigh with their noses. Then both teams crossed the finish line side by side! Pip blew the whistle, thought very hard (and ate a cookie), and gave each team a point. Final score: 2 to 2!
Mrs. Claus’ Snack Shack
Between events, the busiest spot on the whole field was the North Pole Reindeer Games Snack Shack. Mrs. Claus was pouring hot cocoa while her elf helper passed out cookies and peppermint treats. Two penguins in matching knit scarves sipped their cocoa at the counter all afternoon. I’m told they come every year and never miss a race.
But the most popular item on the menu? Reindeer Fuel! Before each event, Mrs. Claus scooped a little of her Magic Reindeer Food into every team’s bucket. “Oats for strong legs,” she told me with a wink, “and a sprinkle of sparkle for get-up-and-go.” It’s the very same magic that families sprinkle on their lawns on Christmas Eve, so Santa’s team can spot every home from the sky.
From the Bayside Christmas shop
Santa’s Magic Reindeer Food
Mrs. Claus’ official Reindeer Fuel, ready for your own lawn on Christmas Eve, so Santa’s team can find your home.
And the Winner Is…
With the score tied, everyone looked at Santa. He pointed to the last word on the big wooden sign: Shine. The Shine Award goes to the team with the brightest spirit, and Santa said he couldn’t choose, because both teams had shone the brightest at the very same moment, back in that snowdrift. So every junior reindeer got a golden jingle bell for their harness, and Coach Rudolph’s nose glowed so proudly it lit up the whole field.
A scoreboard can count points, but it can’t count kindness. That’s my favorite thing to watch.
Santa Claus
Try it at home: your own Reindeer Games
Split your little reindeer into Team Dash and Team Snowflake and play the North Pole events:
- Wreath Ring Jump: hop through a hula hoop or a pool-noodle “wreath.”
- Hollow Log Dash: crawl through a blanket tunnel draped over two chairs.
- Sleigh Relay: pull a laundry basket of stuffed animals to the finish line without losing a single one.
- Snack Shack: serve cocoa and cookies, and save the real Reindeer Food for the lawn on Christmas Eve. (It’s for reindeer, not people!)
Keep score on a piece of paper, then give everyone a jingle bell for shining bright.
That’s all from the Games Field, friends. The junior reindeer are napping in the barn with their new bells, Pip is finally out of cookies, and Mrs. Claus is wiping down the Snack Shack counter. I’ll see you at the fence next year!
Yours in stripes and sparkle,
Candy Cane Callie
Events & Festivities Editor