Toddler Stocking Stuffers Your Child Will Actually Use!
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When it comes to Christmas, it’s easy to “waste” money…. especially on stocking stuffers. Finding small toys and gifts for a stocking adds up and many times they end up being filled with cheap toys that break or don’t get used or candy that adds to an already sweet-filled holiday season. For us, we fill our toddler’s stockings with items we know they will use and items we already buy. Below, we’re sharing what we’re filling the stockings with this year!
We are all about everyday items that will actually be used, items to help spur growth and development, or inexpensive items that will bring SO much joy to our boys but won’t clutter up our home. The stocking stuffer ideas we are listing below are items that, between the two of us, we are ACTUALLY putting into our boys stockings. Tried and true, they are items we love, our boys love or both!
Veggie & Fruit Pouches
Pouches are a go-to for snacks in our house, particularly the pouches from Serenity Kids. They offer meat pouches and pouches that are entirely vegetables, which we love for a more filling option! You’ll find at least 1, if not 2, snack pouches in our toddler’s stocking because we know that these will get used. Plus, our kiddos love them! You can order a large pack on Amazon but if you only want a couple, they’re available in most grocery stores now!
Puzzle
I bought this 4-pack of puzzles for R’s birthday earlier this fall and it was such a good purchase. I gave him 1 puzzle for his birthday and then kept the other three on hand for various events. The small size of the puzzle and minimal pieces makes them great to put in a ziploc and bring with us for plane travel and to restaurants. It also happens to be the perfect size to fit in his stocking. He loves solving new puzzles, so I’m including this boat shaped one in with the rest of the items.
Snack Bar
Another staple in our house for easy snacks. These are easy to keep on hand in your purse or diaper bag. Since we already buy them and know they’ll get used, snack bars make a perfect stocking stuffer option for toddlers. We like to use these and pouches as an alternative to Christmas candy.
Our favorite brands for snack bars are:
Travel Coloring Book Set
We've had 6 flights in the last 2 months with our 2 year old and that meant finding lots of airplane activity options. The travel coloring book was one of the best purchases we made! It's only about 4x5 inches and fit so nicely in his backpack. The crayons clip in to the case and the sheets tear easily along the top when they are done. Since our trips, we've used this for entertainment at home, at restaurants, and just generally out and about. With how much R has used this lately, it was worth it to get another one as a stocking stuffer!
Band-Aids
There is nothing that brings my son as much joy as putting a Band-Aid on does. These are an inexpensive option to stuff in your toddler’s stocking and it’s a bonus that you can choose a style or character they like. Plus, they don’t use every single one of them within the first five minutes, then you’ll have some leftover for when they actually have a boo-boo and need one. We have gotten these Pokemon Band-Aids in the past and R loves the different characters on them so we got a box of these for in his stocking.
Temporary Tattoos
When we were in Albuquerque in October, my son was given a hot air balloon temporary tattoo that we put on his arm. He was instantly obsessed, showing it off to anyone and everyone that would take a look at it. Of course, it faded away after a few days but he still talks about it. I learned quickly there are temporary tattoos for every interest at all price ranges. We chose this pack of tattoos, which is underwater themed, comes with over 100 tattoos and is only $3. These are perfect for our baby shark loving kid. I’ll throw a sheet or two in his stocking and keep the others for birthday party gifts, playdates, activities, outdoor parties, etc.
Socks
As an adult, I LOVE getting new socks in my stocking (Mom, are you reading this?) but I realize that as a kid, they aren’t as exciting. This year, I’m still including them because 1) R’s feet have grown out of the 12-24 month socks we have and 2) he’s going to be so caught up in the excitement of emptying his stocking, he will still love these socks! They’re also a great space filler to fluff up the stocking some more.
Bubbles
If R sees bubbles, he instantly wants to play with them so I knew I needed to find a way to include these in my toddler’s stocking! While he does pretty well with the typical bubble wand, he still doesn’t quite understand to not put his mouth right up on the wand. At daycare, I saw him playing with this fun bubble trumpet and he loves it! It’s also the perfect way to avoid the nasty bubble solution in mouth problem. I found a similar bubble trumpet on Amazon that I ordered for Christmas.
Wind Up Walking Toy
These wind up walking toys always entertain the boys! R first became obsessed around Easter when we shared the perfect way to fill an Easter Basket for less than $10. E has also loved playing with these so when Emily found a holiday themed multi pack for $10, we knew we had to have them for the boys and split the cost of ordering them. This way, we can put one in each of our toddler’s stockings and have extras in case these break or we want to gift them!
Light Up Toddler Toothbrush
When it comes time to brush a toddler’s teeth, it can be an epic meltdown. R loved having his teeth brushed when we first started….but then he learned it was a signal for daycare in the morning and a signal for bedtime at night. Since then, he’s fought us a bit more on it. We’ve always done it first and then let him “finish brushing” afterwards, but lately we’ve had to switch that up and let him start while we do a touch up at the end. He loves doing it that way! To help him with understanding how long to do it for, we bought these light up toothbrushes, which blinks for 1 minute when clicked. He thinks this toothbrush is the coolest thing around and understands that he keeps brushing if it’s still blinking. Since this is something we use all the time and needs to be replaced (just like an adult’s toothbrush!) we are putting a couple more in his stocking. He’s going to be excited to try out these new colors.
