Inexpensive Stocking Stuffer Ideas

Inexpensive Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Christmas. A list of ideas for stockings for children. 17 different items you can use as stocking stuffers this Christmas.

Do you know what I reeeeaaalllly dislike in my house? The cheap little toys you get that end up breaking in a day. A lot of those types of toys are obvious candidates for a stocking stuffer. You can fill a stocking up fast and inexpensively! I can't bring myself to be the source of the cluttery toys, however. I also can't bring myself to spend a thousand dollars on stocking stuffer items (I exaggerate...a little). I want stocking stuffers that are useful, inexpensive, and I won't want to throw away the next day.

Here are some stocking stuffers I always go-to (this post contains affiliate links):

Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Children This Christmas

Notebooks

Notebooks come in all sorts of sizes, so no matter the size of your stocking, you can find a notebook to go in it. Notebooks are also very inexpensive. Check the dollar store and other local stores you like to turn to for inexpensive notebooks. Our dollar store also has nice drawing pads. Always price check against Amazon, also.

Coloring Books

Along the same line, if your child enjoys coloring in coloring books, those are fun stocking stuffers. Not all of my children have been into coloring books, so it isn't something I have always used, but I do have some who love to color in a coloring book. Be sure to look at Amazon for some good deals on coloring books, especially the adult coloring book style. They have a lot of options for under five dollars.

Post-it Notes

I am not kidding. My kids think they are in heaven when they pull out Post-it notes. A whole pad they can use however they want to! You can get them at the dollar store or often somewhere like Walmart or Target for even less than the dollar store. You can often find good deals on a package of post it notes that you can then split up among your children.

Christmas Gift Guide Ages Birth-12 Years Old

Christmas Gift Guide Ages Birth-12 Years Old. Perfect Christmas gift ideas for your children from your baby on through your preteen.

I am very thoughtful and intentional about what gifts I get my children. I want to get toys that will last--nothing that will break right away. I prefer toys that I can pass down from child to child. Here are some ideas for you as you are choosing gifts for your children. I have broken them down into age ranges. I also have some other toy posts that I will link below. Also, don't forget to do a book! I always do a book for each child.

Baby-24 Months Old Gifts

2-4 Years Old Gifts

4-6 Years Old Gifts

6-8 Years Old Gifts

8-12 Years Old Gifts

For children in this age range, experience gifts are great! Memberships, punch passes, gift cards to a location, tickets, etc. You can also start to buy things like furniture to be gifts. Kaitlyn wants a desk in her room, so that will be her gift this year.

Related Christmas Posts on This Blog:

The Symbolism Behind Your Christmas Decorations

The Symbolism Behind Your Christmas Decorations. Understanding what the Christmas symbols stand for. You can teach these to your children to help them think about more than gifts at Christmas.

I have always loved to decorate my home, and at holidays, it is no exception. I am big into intentional decorating and using symbolism when I decorate, so decorating for Christmas is extra exciting for me. Most of the decorations we use for Christmas are actually rooted to symbolism. The colors, shapes, and choices of common decorations are not all random. Here are the common decorations used at Christmas and what they symbolize.

Red

Red is for the blood of Jesus Christ, spilt to cleanse the sins of men. The red reminds us that the birth of the Savior, the person we celebrate Christmas for, is significant because of what he did with his life. He gave it for you and me.

White

White is for purity. Jesus Christ was pure, perfect, and without blemish.

Green

Green is for everlasting life. Green is a color of life, and green in the bleak of winter means life year round. This translates to eternal life.

Pinteresting Fridays: DIY Gifts Using Essential Oils

The more I use essential oils, the more I want to use them. I have been doing some Pinterest searching and found some fun DIY beauty products you can make with essential oils. We have lip balm, bath bombs, shower discs, and bath salts! All DIY, and all including your choice of essential oils.

If you order $125 worth of oils from doTerra this month before October 15, you will get a bottle of On Guard FREE! That is my very favorite oil to use. It works so well to boos the immune system and get sickness out of your house quickly. If you would like to sign up, check out my doTERRA store. You can read more about essential oils and why I love them here.

Here are some great DIY essential oil ideas. These would make great gifts, great mother-daughter night in activities, and great DIY for you!

DIY Lip Balm from The Seasoned Mom

DIY Bath Salts With Epsom Salts from Mom Always Finds Out

Homemade Shower Vapor Discs by Yankee Homestead

How To: Make Your Own Bath Bombs by Kate Inspired

Favorite Toys 2017

Each year, I share with you some of my top ideas for gifts for children. These are things that are tried and true in our home. These can make great Christmas or birthday gifts for the children in your life.

Plastic Animals

These were a huge hit for me when I was a child, and my children love playing with them, also. If you have animal lovers at your house, plastic animals are a great option. I would say this is great for the 4-9 year old crowd.

Speed Cube
A speed cube is a fun toy for the ten and older crowd. This is a good option for the tween you need to shop for but aren't sure what to get.

