There’s something so fun and magical about digging into a Christmas stocking and pulling out fun surprises. I think this is one of the reasons opening stockings ranks so high on our kids’ list of Christmas morning favorites! When it comes to our kids’ stockings, I take a few approaches. I really like to include useful things (this is often where I’ll put new art supplies, socks, a new book, etc.), a new card game or fidget toy, travel toys since we always head to Florida right after Christmas, a sweet treat, a fresh orange at the bottom of their stocking and something to encourage creativity. Can you tell I LOVE putting stockings together!? File this under things I wish I could do not only for my kids but for all kids year-round. They’re just magical!
Last year I began sharing a stocking stuffer gift guide based on your requests and I’m keeping the traditional alive this year. This gift guide includes stocking stuffer ideas, most of which are in the $5-15 range. (All gifts in this gift guide had to be $25 or less to be included and were under this price point at the time of creation.)
Note: When it comes to the kid stocking stuffer ideas, many of the items shared below are items I’ll split between our boys’ stockings. For example, a set of bath bombs, gel crayons or Nee-Doh multipack will be opened and spread out among three stockings. As always, I really, really hope this gift guide is helpful for you as you shop for the special kiddos in your life!
And in case you missed my other gift guides, you may find them below:
- Gift Guide for Big Kids (ages 8-10)
- Gift Guide for Kids (ages 5 – 7)
- Gift Guide for Little Kids (ages 3 – 5)
- Gift Guide for Her
- Gift Guide for Him
Stocking Stuffers for Kids
Physical Play
- Stop Watch: For kids who always say “time me” or love to turn everything into a race or timed event. This went in Chase’s stocking last year and was a huge hit!
- Bike Accessories: A speedometer to show their speed (going in our big kids’ stockings this year!), a bell for their bike (Jellibells twist to ring the bell and they are the BEST!), lights for their wheels, etc.
- Moon Ball: A bouncy ball that bounces crazy high and has our boys running all over the place.
- Flashlights: A great pack to break up among a few stockings. Our boys use their flashlights all the time in their forts, for outside play, nighttime fun, camping, etc.
- Foam Airplanes: A guaranteed hit! Our boys throw them all over our yard.
- Walkie Talkies: A fun idea for siblings: Put one walkie talkie in each stocking! These have been a hit with our boys for years for outside play, “spying,” and being sneaky around the house. (While they’re more expensive than a typical stocking stuffer, I ordered these video walkie talkies for the boys this year and think they’ll be a hit!)
- Auto-Return Yo-Yo: We got these after a regular yo-yo proved very frustrating and this one was a looot more fun for yo-yo beginners!
Imagination/Educational
- Book Light: Our boys use their book lights every single night to read/flip through books before bed.
- Kanoodle Game Teaser Puzzle: For kids who love puzzles and brain games. 10/10 hit with Chase last year and we take on every travel adventure.
- Plus Plus Mini Interlocking Blocks: We have several tubes of these and the boys come up with some really cool creations. A favorite of mine to pack for airplane travel, restaurants and spectating sibling sports.
- Magnetic Wands: Magnetic things fascinate kids and these wands let them test what’s magnetic and what’s not! A big hit with the preschool crowd.
- Weird But True Book: Our big kids pour over the crazy facts in these books.
- Calculator: Calculators are magic to kids and great for pretend play, too.
- Invisible Ink Spy Pens: Each pen cap has a UV-light included to reveal the invisible ink and blow your kids’ mind!
- Number Slide Puzzle: I had this as a kid and loved it! I ordered one for Chase’s stocking this year.
- Tape Measure: For the kid who likes to measure everything and help with home projects. This one went in Ryder’s stocking last year and all 3 boys use it a lot!
- Shape-Shifting Cube: Super cool to big kids! (Probably best for ages 8+!)
- Flipslide: The electronic memory game our big kids love. Great for travel entertainment!
- Light-Up Memory Cube: A memory game similar to Simon from when we were kids but in cube form!
- Exploding Mentos Geyser Tube: A science-y stocking stuffer I ordered for Rhett this year. Anything that explodes is always an entertainment win in our house.
- Toddler Talking Flashcards: A big hit when the boys were younger. I saved them for road trips, restaurants and travel.
- Metal Tally Counter: This may seem so random but I got this idea from one of the boys’ teachers. Kids love keeping track of everything and our boys will use them on our neighborhood walks, hikes, during road trips, etc. to keep track of various things they see (squirrels, yellow cars, etc.).
