Our 2020 Stocking Stuffers & My Stocking Checklist

Stockings are such a fun way to start Christmas morning! This is how I decide what to put in our stockings, and what my kids’ stocking stuffers will be this year! 

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Picking out stocking stuffers is always one of my favorite parts of holiday shopping! It’s so much fun to pick out items that are going to be exciting for the kids to dig into first thing on Christmas morning. Plus, it’s a bit of a puzzle finding new things that will also be useful and (mostly) purposeful.

We tend to take our Christmas mornings slowly. The stockings are set out overnight, along with a couple of newer large toys. (This year a new large dollhouse and an air fort will be set up next to the stockings!). As the kids trickle in, (they still usually sleep in on Christmas morning, thankfully!), they get right to dumping the stockings.

Our Christmas morning breakfast is more like a brunch once the grandparents arrive, and we always wait to open presents until after brunch, so I always want to make sure that I check a few boxes with the kids’ stockings. I want to make sure they include: 

• Something to Do: A new toy or two that will be exciting enough to take the edge off waiting to open presents!
• Something to Eat: I always include a fun snack and often some form of fruit for the kids that they can eat before digging into their candy.
• Something to Eat: It’s Christmas morning, so of course the kids get to eat candy first thing!
• Something to Read: The kids will get more books under the tree, but I like to give activity/coloring books or magazines that are more for skimming and flipping.
• Something to Need: Stockings are also a great place to give necessary items that can still be fun. Cozy socks, new gloves, hairbands and bows, chapstick, etc.

Need/want new stockings? I have a simple tutorial to make your own. 

Our 2020 Stocking Stuffers

This list isn’t an exhaustive list of stocking ideas. Rather, this is what will be in my kids’ stockings this year. (My kids are currently 10, 8, 6, 4, and 3). I’m also including my husband’s stocking stuffers and a list of stocking stuffers I’ve given in past years. I hope that it gives you some fresh ideas! If you have unique or fun stocking stuffers that you have given, please share them in the comments.

*Disclaimer: these pictures aren’t the best because in 2020 our kids are always home with us and I had to take stocking pictures at night locked in my bedroom. Also, I work on these posts in the dining room, so I was trying to be quick and stealthy on the computer! 

Older Boys 

THIS YEAR:

• House Slippers (from Target)
• Everyday Winter Gloves (These & these from Target)
• Fire Starter Kits (this one from Sierra, but currently sold out)
• Leather Bookmarks (Dragon & Wizard from A Fine Quotation shop)
• PaperMate Quatro Retractable Pen 
• Book Light (Target dollar spot)
• Zipper Pouch (Target)
• New stuffed dogs (Aurora World)
• Large “gems”
• Whittling Projects book
• Brainbolt Brain Teaser Game
• Safe & Fair drizzled popcorn (honeycrisp apple)
• Goldfish
• *still need* fresh fruit
• Reeses Cup Cane
• Kinder Joy Eggs

Preschool Boy 

THIS YEAR:

• House Slippers (from Old Navy)
• Fingerless Gloves/Mittens (from Target)
• New stuffed dog (Aurora World)
• PaperMate Quatro Retractable Pen 
• Leather Bookmark (Narnia bookmark from A Fine Quotation shop)
• Animal Planet Sea Life Tube toys
• Large “gem”
• Big Book of Birds Sticker Book
• Safe & Fair drizzled popcorn (honeycrisp apple)
• Goldfish
• *still need* fresh fruit
• Reeses Cup Cane
• Kinder Joy Eggs

Little Girls

THIS YEAR:

• House Slippers (sparkly sequin ones from Old Navy & princess ones from Target)
• Colored hair bands
• Magic wands (from Trish Scully)
• New stuffed cats (Aurora World)
• Large “gems”
• Leather Bookmark (Horse for the older girl from A Fine Quotation shop)
• American Girl Dress Up Sticker Book
• Wooden play phone (from Target Hearth & Hand)
• Safe & Fair drizzled popcorn (strawberry shortcake)
• Goldfish
• *still need* fresh fruit
• Reeses Cup Cane
• Kinder Joy Eggs

PAST KIDS’ STOCKING STUFFERS:

• Anna & Elsa dolls
• Slinky
• Sandra Boyton books 
• Dangerous Book for Boys
• Double Dangerous Book for Boys
• Imagine Ink Coloring Books
• Ramen Fury Game
• Surprise Lego bags
• Baby bottle candy
• Beef jerky
• Stainless steel cups with sleeves, lids, & straws
• Play-doh
• cozy socks
• fun leggings
• puzzles
• new sketchbooks
• fun character underwear
• Water Wow coloring books
• wooden train whistle
• Choose Your Own Adventure books
• Mini dart guns
• punch balloons

Husband

THIS YEAR:

• Lord of the Rings Trivia Calendar
• Poo-Pourri spray
• Safe & Fair drizzled popcorn (dark chocolate)
• summer sausage
• Coal Jelly (blackberry jelly from Mast General Store)
• *still need* Fishing/Outdoors magazine
• Holiday snickers bars
• *still need* stuffed olives
• *still need* dark chocolate or some other treat from Trader Joes
• Epic pork rinds

BONUS TIP/IDEA:

This could be a “duh” kind of tip, but every year once I lay out all the stocking stuffers to check to make sure I have everything, I then pack everything up in separate bags (one bag per stocking). That way, on Christmas Eve when it’s time to fill the stockings, I do not need to do any sorting. Everything is already sorted and I can just hand a bag to my husband to help.

It’s really the little things when it comes to the night before Christmas and there are toys to be assembled!

Want to see more gift ideas for Christmas?

OUR FAMILY GIFTS THIS YEAR:

SEE ALL MY GIFT GUIDES ON ONE PAGE:

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