As a kid, one of my favorite parts of Christmas was seeing what treasures were hidden in my stocking. While I usually had a good sense of what presents were waiting for me under the tree, my stocking was always packed with surprises, and I loved discovering just what was stuffed in there.
Now as the person doing the stuffing, my views on stockings have changed. Finding great stocking stuffer ideas is a surprising amount of effort. Are we sure we can’t just fill stockings with leftover Halloween candy and maybe a toothbrush? No? We need to include at least some non-food items in there? Alright then.
Below, to make your lives easier and mine, we’ve rounded up a few sure-to-please, non-edible stocking stuffer ideas and organized them by age. To make this list as applicable as possible to our Canadian readers, we’ve tried to select items that can be ordered online or picked up from a nationally accessible retailer.
Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Babies & Toddlers
Bath Crayons from Crayola
Bath time can be stressful for some toddlers. Try funneling some of your child’s anxiety into creativity with these washable bath crayons, which are perfect for creating removable artwork on the sides of your bathtub. While a few different companies make this product, we like these ones from Crayola as they feature an impressive 10 colours and are sold in a variety of stores, including the found-almost-everywhere Shoppers Drug Mart.
Silicone Snack Bowl with Lid from Simons
Make snack time a little easier, and tidier, with this durable silicone snack container. Its innovative mouth helps to keep food in the bowl, and off your floor, while the lid means you can toss this container in your diaper bag and go. Made out of BPA-free food grade silicone, this bowl comes in three attractive colours and is microwave, freezer, and dishwasher safe.
Soft Book from Coco Village
Sure, board books are great, but do you know what’s even more durable? Fabric books! (Plus they squish nicely into a stocking.) Coco Village’s soft book collection offers several tastefully done books that focus on everything from nature to fruits and vegetables. French language versions are also available pour votre bébé.
Sophie La Girafe Wrist Rattle from Indigo
Sophie La Giraffe is one of the most beloved characters out there. This item combines her with another classic, the rattle, and packages them together into a soft toy that easily attaches to your child’s wrist or ankle. It’s a cute way for babies to entertain themselves while also learning how their bodies move.
Teething Jewelry from Glitter & Spice
Honestly, you could stuff your baby’s whole stocking with adorable objects from Glitter & Spice (just look at how cute this doughnut teether is ) . But we’d like to draw your attention to the company’s Teething Accessories category, where you’ll find teething jewelry that also doubles as a stylish gift for you. Necklace and bracelets in a range of styles and colours are available, as is the option to customize your perfect piece.
Water Wow from Melissa & Doug
Toddlers love to paint, colour, and draw but sometimes all that creativity can be a little (OK, a lot) messy. Thankfully the geniuses at Melissa & Doug have created Water Wow books. Just fill the reusable pen (don’t worry, there’s no lid to lose) with water and then let your little artist “paint” picture after picture. Besides fitting nicely into a Christmas stocking, these books are ideal for entertaining kids when heading out in the car, perhaps on the way to Grandma’s house for Christmas dinner? Water Wow books are sold via several retailers, including Toys R Us, Mastermind Toys, and Well.ca.
Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Preschoolers & Kindergarteners
Bluey Figurines from Toys R Us
Bluey is one of those rare kid cartoons that both children and adults love. Foster your kid’s interest in the Blue Heeler puppy with these cute, licensed characters that are perfect for imaginative play. Several different themes and characters are available, including collections that mirror favourite episodes. Note that while the original packaging for these toys likely won’t fit in your kid’s stocking, popping these figurines directly into the stocking just means that you don’t have to fight with the packaging on Christmas morning.
Quick-Drying Paint Sticks from Crayola
Have you heard about this magical product? Tempura-based paint sticks let your child embrace their inner artist and paint to their heart’s content, without the mess. These “paints” don’t require water and quickly dry in under 60 seconds. They also deliver vivid colour in six shades. A few different companies make and sell quick-drying paint sticks, but we’ve gone with trusty Crayola as we know it has a solid history of creating child-friendly, non-toxic products.
Sensory Chews from Munchable
Here’s the perfect gift for kids struggling to say good-bye to their pacifier or who just love to chew. Endorsed by the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists, these BPA-free, silicone chews are recommended as a straightforward way to “replace inappropriate chewing behaviour” as well as a tool to help children cope with concentration and emotions. A wide range of necklaces and pendants styles are available in kid-friendly colours and designs (meaning your child will actually wear it). Chews are also available as pencil toppers and zipper pulls.
Socks from Sock Rocket
Keep your kids’ feet cozy while supporting a good cause with Sock Rocket. Based in Calgary, Sock Rockets donates three pairs of socks for every pair purchased. And with tons of cute, kid-friendly designs, you’ll want to purchase more than one pair. Design options include unicorns, construction vehicles, and even pizza, and are sold in toddler sizes 4-9 and 10-2.
