Now that the stockings have been hung by the chimney with care, it’s time to fill them with treats for the kids.
For my family, this is an opportunity to include a small gift that my kids aren’t expecting, which will hopefully surprise and delight them. Bonus: many stocking stuffers also make great travel toys to take along for the next trip.
For kids fascinated by outer space, this solar system marble set makes a beautiful addition to their collection. It comes with a marble for the sun and each planet in the solar system — even Pluto.
There’s something thrilling about dropping a bath bomb into the tub and watching it fizz and dissolve in the water. Better yet, these bath bombs come with a surprise inside, including superhero-themed toys and unicorn-themed toys.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MCM7GF6/
Not only do card games make excellent stocking stuffers, they also come in handy for those times when you’re at a restaurant and it feels like the food is never going to come and everyone is hangry and how long does it really take to warm up the chicken nuggets anyway.
One of my favorite card games is Spot It!. With themes such as camping, Disney’s Frozen, and, appropriately, the holidays, Spot It! is a fun and easy picture matching game for kids ages 6 and up. Players race to spot a picture that appears on both their card and the card that’s dealt from the deck.
Kids ages 4 to 7 always seem to get a kick out of scratch art, which involves using a sharp wooden stylus and scratching the black paper to reveal the rainbow art underneath.
The Melissa & Doug Scratch Art Activity Kits come with rainbow, dinosaur and sea life-themed art. The Melissa & Doug Bookmark Party Pack should also keep kids occupied for a while.
This Pets Portrait Diary by Mudpuppy is adorable and comes with a lock and key for kids to scribble their secrets and diatribes.
Kids ages 2 and up can fit together the head, body and leg pieces of this Robotics Mix and Match Jigsaw Puzzle to form a robot. With 12 two-sided pieces, that means hundreds of combinations.
Small animal figurines are great for imaginary play. This 52-piece sea life set may be a bit much, but you can always dole them out slowly. With just a few pieces, kids can create an underwater fantasy.
Not just interested in sea life? Try this combination of dinosaurs, farm animals, zoo creatures, sea life and insects.
Or create a miniature fairy world with this set of 10 boy and girl fairies.
https://www.amazon.com/Safari-Ltd-Super-TOOBs-Construction/dp/B0767Q8P2T/
A new set of art supplies is a no-brainer stocking stuffer. If you already have plenty of markers, crayons and chalk, try some Dot Art, which is great for young kids who don’t have a ton of dexterity. It’s very easy to use them to stamp out a piece of art.