Along with shopping for the perfect gifts for family and friends, finding the best stocking stuffers for kids has also become a top priority over the last couple of decades. Tweens and teens typically have Christmas lists that make it easier to pinpoint what they want, but it can be a little more difficult to identify the best stocking stuffers geared towards the younger crowd.
If you’re on the hunt for the best kids’ stocking stuffers and don’t have time to research, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve got you covered with this gift guide that has the top stocking stuffer ideas for kids of all ages. Kids will soon be making their lists and checking them twice as Santa begins conducting his annual quality assurance checks to see who’s been naughty or nice, so we’re here to help you get to work!
Best kids’ stocking stuffers under $10
Target’s Mondo Llama line includes tons of affordable projects that tap into kids’ creativity in ample ways. Deputy managing editor Jess Bender has tried a number of arts and crafts with her niece and nephew under the age of 7 and has noted that they had tons of fun painting, drawing, beading and more with them.
Long road trips require lots of stimulation to pass the time, so spark creativity with this classic Mad Libs activity book. With 48 pages to complete, they’ll learn the difference between adverbs, verbs, adjectives, plural nouns and more tenses all while encouraging a little bit of silliness along the way.
Perfect for budding beauty queens (or if they just admire watching their mom or older sis doing their makeup in the mirror), this adorable Lip Smacker inspired by the iconic Sanrio character will have them lighting up.
Their dentist may not be thrilled with this small gift, but your kid surely will! Lollipops Dum Dums have been a staple in stockings for generations thanks to the brand’s wide range of fun flavors including the infamous Mystery Flavor we’ve yet to identify years later.
Sometimes the best stocking stuffers are classics like these rainbow pencils. Perfect for the chronic doodler or young snail mailer, this 12-pack will add additional whimsy to anything they’re doing on paper.
Young artists love to color, but it could get messy very quickly. Crayola stops hard-to-wash scribbles in their tracks with their mess-free Color Wonder sets, where marker colors only appear on the pages and off the walls and floors. If they’re fans of Gabby’s Dollhouse, Peppa Pig or Blippi, there’s also activity pages for them, too!
As long as there are no sore losers in your group, your family will have a great time playing the brutal version of this classic card game. With new rules and tougher action cards (like a Wild Draw 10!), this one isn’t for the faint of heart.
This fast-paced, Shop TODAY editor-loved board game is now available in a miniature version that can easily fit in a stocking. “It’s great to take on the road with kids and keep them entertained,” says associate editor Kamari Stewart-Jackson.
This hands-on stocking stuffer is full of surprises, including a hidden figurine that children can sift through the slime to find. Plus, the kit comes with shimmery sparkles and scent boosters to make it a full-sensory experience.
Have you heard? We’ve recently launched the first ever Shop TODAY Best Toy Awards! Out of all the toys we’ve tested and shared with the young’ns in our lives, one of our personal faves (along with our readers’ according to our data!) is this interactive blind box where you end up with a squishy, food-inspired plushie after a few quick shakes.
This isn’t your typical brain-teasing puzzle — for starters, it’s a huge TikTok phenomenon! If this bestseller hasn’t been on your social media radar, players young and old take on over 200 challenges, testing one’s problem solving and critical thinking skills in the process.
These suction cup spinner toys can be attached to a baby’s highchair or other hard surfaces, and can be removed and replaced with no commitment. A fun and affordable stocking stuffer for 1-year-olds, this three-piece set helps build hand/eye coordination while keeping little ones occupied.
Bubbles are a classic stocking stuffer for kids, and this non-toxic option is also a winner for parents! If you’re worried about them making a sudsy mess everywhere, fear not! The dispenser’s innovative packaging ensures that every last drop of solution stays inside the tumbler if it’s knocked over.
It doesn’t seem like a toy (much less a kids’ stocking stuffer) at first glance, but this no-battery-required clicker counter is actually a hit among kids, according to reviewers. And not just because of the fun colors — kids who love counting (this goes up to 9,999!) and fidget toys will get a kick out of this clicker.
Best kids’ stocking stuffers under $25
Bring the wintry wonderland indoors with this Lego ornament set. This popular mini builder set is ideal for kids ages 6+ and comes with 168 pieces to create and customize their new snowy friends.
With 750 questions spanning a number of topics, including a new technology subject, these Q and A-style learning cards will keep them occupied during road trips, while waiting for dinner or when wanting to quiz their younger siblings.
Available for pre-K through 6th grade, reviewers say that their children love learning via these decks of cards, oftentimes going through the prompts so fast they have to buy more.