Stick-On Earrings from Great Pretenders
Does your child want earrings but you’re not quite ready for that step yet? Buy some time with a sheet of adorable stick-on earrings. Each sheet contains 30 pairs of earrings, essentially a new pair for each day of the week. Four different themes are available—unicorn, superhero, rainbow, and mermaid—and you can also buy in bulk, in case you have quite a few stockings to fill.
Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Older Kids
Creative Affirmation Cards from My Creative Life
Beautifully put together, this “arts-based mindset tool for kids” is a simple and colourful way to work a bit of mindfulness into your child’s life. Each deck features 54 cards that each contain a positive statement, a vivid image, and a creative activity that takes the card’s affirmation to the next level. These cards were developed by a Toronto mom and aim to deepen a child’s self-awareness, improve self-esteem, and foster a growth mindset and independence.
Crystal Growing Kit from KolKid
Slip a little science into your child’s stocking with a crystal growing kit. With easy-to-follow instructions, these kits come in four styles and let your kid “grow” a volcano, giant sequoia, a cherry tree, or a balsam fir. All four kits are available at Toronto kids’ retailer KolKid, which also ships across Canada.
Minifigures Marvel Studios from LEGO
Twelve classic Marvel characters from four popular TV shows have found themselves transformed into LEGO minifigures and trapped in blind bags. It’s up to your child to free them and see just which limited-edition superhero you’ve put in their stocking. All figurines are compatible with LEGO sets, meaning your child can incorporate their new minifigure into their other LEGO kits.
Pop Bubble Bracelet from Mastermind Toys
Pop toys are one of the hottest crazes of 2021. And when they’re packaged as a cute (and functional) bracelet, they’re also the perfect size and shape to be popped into your kid’s stocking. While these bracelets can be picked up from a few different spots, we like this one from Mastermind Toys because it also glows in the dark.
Plus-Plus Tubes from Well.ca
Consisting of dozens of BPA-free and phthalate-free plastic pieces of just one multipurpose shape, Plus-Plus is a fun way for kids to develop spatial skills while also being creative. Different kits are available, including ones that let you piece together such creatures as a unicorn or a dragon. Perhaps best of all, the cylinder packaging of Plus-Plus Tubes makes them the ideal shape for stocking stuffers.
Squishmellow Clip Ons from Indigo
Oh-so-soft Squishmellow stuffies are another big toy for 2021 and are so popular that some of the bigger sizes are sold out. However, you can still grab the smaller Squishmellow clip-ons from your local Indigo store. Available as six adorable characters, these toys easily clip onto backpacks and other bags.
Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Teens
Lip Gloss from Cheekbone Beauty
Sustaintable cosmetics company Cheekbone Beauty creates high quality, cruelty-free makeup. While the Indigenous-owned and founded company is best known for its vivid lipsticks and eye pencils, the teen in your life will likely love Cheekbone’s easy-to-wear lip gloss. It’s available in six shades and contains sunflower seed oil to moisturize lips. And, best of all, every purchase made from Cheekbone helps to support Indigenous initiatives and communities.
Mini Clip-On Light Ring from Best Buy
As virtual meeting attendees now all know, a light ring can work magic when it comes to how one appears on screen. While a full-size unit is probably more than your kid needs, a smaller version designed for their phones will take their selfies and Tik Toks to the next level. This particular model, available at Best Buy, is compatible with all phones and easily clips on around a phone or tablet’s lens. It features 40 LEDs that can be adjusted to provide three different brightness levels and packs 45 minutes of power in its rechargeable-by-USB battery.
Temporary Tattoos from Inkbox
If your teen has been making noise about a tattoo, try satisfying their urge for ink with something not-so-permanent. Toronto company Inkbox sells dozens of temporary tattoo designs that look like the real thing and last one to two weeks, gradually fading away (yes, they are waterproof). Design options include everything from hearts and stars to original collaborations with BTS and Rupi Kaur.
Themed Ornaments
Start by picking a theme that you know your kid loves; maybe a certain pop culture franchise or a specific animal. Just make sure it’s something fairly common and that you think your child will love for years to come. Then every year place in their stocking a Christmas tree decoration related to that theme. For example, if your teen adores Star Wars, grab them a Darth Vader ornament. Besides big box stores, Etsy and local craft sales are often great sources for fun ornaments. This new tradition is an easy way to get your kids started on their Christmas décor collection and it gives you a consistent go-to stocking stuffer idea.
Skin Clearing Products from The Ordinary
Clearer, brighter skin is on most teenagers’ wish list so pop a couple acne-fighting product into your teen’s sock. Canadian brand The Ordinary is known for its scientifically derived formulas and effective results. Its Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum is designed to “reduce the appearance of skin blemishes and congestion” while its Salicylic Acid 2% Masque contains one of the best pimple-fighting ingredients arounds. If you need to really fill that socking, consider grabbing The Ordinary’s Balance Set, which features four skin-clearing products.
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