Christmas comes around like clockwork every year, and yet some people never seem to be prepared. Don’t be one of those parents scrambling at the last minute to gather gifts for the kiddos. Get a jump-start on your holiday shopping with these fun Christmas stocking stuffer ideas.
Christmas Themed Children’s Books
Reading stories provides the perfect bonding opportunity for parents and children. For this reason, books make excellent stocking stuffers. Some great Christmas book selections for children include How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss [Random House; first edition, 1957], The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg [Houghton Mifflin, 1985], Gingerbread Man by Jim Aylesworth [Scholastic Press, 1998], The Littlest Angel by Charles Tazewell [Ideals Children's Books; reprint 1991], and The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore [Putnam Juvenile; second edition, 1998].
Although holiday themed books are ideal for Christmas time, reading selections don’t have to be limited to Christmas titles; there are a lot of fun stories youngsters can enjoy all year around.
Small Toys
Small toys make great Christmas stocking stuffers because they are inexpensive, and fit snugly into holiday stockings. Some small toy ideas include Hot Wheels cars, Barbie dolls, toy jewelry, yo-yos, bubbles, noisemakers, temporary tattoos, water colors, action figures, coloring books, crayons, and stickers.
Small toys can pose a choking hazard to kids under the age of three, so read the age recommendation labels carefully before putting the toys in their Christmas stockings.
Children’s Christmas Movies
Great movies give families the chance to unwind, and spend a little quality time doing something they enjoy together. There are literally tons of Christmas movies on the market for children, and they all make wonderful stocking stuffers. Youngsters may enjoy holiday movie selections such as How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000), A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), Elf (2003), Miracle on 34th Street (1947), The Polar Express (2004), and Home Alone (1990).
Money and Christmas Gift Cards
One can never go wrong when she fills a Christmas stocking with cold-hard cash. Giving youngsters money for Christmas serves as the perfect opportunity to teach them valuable lessons about the importance money management and saving. Gift cards are one of the best stocking stuffers for kids who prefer to assert their independence, and pick out their own Christmas goodies. Gift cards can be purchased from almost any retail store.
Don’t be blindsided by Christmas; start filling those holiday stockings early with fun goodies like small toys, books, movies, and cash.
Charlina Stewart - Charlina has dedicated more than a decade of her life making a positive difference in the lives of children. During her time as an early ...
