If you need some non-junk stocking stuffers for kids, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve decided to only stock our kids’ stockings with non-junk stocking stuffers!
While Will and I only give our girls three intentional Christmas gifts (this is what we’re giving them this year!), we still give them several smaller items in their stockings.
One thing we decided early on was that we don’t want to give our kids junk in their stockings.
We want to fill them with fun, useful items they will love. Although we do stuff them with a little candy, we also don’t want to simply fill their stockings with junk food.
Today, we’re sharing some of the items we’ve put in our kids’ stockings over the years (some but not all are going in this year’s stockings!).
We hope this will give you some ideas as you shop for non-junk stocking stuffers for your kids’ stockings this year!
[content box]The items are divided into girls, boys, and both. There may be a little more crossover, but they are divided rather typically.[/content_box]
40+ Non-Junk Stocking Stuffers for Kids
For the Girls
- change purses: these from Amazon are darling and we even saw some at the Dollar Store recently!
- fuzzy socks: also got some at ALDI this year!
- bath bombs (or make your own bath bombs)
- child-size aprons (rolled up to fit inside their stockings!)
- knit gloves or mittens
- tiny dolls: we got these American Girl ones for our girls when they were on sale for super cheap!
- small Lego sets
- Piggy Paint (this sticker nail art set would be fun as well!)
- child-size wet brushes : These make detangling my girls’ hair oh.so.easy! (I use the adult version on my hair!)
- doll hairbrushes
- mini notepads
- headbands: We even found some good ones at the Dollar Store recently!
- hairbows
- earrings (or stick-on earrings for those who don’t have their ears pierced!)
- necklaces with your child’s initial!
- charm bracelets
- new underwear
- mini soap sets
- reusable snack bags
- small cosmetic bag or pencil bag
- Book
For the Boys
(Note: Many books, including Percy Jackson, can work for any child. They reason they were included here is because the main character Percy is a boy, but I know many girls who have also enjoyed these books.)
- dino coin bag
- boy wallet
- Superhero socks
- space bath bombs
- Star Wars hat and gloves
- mini Lego kits
- Lego bags
- Bonehead comb
- Yo-yo
- Lego notepad
- watch
- Justice League boxers
- Sports ball soap
- Superman snack bags
- Superhero pencil bag
- Slingshot
- Book
For Both
- flavored chapstick: Free Reign Farm and Made On (tinted for the older girls!) make some of our favorite chapsticks. For mainstream brands, you can’t go wrong with Burt’s Bees brand chapstick!
- organic suckers: These are going in our girls’ stockings this year!
- organic peanut butter cups
- chocolate: If you have an ALDI, they have a great selection of dark chocolates that are much lower in sugar than the milk chocolate varieties. Your kids might need to get used to the flavor, though!
- fun pencils or invisible ink pen
- bathtub crayons
- washable markers
- xylitol-sweetened (sugar-free) gum
- organic fruit snacks : I’ve gotten a store brand at Sam’s and BJ’s if you have time to get to one before Christmas!
- fruit leather : I also like to buy the ALDI version!
- sidewalk chalk
- classic watercolor paint set
- embroidery kit
- small sewing kit
- fun toothbrushes (check Aldi – they can have fun ones too!)
- kid flossers (Our girls think the flossers are the coolest things ever when they get them from the dentist, so we decided to add them to their stockings this year!)
- bubble bath
- fun bath loofas
- bubbles
- Spend, Save, Share jar
What are your ideas for non-junk stocking stuffers for kids?
Related Posts: If you are looking for more ideas, check out these posts:
2021 Christmas Gift Guide for the Whole Family
32 Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Men
Heather R
This is such a helpful list! Stocking stuffers are something I personally struggle with so thank you for all of these great suggestions! I found the item my girls seemed the most interested in after they opened their gifts last year was their EOS lip balms. They are still crazy over these lip balms. It’s funny how sometimes its the little things that seem to matter the most.
Tiffany
Wonderful ideas. I love your 3 gift limit. We do this as well with our daughter.
Momwtrmn
Everyone gets a new loofah in the toe, followed by candy, a $5 battery-operated toothbrush, and then there’s room for other things. This year’s “other things” includes surprise bags, mini art kits, derma face mask peels, office desk mini classic toys, and magnetic fidget shape shifter block thingies
Becca
This is one area where I could definitely do better. This year my kids are each getting a magazine (magazines are crazy-expensive in Australia), some lollies, a magic trick kit, and a little toy reindeer. I tend to pick things up on clearance (except the magazines, I was just feeling nice that day) and squirrel them away, but there is no real thought that goes into it.
Mary Ann
My kids get cute notepads every year. Mechanical pencils too. A deck of cards or other small game is good. The dollar store has larger decks of cards for little hands. A Christmas ornament. Rolls of washi tape. Other craft supplies. Matchbox cars. Little people are good for little ones. I love stuffing stockings!!
Erin
Love these suggestions! I just now learned about washi tape! LOL
Krysta
There are good things on your list, but there is no need for 2 lists. It is 2017 and gendered lists are biased and unnecessary.
L
Exactly! My girls would love everything on the boys list more than the girls list! We love superheroes!! Gender neutral all the way!!
Erin
That’s hilarious!
Jess
Trying to avoid so much plastic, is it ever hard to do on a budget.
Erin
It really can be 🙁
Heather Speers
I give my kids Band-Aids in their stockings too!
Ingrid
I get each kid a box of cartoon bandaids too!
Erin
They love them–so why not?! Right?!
Marsha
My teens are getting scientific calculators in theirs! ?
Erin
That’s hilarious–but useful! I remember how wonderful it was to have one in high school!
Deb
My girls get scotch tape and washi tape for their many crafts– and so they don’t use up all of mine!
Tina
I have 4 kids, 3 boys and a girl. She’s more interested in cars and told than dolls so guess what she’s getting in her stocking 😂. My teen is getting skin care and shampoo, my boys are getting bubble bath and fun washcloths. Found some bath tub crayons so they can color in the tub which is going in the 3 younger kids stocking. I stick to the 4 present rule when doing Christmas. (Something new, something to read, something they need and something they have asked for. There something new is usually pjs or clothes off some kind.) it’s cut my Christmas budget by all least half. I might throw in a few puzzles since they really like to do them on a snowy day
Tina
Tools not told 😂
Holly
Things I love: fidget gadgets, craft supplies (dollar tree has some good stuff!), band aids, socks, play doh mini containers, a few small candy/chocolate goodies, barrettes/hair ties/headbands, $10 gift cards for apps/game systems they play, fun pens and pencils, finger nail stickers, temporary tattoos, chapstick and lip gloss, lotion, bath bombs or fizzers, shower steamer tablets, bath crayons, bath bubbles, individual packets of flavored cocoas, jump ropes, small packages of side walk chalk, bubbles. Check out the dollar bins at Target…always find fun stuff in there.