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It’s that time of year again. Everyone is thinking about the upcoming holidays and what to give their loved ones. Not only do Mom and Dad need help getting ideas for their kids sometimes, but I personally have to come up with ideas to give to Grandmas and Grandpas as well for stocking stuffers. So today I’m sharing some of my favorite ideas for stocking stuffers for kids.
Arts + Crafts
Stickers – You can NEVER go wrong with stickers. Stickers of their favorite characters, or you could do numbers, letters, shapes, or plain dot stickers. My kids actually like the hole punch protector stickers. Go figure!
Air Drying Clay – Clay for them to create and explore. I have found tons of online activities that use air drying clay in multiple ways. It comes in all sorts of colors and can be found online or at your local crafting store.
Paint Sticks – These things are amazing. All the fun, with MUCH less mess. For those parents who hate messes, or just for those moments where you want them to be crafty without having the time to clean up a FULL on paint mess. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still paint, and kids can get it everywhere, but there’s much less work involved on the parent’s part, for sure.
Tempera Paint – My boys love to paint. Sometimes it’s only in short spans and then they are quickly moving on, but they LOVE paint. They immediately tell me if we are running low, so a steady supply is nice.
Paint Brushes – I don’t know about you, but since we love our paint, we have a tendency to run through brushes. We like trying new shapes and sizes, but sometimes they just need to be retired as well. So new paint brushes are always fun for my kids.
Paint Palettes – You really don’t NEED paint palettes, but they are fun, and pretty cheap. I like being able to give the kids a few different colors and watch them mix, play and explore.
Watercolor Paints – Again, paint. All the paint. Buy ALL the paint.
For the Body
Bubble bath and body wash! – Bath time is a great theme for a stocking. My boys love to pour in a little bit of bubble bath, or just plain body wash, into their baths for bubble fun!
Bandaids – Yep! These go right along with stickers, but they also have a practical function as well! If your little one gets a scrape, why not cover it with some fun bandages? Also, they can bandage up their toys when needed. Bonus!
Bathbombs – Some people are not a fan of these. They can cause reactions in some kids, but my kids have never had a problem. They LOVE picking out a bath bomb and watching it fizzle away to nothing. You can even get them with toys in them, though, then you’ll have a million teeny tiny animals around the house. So pass on the toy ones if you kiddo is still putting all the things in their mouth, or if you know accidentally stepping on a tiny pig at night will ruin your day. Just saying.
Vitamins and Gummies – My kids love dummies. It’s how I get them to take vitamins and probiotics. As well as Magnesium, that we take almost daily. My kids love getting them in their stocking.
Bath Coloring Drops – My kids love color. Adding color to their baths is SO much fun. They love the part where they toss it in and see the color slowly take over the tub. They also use them for exploring color mixing.
Musical
Instruments – Harmonicas, recorders, maracas, they all make fun little toys for stocking stuffers. Again, if you know lots of noise is triggering for your parent monster side, maybe pass. But honestly, musical instruments are great for kids to play with and explore. Simply find a space to put them where the kids can’t reach, when you can’t handle the noise. And it’s usually frowned upon to send them outside with the toys to annoy the neighbors.
Books
The Ninja Series – I love their series. I haven’t read all of them, but I’ve read several, and they are so fun. Simple, cute, and focused on things kids need to learn. You can even discuss the book and what the ninja was going through and how he responded. Turn it into a fun learning and analysis experience.
Books in general – You can NEVER go wrong with books. Books for the kids, books you want to read to the kids, books to explore together. Teach them a love of learning, and that books open up all sorts of possibilities. They make the perfect stocking stuffers for kids. Start early and never stop.
Games + Toys
Suspend – This game is a house favorite. Though, honestly, we are currently missing a few pieces. We still play with it. Even when the kids weren’t quite old enough to “play,” we would practice balancing sticks on each other, or picking them up. The boys loved watching me stack them too and seen how long it would take to fall.
Feelings Games – Want to give your kid a rich emotional vocabulary? I sure do! I am always teaching about emotions, how important they are to be expressed, and how best to express them. We are all so limited with how we can explain how we are feeling. Don’t give me started! Try out some games that help pen up the discussion on emotions, how to identify them, and how to express them in more meaningful, and less hurtful ways.
Radio Helicopter – Honestly, this is a love/hate relationship. My boys love them, I love/hate them. I love watching them play and explore. Getting better and better at controlling and directing them.
I will also say that they have “landed” them on the roof multiple times, in the neighbors’ yard, and snapped off pieces as well. Oh well. It’s a learning experience.
Reusable activity sheets – Need some busy activities, or heading on a road trip? Grab some reusable activity sheets like mazes and puzzles to use over and over!
Magnet Wands – My boys love these. They like to just go around the house and yard and find things that are magnetic. Testing here and there to figure out what is and what is not magnetic. They also think it’s hilarious when it sticks to things in general.
Something to Wear
Sunglasses – These are great for the outdoorsy kiddos. Protect their eyes from the sun, as well as eye strain from squinting. All while looking great! We always have multiple pairs in various places so that we always have a pair within reach.
Socks – I can’t be the only one who likes socks as stocking stuffers, right? I don’t know, my kids always need socks, and they are easy to stuff into a stocking.
Pajamas – Who doesn’t love new PJs? They could be Christmas themed, their favorite color(s), or maybe jus their favorite brand!
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