Brilliant Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Toddlers

22 Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers

I don’t know about you, but my favourite holiday is by far Christmas. When I was a child as soon as autumn hit, I’d ask my mom “How long till Christmas?” at, I now realize, an annoying frequency. 

The reason why this holiday is so special is that my darling mom went out of her way to make it so. We had our well-established traditions from decorating the house and the Christmas tree, making the traditional dinner and eating together, waiting for Santa (which was a whole process in itself), listening to beautiful carols and so on. Christmas to me is about family, warmth, joy and feeling safe.

Because I am a mom now, I want my child to have the same feelings towards Christmas so we’ve started our own traditions.

One of the things that we are doing and looking forward to almost as much as the presents under the tree are the stocking stuffers.

What are stocking stuffers or stocking fillers you may ask? They’re little objects that we put in the Christmas stockings. Our tradition is that once everyone is asleep, “Santa” tiptoes and leaves the stockings filled with surprises at the bedroom doors. 

Morning comes and the whole house is woken up with a loud “Santa’s been!!!”. We open the small presents in bed where we also have breakfast and maybe watch some Christmasy stuff. 

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I have to say that sometimes the stocking fillers are more successful than the bigger presents under the tree. So, one could say that size doesn’t matter?

Anyway, if you are looking to make this year’s stocking fillers special and memorable then read on. This is our list of stocking stuffer ideas for toddlers and preschoolers, so let’s get to it:

Educational Stocking Stuffers for Toddlers and Preschoolers

 

Let’s Go! Matching Letter Game

Between the ages of 3 and 5 children start being interested in letters and numbers. They see them everywhere and kids understand that they carry meaning. 

Encourage and nurture their curiosity with this awesome Matching Letters Game. It is a great spelling and letter recognition game that can be either played individually or turned into a super-fun family competition. 

Steve Spangler Science Extreme Geyser Tube

Most of us have done the soda bottle and Mentos experiment and oh boy, it’s so fun. I remember as a kid, we would have contests to see whose bottle would erupt higher. Of course, we would sometimes get drenched and sticky in the process but who cared.

Take this awesome experiment to the next level with this Science Extreme Geyser Tube Experiment. It comes with 3 different caps that allow you to change the eruption shape and height, a roll of Mentos candy and the mechanism that gives you the perfect eruption every time thanks to the double pull pin and the tighter seal. All you have to provide is the soda bottle and let the fun begin!

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Interested in more fun experiments for kids? Check out these 10 Free Sites for Kids who Love Science

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Colored Smencils – Gourmet Scented Colored Pencils

Does your child like drawing and colouring? Then the Scento Colored Smencils are a great stocking stuffer idea for toddlers. 

There are 10 deliciously scented pencils in the pack that will engage the visual, tactile as well as olfactive sense of your little artist.

The manufacturer says that the delicious smells (Bubble Gum, Blue Slushie, Pineapple Swirl, Strawberry Cheesecake, Jelly Donut, Jolly Watermelon, Rainbow Sherbet, Orange Soda, Black Cherry, and Chocolate Milkshake- wow I want them now!!) last for two years.

Oh, and also you’ll be helping the planet by buying these cool pencils since they’re made from recycled newspapers. Apparently “Recycling a single run of the Sunday New York Times saves about 75,000 trees”.

LCD Writing Tablet for Kids

Talking about saving the trees and the planet, instead of encouraging your child to draw and write on paper which then you throw away, why not get this sleek LCD Tablet for Kids. 

It is lightweight, perfect for carrying around wherever you go and its eco-friendly, eye-protection technology will ensure that your kid’s eyes are safe even after prolonged use. 

The tablet comes with a high-quality, pressure-sensitive LCD screen, a stylus, an erase button, a belt for easy transport and two durable batteries. 

A great tool to draw on, write, do Maths or play games without wasting paper.

Rainbow Puzzle Ball

A great stocking filler for the whole family. This interesting puzzle will exercise your child’s memory, logic skill and planning ahead. It is also categorized as a fidget toy so it can help with anxiety.

The game is pretty simple and can be enjoyed by a toddler as well as an adult since the difficulty can be increased or decreased.

The idea is quite simple. Basically, what you have to do is match the coloured ball with the same coloured circle around the hole. There is one empty hole with no colour assigned to it that is used to move the balls around. The centre of the ball has some sort of sponge that allows the balls to slide from one hole to another easily. 

It looks like so much fun and it kinda reminds me of the ever-so-popular Rubik’s Cube that is so addictive.

Wooden Pattern Blocks

This one is on our list and I can’t wait to see my son’s reaction and play together. 

The pack contains 36 wooden pieces of various shapes and sizes and 60 pattern cards. Children can either try to build what is shown on the cards or let their imagination run free and create their own patterns. 

It is a fantastic game to develop spatial awareness, hand-eye coordination, shapes and colours recognition, fine motor skills, logic, problem-solving, imagination and creativity.

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Do you want a truly educational and fun way for your kids to prepare for school? Play and Learn- Interactive Busy Book is the answer. 77 pages of pure educational fun. Check it out!

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Match & Build Soft Blocks

 

Another brilliant toy from Melissa  & Doug, this set of soft blocks contains 10 blocks and 4 triangles that are great for babies and toddlers.

Match & Build Soft Blocks offers unlimited open-ended play opportunities like simply stacking up the blocks making a tower or building more complex constructions, matching games like animals heads and tails, shapes, numerals and quantities, solving a puzzle of a Ferris Wheel. Three of the blocks have flaps with before and after pictures which are great for storytelling and sequential thinking. 

The blocks are soft so they are easy to manipulate and there will be no “ouch” moments when they are knocked down or when stepped on. 

