These inexpensive stockings stuffers for preschoolers are perfect for making Christmas morning extra special and extra practical! Each of these stocking stuffers must meet one of my three criteria: useful, consumable, or promote a child’s development!
Stockings, in my humble opinion, are the unsung heroes of Christmas morning (or Christmas Eve, depending on when you open your stockings). Their presence on our mantle is a mere echo of the generosity given to the merchant daughters by St. Nicholas many centuries ago.
Like everything in our commercialized world, stockings can sometimes add to the chaos of our already-cluttered homes. But some well-chosen stocking stuffers can encourage play-based learning without adding any clutter! All in all, I don’t want any more plastic junk that ends up in the trash 24 hours later!
Criteria when it comes to Stocking Stuffers for Preschoolers:
(each item must meet at least one of this criteria)
- Useful.
- Consumable (i.e. does not add more clutter).
- Promote the child’s development and/or creativity.
What are some good stocking stuffers for kids?
Character Bandaids
Let’s be honest, what kid does not love getting bandaids with their favorite character?!?! And the best thing is, this is a gift you will actually use! I have given my kids bandaids in their stockings for as long as I can remember!
Make bath time more exciting by adding some COLOR! These Bath Dropz can be plopped in a bath and won’t stain the tub! This fits the “consumable” criteria and can make bath time in those longer winter months more fun!
Wet Brush
This mini sized version of our favorite brush is the perfect size to put in a stocking!
Dot Stickers are so small they can easily fit into a stocking and they are so stinkin’ versatile! Pack them in your purse or child’s backpack for instant on-the-go fun! Make a dot-to-dot at the doctor’s office! They peel off really easily too, so you don’t have to worry about the stickers leaving any residue. Be sure to try some of our activities using dot stickers!
Stocking Stuffers for Play
Road Tape
Transform any surface into a car track with this road tape kit! This would be especially awesome to use in hotels or guest rooms when traveling!
Sensory Bin Tools
Sensory Bins are what every preschoolers dreams are made of! How about adding some tools (tweezers, scoopers, and droppers) that will make sensory bins even more fun and interactive? Once you get these tools, try some of our sensory bin ideas!
These Pop Snap Beads are a super fun and super simple way for kids to make jewelry. Pop Snap Beads are one of my favorite stocking stuffers for preschoolers as they are so versatile and open-ended…and allow children to make “gifts” of jewelry for those around them!
Stocking Stuffers for Art
Kwix Stix Tempera Paint Sticks
These tempera paint crayons are a recent addition to our home and they are awesome! These are a no-mess alternative to paint that dries super fast! Perfect for your little budding artist!
Dot Markers
Dot Markers may or may not fit into your child’s stocking (depending on how wide the opening is), but they are a definite winner in my book!
Stocking Stuffers for Learning
These Blank Dice are the perfect addition to your play-based home! I prefer these over dry-erase dice (like from Dollar Tree) because that markings always seem to get smudged or erased during the course of play. The dice come with stickers you can write on and add. Add numbers, dots, shapes, action words, letters…the possibilities are endless!
Magnetic Letters
Magnetic letters are helpful for preschoolers as they begin learning letter names and sounds. Most magnetic letter packages come with capital letters only, but you are much better off teaching your child lowercase letters first as they are the ones the will encounter the most while reading (after all…there was only one capital letter in this entire sentence). Again, this may or may not fit into your child’s stocking. Check the dimensions of the stocking opening if you are determined for it to be a stocking-only gift.
Magnets are a great took for preschoolers (just make sure they never end up in their mouth or the mouth of a younger sibling). This assortment of magnets would be a super fun gift to inspire curiosity!
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