My fondest memories of Christmas include opening up stockings together with my siblings. As adults, we were still given stockings to open which were lovingly filled with everything from gift cards to scratch-off tickets, nail polish to miniature cans of Lysol and other fun or functional things. My dad insisted on wrapping each item within the stockings and having us open the similar looking packages at the same time. He would encourage us to take guesses about the contents of each present.
To this day, my absolute favorite part of Christmas shopping is picking out stocking stuffers. I love stockings and the tiny presents inside so much that I even made my husband agree we will pack each other a stocking each year.
This year, my mom is living with us and the stockings of my childhood will be absent from Christmas. They are currently in storage awaiting arrival to her new home. Maybe it’s time for her to pass the baton and be relieved of her stocking stuffing duty, as this will be her first year without my dad to help do all the tiny wrapping. And, I would be happy to take over. Either way, my girls will have stocking full of fun and functional stocking stuffers.
In memory of my dad and the joy stockings have brought my family, let me give you 10 different categories of small non-food gifts to add to your child’s stocking. Make it extra fun this year and wrap each one up. I promise the the anticipation and guessing will add to your Christmas joy.
1. For the babies:
- Diaper cream
- Cute bib
- Teether
- Links/rings
- Rattle
2. For the big kids:
- Gift cards
- Makeup
- Shoe laces
- Phone case
- Decals/stickers
3. For everyone:
- Cotton mask/paper facial mask
- Hand lotion
- Chapstick
- Mini pack of sanitizing wipes
- Compact reusable straw
4. For the toy lover:
- Mini Lego pack
- Individual Thomas the Train
- Mr. Potato Head parts
- Musical instrument
- Dancing scarf
5. For the kitchen helper:
- Silicone cupcake liners
- Fancy food picks
- Montessori knife set
- Cookie cutter
- Sugar candy eyes
6. For the tool lover:
- Tiny screw driver
- Mini tongs
- Pipettes
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Tape measure
7. For the virtual schoolers:
- Blue light-blocking glasses
- Fidget toy
- Mouse pad
- Calendar
- Screen wipes
8. For the 1000 Hours Outside family:
- Bubbles
- Chalk
- Fairy garden items
- Garden markers
- Tennis/Nerf balls
9. For the artist:
- Homemade playdough
- Stickers
- Watercolor paint
- Mini art pallete
- Miniature sketchbook
10. For the fashion-savvy:
- Leg warmers
- Mittens
- Mask lanyard
- Sunglasses
- Change purse