Seasonal Stocking Stuffers for Toddlers and Preschoolers

 

Santa Claus Magnetic Dress-up Set

What could be more appropriate than dressing Santa up for different occasions? A wonderful set that will encourage pretend play, imagination and storytelling. 

The pack contains a wooden magnetic Santa figurine, a stand and 21 pieces of clothing.I love the fact that the set comes with game suggestions that are fun and engaging. 

 Decorate-Your-Own Christmas Ornaments

The best ornaments are the ones that have memories behind them. Let your little artists create beautiful Christmas tree decorations with this Decorate-Your-Own Christmas Ornaments Set from Melissa & Doug. It contains everything needed to make sweet memories: two double-sided ornaments, six metallic paints, two paintbrushes and two satin ribbons. 

Christmas Colored Stamps

A cheerful gift and a wonderful stocking filler idea for toddlers. Who doesn’t like stamps? They are fun to give and to receive and are great as a reward or simply to do some crafts with them. 

Great value for money, the pack contains 24 stamps with Santa, Reindeer, Gingerbread man and Snowman designs. 

Talking Hamster Toy

I know you’ve always wanted someone to repeat every word you say and talk back, right? But really, what could be cuter than a talking, walking hamster? 

The soft, fluffy toy will be your child’s delight when it repeats everything that it hears in a high-pitched, hamstery voice. Put it on the floor and it will automatically walk. 

Christmas Wind-Up Toys

I used to love wind-up toys as a kid, so this is a bit of a sentimental suggestion I guess. Let’s be honest, wind-up toys are a classic, have an easy concept and generally never break. 

This pack contains 12 wind-up toys which include 4 Santa Claus, 2 Reindeers, 2 sleighs, 2 penguins, a snowman and a funny green figurine (not sure what it is). The toys have different styles, some walk, some waddle, some hop. 

A simple stocking filler that will provide lots of fun to the whole family.

Yummy Stocking Fillers for kid

M&M’S Holiday Milk Chocolate

There cannot be a Christmas stocking without candy in it. There! I’ve said it! So make sure to drop some treats in there as well like a pack of M&M’s for the whole family. 

 Kinder JOY Eggs

I’ve always loved Kinder eggs both for the delicious treat but especially for the surprise. It’s the mystery of not knowing what awaits you in that egg, the discovery and then the assembly part which makes use of imagination, spatial awareness, fine motor skills and so on. All of this makes Kinder Joy Eggs a perfect stocking stuffer.

Belgian Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa Spoons with Marshmallows

Just imagine those cold but beautiful winter evenings and you holding a hot cup of special cocoa. Hmm, wonderful thought.

Well then, you definitely need this pack of 3 Belgian Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa Spoons with Marshmallows in your family’s stocking.

They are fun to make and surely the kids will enjoy them. Just put the wooden spoon (which is reusable by the way) in hot milk or water and voila, you’ve got a delicious cup of hot chocolate.

There are 3 different flavours that come together, Orange Chocolate, Mint Chocolate, and Milk Chocolate.

Candy Cane Peppermint Flavored

Candy canes are a must for all stocking stuffers and every Christmas tree. Their very taste and shape are associated with Christmas. So make sure you stock up on your holiday favourites with these Peppermint Mini Candy Canes pack which contains three packs of 30 units (90 in total), enough for the stockings, Christmas tree, munching on and gifting.

Christmas Holiday Pez Dispenser 

The super-popular candy, besides being delicious, also comes with a fun dispenser which made the product famous all around the world. The bundle comes with 3 different tubes (Santa, Elf and Reindeer) along with different flavoured candy.

Fun Stocking Fillers for Toddlers and Preschoolers

 

Temporary Tattoos for Kids

This pack contains 20 sheets with more than 300 pieces of visually attractive temporary tattoos for kids. There is virtually something for everybody. The designs include dinosaurs, space and planets, mermaids and the marine world, wild animals and pirates.

Water Growing Sea Creatures Animals

Watch in awe as the little sea creatures slowly grow after you put them in water. There are 32 ocean creatures in the set that will fascinate and enchant your little one. Just drop them in a bowl of water and over a period of 24-48 hours watch them expand (according to the manufacturer they expand in size up to about 300%). Besides being fun it is also an educational toy as the little explorers will have the chance to learn a bit about sea life. 

Ice Cream Shooters Toy

This is a guaranteed hit for kids. Prepare for some party fun with this pack of 12 Ice Cream Shooters. The mechanism is simple, the soft, foam ball is ejected from the ice cone by pressing the release latch. The ball is connected to the cone by a string so it can’t be lost. I used to have this type of toy when I was young and oh boy it was fun.

Toy Balloon Helicopter

An excellent Christmas stocking filler, this Toy Balloon Helicopter will be the soul of the party. 

It has a simple mechanism, basically, you attach the propellers to the rotor, then stick the hub (the centrepiece) into the balloon, blow it up, connect the hub to the propeller and let it fly. 

Of course, since the “helicopter” gains some altitude it would be recommended to play with it outside.

Neliblu Sticky Fingers

Yes, kids love slimy, gooey, sticky stuff. So, naturally, they will adore these sticky hands that will stick to almost any surface. 

There are 24 individually wrapped, colourful sticky hands that will keep kids entertained for a while. They will probably explore all the surfaces they can stick them on, so be prepared :)). 

So, there you have it. These are our stocking stuffer ideas for toddlers and preschoolers that will surely create a merry fuss and provide hours of entertainment and laughter. 

What do you usually put in your stockings for your little ones? Let me know in the comments section below. And don’t forget to share this list with other parents for inspiration:)