The Best Stocking Stuffers That Are Worth the Money

Checking out at the store register, I am surrounded by stocking stuffers.  Lots of silly and goofy items trying to tempt me to fill up stockings for my children by purchasing them.

I am not tempted.  I can’t stand useless stocking stuffers.  Who needs a bunch of stuff that is just going to be taking up space in the landfill by New Years?  Not this momma.

And my guess is you don’t need items that you’ll want to throw away by New Year’s.

But, to be honest, I love buying stocking stuffers that are worth the money for my kids.  Sometimes I have the most fun filling up the stockings because it doesn’t feel like there are any rules or specific guidelines.  I can purchase things that don’t quite fit into our 4 gifts poem.

{This post contains affiliate links. Full disclosure here.}

I stuff the stockings full of handy supplies, educational toys, and creative fun. These ideas are worth spending some extra cash on because I know they are going to be useful and well-used.

Stocking Stuffers That Are Worth the Money

Stocking Stuffers for Personal Care

1. Shower Gel
2. Lotion
3. Hairbrush
4. Shaving Cream
5. Razors
6. Electric Razor – for boy; for girl
7. Cleansing Face wipes – I grabbed Burt’s Bees brand
8. Cleanser – Big fans of Burt’s Bees
9. Moisturizer – Bet ya didn’t guess we went with Burt’s Bees
10. Toothbrush – maybe an Oral B?
11. Lip Gloss – shimmer lip balms are a favorite and I keep a lip crayon in my purse
12. Chapstick – just grabbed this four pack to divvy up

BONUS: Fun Bandaids – how about Shakespearean insults?

Stocking Stuffers for Fun

13. Thinking Putty
14. Glow Sticks – perfect for dark winter nights
15. Rubik’s Cube
16. Bath Tub Toys – one year we bought measuring cups and funnels for this purpose
17. Figurines for Pretend Play
18. Nerf Bullet Refill Packs – Rival, N-strike, Mega, Disc
19. Nerf Jolt Blaster

Stocking Stuffers You Wear

20. Touch screen gloves
21. Socks, especially fuzzy socks
22. Winter Hat – I always resort to the Harry Potter theme
23. Cloth Headbands – My girls like simple ones.
24. Scarf – fashion or winter. I’ve shared some fantastic Harry Potter themed scarves.
25. Jewelry
26. Fun Shirt/hoodie – one for the kid that dabs, the FNAF fan, the Harry Potter fan, and I get a ton of comments on this Star Labs hoodie

Stocking Stuffers For Learning

27. Story Cubes
28. Math Dice
29. Professor Noggin Trivia cards come in every subject
30. Pocket Microscope
31. Math 24 cards
32. Math Compass – invest in one that won’t close on them while being used
33. Figurines from History – Civil War, Colonial Times, Egyptian
34. Bananagrams
35. Quiddler card game (spelling)
36. Cyclone Tube – Connect two 2L bottles for some tornado fun.
37. Clip-on Book Light

Stocking Stuffers For Game Play

38. Spot-It
39. Phase 10
40. Great Dalmuti
41. Skip-Bo
42. Uno
43. Dutch Blitz
44. Sushi Go
45. A Deck of Cards – How about a fun one with Avengers? Harry Potter? Star Wars?

—> Check out our favorite card games for more stocking stuffer ideas <—

Stocking Stuffers For the Great Outdoors

46. Hammock
47. Flashlight – this one and this one made it to stockings here
48. Mobile Macro Lens for a Phone or iPod
49. Carabiner Flashlight
50. Compass/Whistle
51. Mini Spray Bottle (for hiking)
52. Water Bottle – We love the .75L Camelbak Eddy.
53. Pocket Knife
54. Binoculars
55. Fandex Field Guides
56. Headlamps
57. Mess Kit – Yes, we are squeezing one in there this year.

–> Check out my favorite Outdoor Essentials for Kids <–

Stocking Stuffers for Artistic Fun

Note: My daughter is VERY into art, so I include the brand name for items we adore. You can be sure they are a good balance of quality and affordability.

58. Prismacolor Pencils
59. Faber-Castel Chalk Pastels
60. Mungyo Gallery SOFT oil pastels
61.  Art pads – watercolor, mixed media, sketch (Canson brand is our everyday “go-to”, though we buy nice brands for art class projects.)
62. Origami Paper
63. Colored and Designed Duct Tape
64. Paintbrush set
65. Graphic Drawing Pencils Set
66. Grumbacher Academy Watercolor Tubes
67. Sculpey Clay – We can’t keep enough of this around.

Electronics as Stocking Stuffers

68. Charging Cables – This one is really fun.
69. A new case/cover
70. Go Pro Stick
71. Go Pro Headstrap
72. Ear Buds
73. Bluetooth Ear Buds
74. Apple Watch Band

Stocking Stuffers for School

75. Ticonderoga Pencils – Yes, they are the best.
76. Papermate Flair Pens – My favorite for copywork and journaling.
77. Sharpies
78. Post-its – I love the page marker size
79. Protractor
80. Journals – I adore moleskin journals
81. Decorative Spiral Notebooks

Stocking Stuffers You Can Eat

82. Mints
83. Gum
84. Granola Bars
85. Ferrero Rocher
86. Favorite Candy

Now that you have some inspiration, grab a few stocking stuffers!

More Christmas Gift Ideas:

Creative Stocking Stuffers for Teen Boys

Toys for Children Who Like to Build

Gifts for a Teen Girl

Gift Giving: Want, Need, Wear, Read

Best Gifts for a Harry Potter Fan

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Mary Wilson

Mary is a writer and mother to four kids ranging from elementary to high school.

She believes that creativity, laughter, and fun are the backbone for engaging and inspiring homeschools. You can find her encouragement and tips on this blog, Mary Hanna Wilson.

She is an enneagram 7 and an extrovert. She enjoys traveling, tea (iced or hot), good conversations, and books. You can connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.

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