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Watching my three kids run out into the living room and tear through their stocking stuffers with ridiculous excitement is, hands down, my favorite part about Christmas morning.
My husband and I make it a point NOT to buy our kids any gifts throughout the year other than on their birthday and Christmas so watching their joy and enthusiasm as they go through their stockings and other Christmas gifts is one of life’s great treasures.
I definitely get my love of Christmas stockings from my Mom. She was the most amazing and over-the-top stocking stuffer this world has ever seen. The QUEEN BEE of stocking stuffing, you could say. And this was way before Pinterest and the Target Dollar Bin came onto the scene.
Now a mom of 3 myself, I come nowhere close to her level of stocking stuffing perfection but I still really enjoy shopping for them and consider it a fun challenge to seek out and buy new, unique and budget friendly stocking stuffers each year.
As a way of sharing my love for the Christmas stocking, I have compiled a master list of stocking stuffer ideas. These are things that I have done in the past or plan on doing this year. The list is broken down into sections according to age and, in the later years, gender.
My kids are currently 4, 6 and 8 but I feel most of the things on the 5 to 10 list could possibly be appropriate way beyond age 10.
Alright! Let’s get started!
Babies: 0 to 12 months
Let’s be honest, wee ones at this age have no idea what is happening on Christmas morning. I mean, they are certainly aware of the activity but will absolutely not remember what was in their stocking. Thus, I think the smartest and most economical thing to do is stuff their stocking with things that you and they need. Here is a list of 35 ideas for this age:
- Baby wipes
- Rolled up cotton pajamas
- Socks
- Onesies
- Boogie Wipes
- Thermometer
- Saline Spray for Little Noses
- Pacifiers
- Soft lovie, blanket or stuffed animal
- Swaddles or Muslin Blankets/wraps
- Baby hat
- Baby sunglasses (oh my gosh, so cute)
- Baby Food
- Baby Snacks like Mum Mum Crackers, Puffs or Yogurt Melts
- Bottles
- Bottle brush
- Sippy Cups
- Plastic, reusable spoons/forks
- Teething toys
- Bibs
- Any soft book or crinkle book
- Any age appropriate toy (rattles, balls, taggies. etc.)
- Baby Bubble Bath/Body Wash
- Baby lotion
- Diaper Rash Cream
- Children’s Tylenol or Ibuprofen (Totally not kidding… this is cold and flu season, people!)
- Vic’s Vapor Rub for Infants (This stuff smells amazing and is perfect at night for coughs and colds)
- Stick or tube of infant Sunscreen
- CD of baby or toddler tunes for the car
- Gift card to Target (lol… definitely more of a gift for you) wrapped in some shiny, crinkly paper that they will love to gum.
- Amber teething necklace
- Inch Bug or other labels for bottles and other on-the-go containers
- Nursing Necklace
- Hair bands/accessories for girls
- Clip on fan for stroller
Toddlers: Ages 1 to 2
This is such a fun (and sometimes trying) age! Toddlers are just figuring out how to get around efficiently and how to communicate effectively. Exploring a Christmas stocking is especially exciting for this age group because it gives them permission to do what toddlers do best… dump a bunch of stuff out onto the ground and spread it all around the house.
Similar to the infant phase, many of these stocking stuffer ideas can be mixed in with things the child actually needs. Make sure everything is safe (no small, breakable parts) washable and nontoxic. Here is a list of 30 stocking stuffer ideas for toddlers:
- Bubbles
- Crayons
- Sidewalk Chalk
- Finger Paints
- Washable Markers
- Bath Foam (Mr. Bubbles is the best!)
- Bath Crayons
- Stickers
- BAND-AIDS
- Bath Paints
- Bath Bombs
- Bath toys small enough to fit in a stocking
- Character themed washcloths
- Soft or squishy balls
- Small stuffed animals
- New Undies (Especially if you are gearing up for potty training!)
- Rolled up cotton pajamas
- T-shirts
- Pants or Leggings (or even cotton dresses for girls)
- Small baby dolls
- Trucks
- Play-doh
- Sunglasses
- Small board Books
- Snacks (Bags of Gold fish, Teddy Grahams, cereal)
- Squeezable fruit and veggie pouches (like a Go-Go Squeezers)
- Gift Card to get Frozen Yogurt
- Gift Card to their favorite fast food restaurant
- Bathing Suit
- Sippy Cups
Preschoolers: Ages 3 to 4
If your child is going to be 3 or 4 this Christmas you are in for a treat! I feel like this is the age when the “magic” of Christmas is in full swing. Kids are old enough now to really understand and experience the excitement of all the activities but young enough still to be in awe of Santa and the sparkly joy of the season. Here is a list of 30 stocking stuffer ideas for kids ages 3 to 4:
- Play Pack Grab and Go! These are coloring kits for on-the-go
- Paddle Ball
- Punch Balloons
- Slinky
- Pez Dispensers
- Play Doh
- Modeling Clay
- “Big Kid” Thermos
- Mini Flashlights
- Head Lamps
- Binoculars
- Bath Bombs
- Bath Loofas
- Bath Foam
- Bath art supplies (crayons, paint)
- Crayola Color Bath Drops (Bath Fizzies that change the color of the water)
- Mini Hair Brush (the travel pop up kind are cool)
- Small mirror with a clasp
- Walkie Talkies
- Small, empty spray bottle (this was my kids favorite gift one year… they filled them with water and just chased each other around the back yard trying to squirt each other)
- Soft slippers that can be rolled up
- Any soft clothing item that can be rolled up (T-shirts, cotton dresses, socks, undies, leggings, PJs)
- Ribbon Dancers
- Hair Accessories (bows, headbands, hair ties)
- Plastic costume Jewelry
- Soft Ninja nunchucks
- Small plastic sword
- Glow sticks or Glow wands
- Magic Grow Bath Capsules or Magic Grow Mega Grow Toys
- Back scratchers (extendable ones are fun, I have seen them at drug stores)
Girls: Ages 5 to 10 (and possibly up)
I love it now that my kids are getting older. Yes, it is sad that they aren’t so tiny and innocent anymore and I can tell that my 8 year old totally suspects that Dad and Mom are Mr. and Mrs. Claus (crying all the tears) but there is still tons of fun to be had!
