Things to leave out for Santa: Elf doughnuts, reindeer dust and edible lumps of coal

Do your kids want to leave things out for Santa and his helpers on Christmas Eve? Well, they're going to love these crafty, festive treats including elf doughnuts, reindeer dust and lumps of coal.

Watch the video above and discover our fun festive hacks to make at home with your kids. They'd also make interesting food gifts for Christmas too – especially if you're bored of the same old chutney or Christmas cake.

Watch your little ones faces light up when they see Santa, his elves and Ruldoph have been to visit come Christmas Day morning and have eaten their treats!

And as for the coal, well... You could use it as an incentive for the kids to be good in the run up to Christmas, although it's admittedly much nicer than finding actual coal in your stocking!

Elf doughnuts

Its time to get creative with these teeny tiny elf doughnuts. These elf doughnuts are of course not really doughnuts but they sure look like them with multi-coloured icing and sprinkles galore.

To make these treats you'll need a handful of Cheerios, you'll need:

• Icing sugar mixed with water to make a paste and then dyed with food colouring to make your chosen colours.
• And sprinkles, sprinkles and more sprinkles!

Carefully dip the Cheerios into the icing or spoon the icing onto each Cheerio. Top with the sprinkles and leave to set before popping into a cute gift box ready for the elves!

Lumps of coal

Remember when Santa used to leave the "naughty" kids lumps of coal in their stockings? Well this year you can whip up a much nicer version – Oreo and marshmallow lumps of coal instead.

These lumps of coal taste so good, you won't believe it. To make these treats you will need:

• 1 packet of Oreos (crushed and creamy middles removed)
• 200g of mini marshmallows
• 100g butter

Once you've got all of the ingredients above you'll need to melt the butter and the marshmallows on a low heat in a non-stick pan or pot. Stirring continuously until they're both melted and then add the crushed Oreos. Pour onto baking paper, cut into pieces and once cooled slightly roll into lumps of coal. Dust with more crushed Oreos for a coal dust effect and ta-dah!

Reindeer dust

Planning to leave some sherry and a minec pie out for Santa? Don't forget about the reindeer! To make this reindeer dust, you'll need:

• Oats
• Coloured sugar
• Edible glitter

Once you’ve gathered all the ingredients, all you have to do is mix them in a bowl, which the kids can easily do with your supervision.

Like these? You're going to love our other foods to make for Father Christmas including snowman truffles, traditional Stollen and more.

Which treat for Santa is your favourite? Comment below and don’t forget to share your pics with us on Facebook. Happy Christmas!