We have four stockings hanging up in our home: one for each kiddo and one for mom and dad. As much as I love Christmas presents, I have to admit that I prefer the stocking. It is a consistent childhood memory and there is just something about a whole bunch of fun little things all together that really excites me. I love to fill up the stockings to the point of overflowing. I do not feel guilty about overdoing it because we are very intentional with our Christmas gift giving (we use the Three Kings Method). Of course, I do put candy in the stockings, I am not a big meanie. However, I love to find neat little items that I know they will love. Here are some fun stocking stuffer ideas that are NOT candy. They are pretty much almost exactly what I put on the Easter basket list. Good ideas know no season, right?
- Books (can be Christmas or winter themed, or not!)
- Baseball, softball, tennis balls, etc.
- Kid-friendly nail polish like Piggy Paint
- Novelty Socks
- Play Dough and Play Dough tools
- Fun t-shirts. Walmart and Target always have a ton cheaply priced tees.
- Hair bows and ribbons
- Hot Wheels
- Hexbug Nanos. We LOVE Hexbugs in my family.
- Card games
- Bath crayons
- Sidewalk chalk
- Flower or vegetable seeds – kids love gardening and watching things they plant grow.
- Jump rope
- Jacks – old school fun.
- Stationary – get them writing letters!
- Wind-up toys (my son is crazy for these)
- Key chains
- Lanyards
- Fun pencils like Treesmart Pencils made with recycled newspaper. My kids LOVE these. I especially like how you can still see the printing on the graphite pencils.
- Stickers
- Disposable camera
- Flashlight, nightlight, or Mini Dream Light
- Jewelry (necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and they do not have to be expensive)
- $5 gift card to their favorite ice cream parlor or bakery
- Slinky
- Small Lego kits
- Glow-in-the-dark stars for walls and ceilings
- Lip gloss or Chapstick
- Rubix Cube
- Mechanical pencils
- Silly straws
- Kids sunglasses
- Funky bandaids
- DVDs (Veggie Tales, Disney, or whatever your child loves).
- Pencil erasers
- Pez – another old school favorite (okay, so this is candy, but also a toy)
- My Little Pony
- Lego minifigures
- Jerky (I am not a fan, but my kiddos love it)
- Bubbles
- USB Flash drives for your older tech savvy kids
- Littlest Pet Shop figures
- Kid’s watch
- Fun toothbrushes
- Children’s Bible
- Nesting dolls
- Pinwheels
- Marbles
- My family tradition: nuts and tangerines!
Address fantastic ideas! Thanks you are great!
We have big knitted stockings from my great aunt, so have a lot to fill! We tend to stay away from sweets unless it’s dark chocolate. So: nuts and citrus. Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, floss, chap stick, crazy socks, nail file, new handkerchief. Stuff from the 400 fundraisers I’ve been hit with, like B1G1 Jamba Juice card, Harkins gift card/cup/tshirt, Village Inn Pie Card. (Free) Gift Cards from my credit card rewards program: Starbucks, Whatabuger, Amazon, etc. Groupon certificates. Pocketknives, mini flashlights, glow sticks, reflective armbands for low-light bike riding/skateboarding. Nintendo (GameBoy/DS) video games. Stuff that’s small and inexpensive, a combination of staples and specials!
Superb infotmarion here, ol’e chap; keep burning the midnight oil.