The spirit and the joy of Christmas are still going strong! We still love to decorate the tree and house, bake cookies and make gingerbread houses with grandma, listen to Christmas music for weeks on end, watch all the traditional movies and drive around town looking at lights!
As far as stockings go at this age, it is my personal opinion that shopping for girls is easier than shopping for the boys. It just seems like there are so many more stocking sized trinkets for girls.
Also, if you read through both of the lists, I think many girls would love stuff found on both of them but I am not so sure you could say the same for the boys.
But you know your kids and what they would like better than I do! So read both and see what you think! Here is a list of 40 stocking stuffers ideas for girls ages 5 to 10 (and possibly beyond!):
- Nail Polish
- Press on nails
- Nail Files
- Really anything to make a nail kit (brush, clippers, nail dividers)
- Chap stick
- Lip gloss
- Press on earnings (or real earnings if their ears are pierced)
- Inexpensive Jewelry (Locket, BFF Necklaces of anything from Claire’s)
- Small gift card to their favorite fast food place
- Small gift card to somewhere special they love
- Any Blind Bag they would like (LOL Surprise, Shopkins, Disney Princess, Hatchimals)
- Tic Tacs
- Mini gum ball dispensers with a carton of gum balls (can find at Target)
- Pez dispensers
- Christmas themed candy tube of choice
- Body spray perfume
- Body wash
- Detangling Spray
- Fun, girly shampoos and/or conditioners
- Bath Bombs
- Body or hand lotion (all sorts of fun girly stuff out there!)
- Hair clips, head bands, hair ties, fake hair clip-ons (I have seen some fun rainbow ones at Walgreens and CVS)
- Sleep mask
- Sunglasses
- Light weight Twisty hair towel for after the shower
- Packs of travel tissues
- Packs of travel hand sanitizers
- Miniature, hand-held fan
- Miniature flashlight
- Book light
- Chapter book or paperback book of choice that will fit in a stocking
- Mad Libs
- Gel Pens
- Scented Markers
- Glitter Glue (in the traditional bottle or in the glitter glue pen form)
- BAND-AIDS
- Small hair brush
- Small Mirror with a clasp
- Cool water bottle or thermos
- Shoe laces (LED, glitter, metallic and shiny, rainbow, elastic no-tie)
Boys: Ages 5 to 10 (and possibly up)
And let’s not forget the boys! They are stinky, gross and crude at times but I love mine to death! Here is a list of 40 stocking ideas for boys ages 5 to 10 (and possibly beyond!):
- Slime
- Whoopie Cushion
- Any practical joke item (fake poop, fake teeth, disappearing ink, etc… Five Below has some good ones)
- Black-light Spy pens
- Glow in the dark stars for wall and ceilings
- Miniature flashlights
- Book Lights
- Head lamp
- Sling Shot
- Pocket Knife (I would say for 8 and up… you know your child best and what they can handle, though)
- Magnifying Glass
- A watch
- Trading cards of choice (my boys are big into Pokemon right now)
- A card game
- Water Guns
- Balloon Bonanza water balloons
- Post it Notes
- A stapler
- A tape dispenser
- A totally awesome T-shirt
- Chapter book of choice (paperback so it will fold into the stocking)
- Balloon rocket
- Candy of choice
- Cool water bottle or thermos
- Sparklers (this takes some planning but I bought a few packs right after 4th of July and plan to use them as stocking stuffers)
- Small first aid kit
- compass
- Mouth wash
- New Tooth Brush
- Toothpaste of choice
- Sunglasses
- Gift card to their favorite fast food restaurant
- Gift card to somewhere special that they love
- Miniature calendar
- A lock (for a bike or the old school kind for a school locker)
- A glass bottle of Coke (Christmas themed, of course) or a bottle of Gatorade
- Hair Gel (ridiculous but my 8 year old puts product in his hair everyday)
- Hand held fan
- TNT Pop-its (again, can usually find these around 4th of July time so plan ahead)
- Slim Jims
Have you enjoyed reading this post from the Flower Donkey Diaries as much as I have LOVED writing it? If so, I would be STUFFED WITH GRATITUDE if you would follow me on Pinterest, Instagram and/or Facebook! Thank you so much and, as always, happy reading!