Hair Mannequin
Kaitlyn loves doing hair, so last year for Christmas I got her a hair mannequin. I did a lot of reading and researching and settled on this one. It is a great price and she has fully loved it. It works well for the way she uses it. It is harder to use without a stand, so I would recommend getting a stand at some point, but she has managed without one up to this point. This is great as soon as your child loves doing hair.

Wings of Fire Books
Both McKenna and Kaitlyn love this book series. It is rated for ages 8-12 and grades 3-7. McKenna started with it at age 7 and in second grade, but I think the rating for the books is accurate. These are loved by boys and girls.

Hand Fan
Right around age 7-8, both Kaitlyn and McKenna have had an affinity for a hand fan. You can get nicer ones for really inexpensive on Amazon. Last Christmas was McKenna's turn to ask for a fan for Christmas.

Adult Coloring Book
All of my girls are currently loving adult coloring books. Kaitlyn has this animal one. It is made for adults and works well for her artistic abilities. Brinley has a unicorn one. It is made for girls, so more appropriate challenge-wise for a five year old.

Nice Ball
Last year for Christmas, the one thing Kaitlyn wanted was a really nice soccer ball. I am not a soccer play and never was, so I didn't know what made a "really nice soccer ball." I did some research and came up with balls for around $100. That is a liiiiitttle more than I want to spend on a ball for a child. You know, balls that easily get left behind at a game or practice. But it was the one and only thing she wanted for Christmas, so I wanted to find a nice ball for her. I talked with her coach and he recommended this one. It is a great middle ground. It is very nice, nicer than a cheap ball you can get, but not so expensive that I will see red if the ball is lost. So far, so good, though.

LEGO Animals
Brinley loves LEGOs, but mostly because she loves the little animals that come with LEGOs. She enjoys building, but her main reason for loving LEGOs is the animals. So for her birthday, I looked up "lego animals" on Amazon and came across some lots of animals. She loved it! I have since noticed the lots come and go, so if you want to do this, it is wise to buy a lot as soon as you see one you like.

Playmobil
I shared my LEGO animal find on Facebook and a reader told me about the Playmobil sets and the zoo set specifically. I usually only post about things we own and love, but this is totally on Brinley's list for Christmas now. Since it was recommended by a reader, I thought it would be safe to share before we have tried it.

Fake Book for Piano
Our neighbor introduced us to the most amazing thing for Brayden this year. It is called the Fake Book. These are books that have chords and the melody for songs. So you can play a song easily with some basic knowledge. Brayden has loved it and I will get him another one this Christmas. There is an insane amount of these fake books. Disney, Christmas, Eighties, Beatles, Classical...it never ends.

Beanie Boos
I wrote on these last Friday. They are a huge hit at our house. These are great for any age as soon as you are okay with stuffed animals.

Looking for more ideas? See past posts. These are helpful because each year, I share the greatest hits from that year, so they give ideal ideas for various ages:

Choosing and Organizing Gifts

I am very methodical in how I choose gifts for people. I am very much a believer in "it's the thought that counts" and I put a lot of thought into the process. Plus, I don't want to purchase toys just for the sake of purchasing them. I don't want them in our house unless I think my kids will love them long-term.

And don't miss my Gift Organizer {Free Printable} for organizing your ideas.

Book Lists

We love to give books as gifts. Each child gets a book at each birthday and each Christmas. Here are my book lists:

Chapter Books for Boys

Great Toys

If you are looking for the perfect toy for your child, look through my "best toys" lists:

You will also find good info in my various toy reviews:

Ty Beanie Boos {Friday Finds}

"What would you like for Christmas?"

This is the question we ask children to help them relax a little bit before they audition. Children are always nervous, and we like to help take their minds off of their nerves and place them someplace else.

The funny thing is, most of the time, the response we got was a very shaky, "Um...I don't know."

THAT'S how nervous they get. So nervous that the first week of December, the response to the question "What would you like for Christmas?" is answered with "I don't know."

Last year, I decided to let the parents know we would ask that question and to tell their children to expect the question. A little ask and tell going on, because it always works. I want the children to be able to relax a bit.

And it worked!

This past year, children were able to answer the question.

There were, of course, a myriad of lists, but there was one thing that was a noticeable stand-out.

Beanie Boos.

Children love Beanie Boos!

My children love them. A lot. For my girls, they ask for a Beanie Boo for every birthday and for Christmas. Beanie Boos are what my girls always choose to give as gifts for birthday parties. This post contains affiliate links.

The cuteness never ends with these things. This raccoon is currently the favorite among Kaitlyn's age group:

They are also loving the goat, who is surprisingly cute.

McKenna can't get enough of these different cats (seriously, she has multiple patterns of cats):

For Brinley, the unicorns are a hit.

It isn't just stuffed animals in all their varieties that the girls love. They also like having these cute keychains to clip to their backpacks--they have a lot of different ones:

Brinley's favorite coloring book right now is this one she got for her birthday from a friend:

These make great gifts for your children and for others. They can be great as stocking stuffers or as wrapped gifts under the tree.