It’s difficult. The candy aisle is full of adorably wrapped sweet treats, and it’s tempting to buy an army of little M&M men and peanut butter cup-filled candy canes to top off the kiddos’ stockings. If your house is like mine, however, the last of the Halloween candy stash just got thrown away, and I like the idea of including non-candy items in the stocking along with the annual Life Saver book (I can’t help myself; I admit that I buy these every year because they remind me of my own childhood Christmases and the joy of opening up a cardboard book to find rolls of candy). Here are a few ideas for stocking stuffers that won’t take up too much space or give the gift of cavities.
The Gift of Reading
Small books, bookmarks and reading lights are a wonderful way to add to the stocking. They encourage kids to take a quiet moment and lose themselves in a story. This is the perfect time to introduce them to one of your favorite books from childhood. Anyone remember Choose Your Own Adventure books? Love them!
The Gift of Learning
Test tube science kits, small volcanoes that erupt with household ingredients, plastic caps that connect two-liter bottles and create a tornado – kids won’t even realize that they’re learning basic science principles as they play, and these stocking-sized items can be easily found in any hobby store.
The Gift of Writing
For older kiddos, there’s nothing more special than a diary. I remember receiving my first, a hard-cover book with a sunset on its cover and endless pages just waiting for my pen. The holidays are a wonderful time to encourage kids to journal their ideas and thoughts about the day, and writing “January 1st” on the top page of the very first entry is something they’ll remember. But don’t forget, a diary isn’t a true diary without a lock and key.
The Gift of Play
I mean, of course. Imaginative play is one of the best gifts of all and exactly what little boys and girls dream about leading up to the big day. Small toy items are perfect stocking stuffers and they can accompany larger items that Santa brings. If there is a knight castle under the tree this year, the stocking can be filled with a shiny new knight and his horse. If a new game for the Wii U or Xbox is waiting to be discovered, game accessories can be put in the stocking and save you a bit of wrapping paper.
The Gift of Things They Need Anyway
New gloves, socks and underwear always find their way into my boys’ stockings and, amidst the excitement of the occasion, they always seem incredibly excited to receive Skylanders-themed boxer briefs or Ninja Turtle socks. If they need it anyway, why not take advantage of the opportunity and watch their eyes grow wide at the thought of Santa picking out their underwear.
The Gift of Creativity
Sure, they probably already have a shoebox of crayons and markers in their art supplies, but there’s nothing like a brand new box of never-used crayons with their perfectly-pointed tips and awesome smell. Crayons, markers, stickers, colored pencils, stencils, pencil sharpeners, paint brushes — they’re all amazing to kids, and you simply can’t go wrong giving the gift of creative expression.