Last year the Fun and Practical Stocking Stuffer Ideas I shared went crazy! I guess I’m not the only parent who wants to make sure the stockings are stuffed with goodies that will actually get used. If you haven’t seen that post, make sure to check it out (read the comments too, there is a lot of great stuff there as well). This year I needed to make a new list of stocking stuffer ideas for my kids and of course you know I love to share!
Writing this post was so much fun, I can’t wait to run these ideas by Hubby and get busy ordering. The links I’ve used are affiliate links. (Thanks for supporting Confidence Meets Parenting)
Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Kids
- Notebook Set – Everyone in our family loves notebooks and pens. Since notebook sets encourage writing… I love them even more. Here are a couple that would go over big with our family. Unicorn stationary set and Green Bay Packers stationery set
.
- Gum – Little M is my gum chewer. She would chew gum all day if I let her. I found this fun peppermint gum
that I think she will go crazy for!
- Hair Accessories – I’m going to buy them anyway… so a hair accessory kit
is perfect.
- Gift Cards – What a simple way to add to the “BIG” gift! Little M is getting a desk this year. (SHHH!!!) A gift card to an office supply store will be a perfect compliment to her gift. Get creative… what gift card would add to the big gift Santa is bringing this year?
- Band-Aids – Plain old band-aids would be very practical, but not much fun. I found four super fun band-aids that are just begging to be stuffed into a stocking. Bacon Shaped Band-Aids, Pickle Band-Aids
, and Cupcake Band-Aids. How fun are those?!?
- Card Game – In the last post I recommended a plain deck of cards. We have plenty of those, this year they will each get a new card game in their stocking. I like card games because they are a small, inexpensive way to add to the game closet. We personally love Phase 10 Card Game
and Spot It
. This year we’ll be trying Scattergories The Card Games
.
- Wallet – We’re working on payment/chore system (more on that later), which means the kids are getting a regular income. They need a better way to carry their money then what they currently have. I like these wallets because there is a zippered spot for coins, that turns out to be very important! I found this black and blue wallet
and cute owl wallet
.
- Cereal – Did you just say “What?!?” I know it’s kind of a weird stocking stuffer BUT hear me out. For the past few years, we’ve added an individual cereal box the stockings.
(I buy one per kid, the link takes you to a large pack but I’m sure you can get one box at your grocery store). To our kids, these types of cereal are a treat. They take up quite a bit of stocking space and they give the kids something to nibble on while Hubby and I make breakfast. Win, win, win!
- Magazine Subscription – Since we’re talking practical a magazine subscription is an awesome stocking stuffer. You can pick up the most recent one at the store and attach a note that they can expect a new magazine each month. OR just make a coupon saying that their first magazine will arrive soon. We love Ask Magazine
and LEGO Club (LEGO club is a free magazine. Big M can’t wait for it to arrive and asks about it before it comes.) Can you recommend a magazine subscription in the comments? I’m looking for a new one.
- CD – Aren’t you ready for some new kids music? Stockings are a great way to add a few more choices to your CD collection. We love Laurie Berkner Band
for younger kids and Kidz Bop
for older kids.
.
that I think she will go crazy for!
is perfect.
and Don’t miss last years version 10 Practical {and fun} Stocking Stuffers for Kids! There are some awesome stocking stuffer ideas that have been added to the comments as well.
Alright, that’s my list of practical (while still totally fun) stocking stuffer ideas for kids. It’s your turn to add your favorite stocking stuffers!
I love these ideas. My littles are 1 and 2 1/2 so the real fun for them is mostly in the unwrapping. Anytime we pick up anything they need but that they do not have to have right away we toss it in the christmas bag. There will be things like socks and probably a box of diapers, but christmas morning they mostly care about ripping apart that wrapping paper.
I love that Sarah! Ripping apart paper will definitely be a favorite for your little ones!
Thankyou for your ideas. I love the bandaids!
I always add a bag of chocolate money – an only Christmas time treat.
And my ol pa was born in Germany and grew up in the depression. Once a year he would receive an orange as his treat. So I always add a piece of seasonal fruit- for us it’s apples. I buy the most perfect red rosy apple I can find. It’s their very own and will be eaten in a quiet time when all that rich food is just too much.
What a wonderful way to pass on a family story Fiona. Thanks for sharing.
I’ll use the toothpaste and timer idea from your list last year for sure.
So far I have only small kits for painting their own cup waiting for the stockings. But we’ve always put in a piece of fruit (same idea as with your cereals: buy some time).
Btw, one year we put in treasure hunt maps for a bigger present, that was a lot of fun for all of us!
I love the idea of a subscription! And chewing gum would be appreciated. Hmm, I’ll clearly have finalise the contents still but great posts to get the thought process going!
I LOVE the treasure map idea. How fun!
my kids stockings were always over flowing for I would also do a box of their favorite cereal, granola bars, gold fish, fruit snack/roll ups, chips, packages of gum, and then the craft supplies, markers, construction paper crayons, and they always got underwear & socks
Im not sure how old your children are, as i just ran across this post from fb, but i was thinking of doing highlights magazine subscription for my three year old this year. When i was little they only had the original highlights, but now they also have one for 2-5 yr olds called High Five. 🙂
Welcome Amanda! Mine are 9 and 7. We did High Five for a long time. It’s a great magazine. 🙂
We always do Toothbrushes, tooth paste & sugar free gum…The Dental Asst. In me! This year we are doing the Highlights for one of my kiddos & for the other we are doing Sports Illustrated Kids! A Big THANK YOU for the wallet link! It is hard to find a wallet that holds coins for boys. So excited to order!
My mom always packed my stuffing with fruit (around the toys of course). I knew it was filler, but now that I’m a parent, I think it’s genius. Why? Well, we’ve told our kids that they can’t open any of the gifts under the tree until everyone is up, but they CAN open their stockings. So, they get up at the craft of dawn, open them, play…and then what? They’re hungry. And there is fruit, right there, in their stocking (ok, on the floor…but that’s why you use oranges). You can put stuff like granola bars in there too.
Oops…stocking, not stuffing (though another relative packs THAT with fruit.)
Hi, loving some of these ideas.
As for magazines, my eldest (8) subscribes to Aquilla ( a UK mag but we get it out in Australia) it is awesome.
Love the band-aid idea! I have 4 kids ranging in age from 9 – 17. Some items we have put in their stockings include toothbrushes & paste, duct tape, marbles, jacks, Think Fun games, Story Cubes, and yo-yos. This year I am putting Crazy Aaron’s Putty, Kendamas, Skull-candy buds, bicycle lights, Woboba Moon balls, lip balm, and new watches for the younger 2. I love the idea about the chewing gum as well. Thanks for the practical gift ideas.
My littles are 5 and 2 1/2, so Paw Patrol bandaids were in their stockings this year. They also each got flossers (not real environmentally friendly, but we’ll transition to actual floss with more motor control and at least it starts the habit). We’ve done those Crayola bath tablets that change the water color also, as well as blowing bubbles and Lara Bars.
For magazines, we like High Five/Highlights and the Ranger Rick ones (there are at least 3 different age groups).