This electronic pet thrives when fidgeted with, making it the perfect companion for those who need fidget toys to focus. Children can click the kitten’s ears, press the mouth (that doubles as a button), or move its arms up and down to “fill” its heart.
Blending classic creativity with a modern techie feel, Crayola’s Wixels set features two-color maps to create a whimsical unicorn or any other design their heart’s set on. They’ll never know they’re also practicing essential life skills like concentration, focus and patience in the process!
These little plushies went viral on TikTok, racking up more than 57 million views. Not only are they super cute, but kids can use them to show their moods without saying a word by flipping between the angry and happy faces.
Maurice Sendak has been a mainstay in home libraries for many generations, and this pocket-sized collection of books (seriously, each page-turner measures 3-by-4 inches) is a great introduction to several stories that have stood the test of time.
Have you ever seen a cuter sticker stamper? This Melissa & Doug bundle makes for a super gift for on-the-go play with an activity pad loaded with games to grow their mind and 500 stickers in total.
Since its inception in 2018, this game has accumulated over 19,000 five-star ratings on Amazon.Whether they play with their friends or family, this is a great way to upgrade game nights. “The game’s concept is delightfully quirky, centering on a food fight between two of the most beloved Mexican dishes, tacos and burritos,” shared one reviewer.
This bestselling, award-winning toy just look like an ordinary cube, but just wait until their fidgety hands get a hold of it! We bet they’ll spend hours trying to nail the 70+ shapes it’s capable of becoming.
Part fidget toy, part creative outlet, these mini stacking cubes have become super popular for how versatile they are for kids across the age spectrum. Along with aiding with developing fine motor skills and sensory exploration, they’ve also earned parents’ raves for how easy they are to clean!
Trendy stocking stuffers for kids
Dubai chocolate is still highly popular amongst the younger crowd, so surprise them with a snack with a saltier edge. We’re enamored with the wide range of snacks Nuts.com delivers on the regular, so we know they’ll feel similarly.
Get them excited for bath time with these adorable bath toys. The set comes with Bluey and her entire family — Bingo, Chilli and Bandit — that can be used for stacking and pouring. And when summertime is back around, they’ll love the cups for the beach or pool, too!
Make bath time fun with this multicolored set of 300 fizzy tablets. All they need to do is drop their favorite color into the water or mix and match to create new ones and watch them fizz. Better yet, these won’t stain the tub or your towels, and they come in eco-friendly packaging.
How sweet are these little cuties? Furby Furblets have been all the rage ever since they hit the scene, even ending up on Shop TODAY’s Gifts We Love list multiple times!
Looking for some travel-friendly fun as you drive over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house? Magna-Tiles are an excellent screen-free STEM toy for kids! These can also connect to existing sets to expand on their collection once you’re officially off the road.
According to the brand, Glo Pals’s sensory play jars are known as the “calm down jars,” offering an engaging and calming form of play. They can decorate and fill the jars with the included tools to add lights and details that will keep them screen-free.
Beading their own accessories is an absolute blast (and at some point you shouldn’t be surprised if they’re up to their elbows in bracelets they made on their own accord). If they have room for a few more, give them this colorful Super Smalls set featuring some “chill” charms.
Owala water bottles are known for their “sip or swig” lids — hold the bottle upright to sip from the straw or tilt back to swig through the wide opening. Best of all, the locking lid ensures that it won’t leak in their backpack while they’re on their way to school!
These cozy slippers from the popular sock brand Bombas will be a real delight for parents of toddlers. They help keep you little one’s feet warm and protected, offering a plush liner, double padded sole and gripper bottoms so they won’t slip as they toddle around the house.
Kids and adults are equally enamored with Jellycats, so it’s no surprise that their bag charm versions are just as popular as the full-sized plushies.
Make good with your dentist for all the candy and chocolate your sweets-loving kid is bound to eat during the holidays with this customizable electric toothbrush from Philips Sonicare. Its two gentle cleaning settings and built-in KidPacer just about ensures good habits early, plus it comes with tons of pet-inspired stickers to make their brush truly one-of-a-kind.
Road-tripping over the holidays? Keep young ones busy with a personalized activity book filled with custom-made puzzles built around their image and interests.
How we chose the best stocking stuffers for kids
The Shop TODAY editors and writers search the internet to find the best products out there that would make great stocking stuffers for kids. We also use our own personal experiences with the product and brand to make shopping easier for our readers.
Don’t forget to check out Shop TODAY’s other gift guide for stocking stuffers under $10, as well as gift guides for toddlers, 11-year-olds, 12-year-olds and more.