- Jumbo Book of Mazes: In case your kids love mazes as much as ours! This is a travel/road trip gem!
- Books: For a great read-aloud chapter book series for kids 7+ I highly recommend Land of Stories / For a reluctant reader or a reader who prefers graphic novels, Press Start! and Owl Diaries are fantastic / For a preschooler who loves to laugh out loud at silly stories, you cannot beat Elephant and Piggie
- A Kid-Friendly Devotional: If you like to do a devotional with your kids, How Great Is Our God: Devotions about God and Science is one of our favorites. Love Does for Kids is another gem in our house!
Something Creative
- Color Changing Markers: I loved these as a kid and ordered a pack to go in Rhett’s stocking this year.
- Paint-Your-Own Nightlight: I gave the unicorn version to my then 3-year-old niece last year over Thanksgiving and she loved it so much.
- Mini Hole Punches: These come in the cutest shapes and our boys like using them to make birthday cards for their friends and also use them for various craft projects. A great one to divide up between a few stockings.
- Gel Crayons: Super-saturated (washable!) crayons that feel like coloring with lipstick. These glitter gel pens were a hit with my nieces last year.
- 1000+ Stickers Sticker Book: Rhett and Ryder reach for this all the time for various pictures and crafty projects.
- Adorable Rechargeable Animal Pencil Sharpener: Practical and adorable!
- Twistable Crayons: Say goodbye to crayons that break or become super flat.
- How to Draw 101 Things: Our big kids have found this book very helpful. It’s great for budding artists who many need a little help learning how to draw everything from animals and rocket ships to food and trees. (Not going to lie, I’ve used this book to draw cute pictures for the boys before!)
- Diamond Art Stickers: A great quiet, creative activity for both boys and girls!
- Water WOW! or Sticker WOW!: Forever a toddler/little kid favorite. These are going in Rhett’s stocking!
- Color by Number Books: Our 5- and 7-year-old love these! This Sea Life coloring book has been their favorite.
Just for Fun
- Flat2Fast Cars: If you have a car-loving kid, these are a guaranteed hit. They go from a flat car to a fast, zooming race car at the press of a button. They went in our boys’ stockings last year and they LOVED them.
- Nee-Doh: Our boys love any Nee-Doh gift. They will often grab one to bring with them on car rides both short and long. To save money, I like to purchase a 3-pack, split them up and wrap them in cellophane with little red ribbon.
- LeapFrog Handheld Game: I’d consider this a “screen light” video game that has some educational components. It’s a favorite of Rhett’s (5yo) that we save for travel. Great for toddlers and preschoolers!
- Puzzle Track: The hit of Rhett’s 4th birthday!
- Tamagotchi: A flashback favorite.
- Zero Gravity Car: A small remote control car that can drive up walls and on ceilings. All three boys love this thing.
- Piggy Paint Non-Toxic Nail Polish: My niece’s favorite for painting her nails!
For Bath Time
- Surprise Inside Bath Bombs: If your kids haven’t discovered surprise inside bath bombs, they will be extra excited for these at bath time! I buy a pack and split them between our boys’ 3 stockings because they all still love them.
- Bath Potions: These bubble over like a volcano and are highly entertaining for our kids.
- Munchkin Color Mixing Bath Toy: 10/10 recommendation for toddlers and little kids! Rhett (age 4) ADORES this one! I ordered this pack of bath tablets when we needed a refill because they last forever.
- Bath Crackles: To make the bath water crackle and pop!
Games
- LCR: Our boys LOVE this game and it’s a fun one you can even play with dollar bills as they get older to keep it fun and interesting for all ages.
- Pass the Pigs: I ordered this for Ryder! He loves dice-rolling games and this looks like a fun and funny version that involves rolling mini pigs instead of dice.
- Crazy 8s: One of the first card games our kids got really into and it was a huge hit when I played it with Ryder’s kindergarten class when I volunteered in his classroom last year.
- UNO Golf: I think this version is more fun than regular UNO and it doesn’t leave you with a million cards in your hands.
- Rat a Tat Cat: I ordered this card game for the boys this year! Looks so fun!
- Kollide Magnetic Game: A fun one to take on the go.
- SkipBo: Addictive and SO FUN to play, even as an adult!
- Sleeping Queens: Easy to learn but some strategy is involved, making it more fun and stimulating for big kids!
- Spot-It: A great game all 3 of our boys can play together.
- Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza: Our boys love this one. There is also a Christmas version!
- 6-Pack of Card Games: An awesome set of first card games for kids and another good one to split between stockings.
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