Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Kids and Grown-Ups

Stocking stuffers! I love them! After all, what’s better than miniature-sized gifts designed simply to delight, and an excellent opportunity to shop small businesses, to boot?! I’ve done the legwork for us and rounded up some of my very favorite stocking stuffers for kids, women, and men. Of course, depending on how you distribute your budget, some of these would make excellent under-the-tree gifts, too. You get to choose!

Items marked with an * are ones we own.

Stocking Stuffers for Kids:

My philosophy for kids’ stockings (and, really, stockings in general): I’d rather spend a bit more money to stuff with things I know they’ll need, use, and keep over trinkets that don’t cost much but will be quickly tossed. Add something sweet and/or consumable and a little dash of silly fun, and you’ve got yourself a stocking!

— Liberty-print headband* | I put one of these in June’s Easter basket and it is a favorite. The only hard part is picking a pattern!

— A resin flower keychain or a colorful tassel version

— The sweetest magic wands for imaginative play

— New socks. These* are my favorite, since the size is printed right on the sole, making them easier to pass down!

— Harry Potter magnetic bookmarks*

— Any felted ornament from this most delightful shop

— Animal sticky notes*. These are going in June’s stocking this year and I predict she’ll go nuts.

— The perfect family game* for on-the-go. Or this one*!

— Colorful streamers* for a bike or scooter

— Mini Squishmallows! I’ll give one to each child in their stocking, share a few with my sister, and save the rest for Easter baskets and friend birthdays throughout the year.

— A new water bottle*, since they always seem to break or go missing. Our kids are very into putting stickers (like these*!) on theirs.

— Our favorite detangling spray*

— Bookmarks, tees, stickers, slim tumblers, and more for book lovers big and small – all with the cutest illustrations. The book trivia card set looks so fun!

— The sweetest starter earrings for girls! June has been curious about getting her ears pierced, and this shop is where I’ll turn when she’s ready. Or go for the stick-on variety.*

— Mini “passports” to record his or her drawings, trips, hikes, and more*

— A petite wallet* for toting her allowance

— Super sneaky spy glasses

— Darling floral and embroidered hair clips

— Our very favorite bath bombs*. I put one or two in each stocking and save the rest for other occasions!

— A colorful, personalized notepad* – a favorite of June’s!

— A small Jellycat Bashful stuffie* – the softest and cutest of them all

— New fleece gloves in a tie-dye pattern

— Yoto cards* (I cash in our Yoto Club credits a few times a year and save some for stockings!)

— A rolled-up paint-by-sticker book*

— Road tape* for cars on the go

— Electric toothbrushes*, since both of the olders requested them. Wish granted.

— TicTacs* and Ice Breakers* – very exciting to our kids. Also truffles* – so fancy!

— The cutest bandaids*. Welly is always a win in our household and I know they’ll go nuts for the dog pack!

— Speaking of dogs… this card game*. Going in June’s stocking.

— Scissors*! You can never have too many scissors.

— A Bentgo snack box*

Of course, I would be remiss to write a stocking post and not mention my best gals’ genius business, Persnickety Gifts! If you want this whole process to be done in a snap, and support small businesses along the way, simply choose one of their themed bundles and call it a day. The Add-On Shop is also the perfect spot to pick up a few curated items in one place if you don’t need a whole bundle!

Stocking Stuffers for Men:

After 11 years of marriage and almost 19 years together, John and I still do not see eye to eye on stockings. We grew up with very different traditions: in John’s family, there were maybe five items in the stockings, only kids had them, and they were opened before the grown-ups came downstairs. In my family, on the other hand, stockings were a major event: they were large and stuffed full and opened one by one with oohs and ahhs.

Because of this, I gladly take the lead on stuffing every stocking in my family, including my own (more on that below!). While stocking stuffers for men are tough, here are a few ideas that would work for my guy and perhaps for yours!

— Interesting salsa or hot sauce. There’s a local foods store near us where I always pick up a jar or two.

— Fun noodles* to perk up his weekday homemade ramen lunch (also these) and hot honey chili crunch*

— Chomps meat sticks or beef jerky

— Bombas for the men, as well, naturally

— Rechargeable hand warmers! Or just go for the classic version :)

— A digital meat thermometer. Our house needs one of these!

— The sunscreen* I wear 365 days a year. Glides on smoothly, feels like nothing at all, protects like nothing else. John uses it now, too!

— Kitchen shears for cutting open meat packages, snipping herbs, and all sorts of things

— A tiny white noise machine* (perfect for travel – not just for kids!)

— Beloved couples’ conversation cards

— Tiny magnets* for a minimal look on the fridge

— All the goodies from Trader Joe’s! They always have sweet and savory items that feel fun.

Stocking Stuffers for Women:

Yes, I stuff 90% of my own stocking, too, and honestly? It’s a delight. I include little luxuries I might not normally buy but feel confident I’ll love… which is the benefit of buying for yourself :)

— Liberty print toiletry bags | So cute and reasonably priced for Liberty! Again, the hardest part is choosing just one pattern.

— Citrus rimming sugar or citrus and rose bath salts from my friend Katie’s shop

— The sunscreen* I wear 365 days a year. Glides on smoothly, feels like nothing at all, protects like nothing else.

— Bombas ankle socks*, the best socks that also give back

— Harry Potter magnetic bookmarks*

— The cutest (understated) bow hair ties

— My everyday night moisturizer* in a travel size

— Block-print cotton napkins* that can be thrown in the wash

— A petite beauty item that feels like a luxury, like a Merit bronze balm* (I have it in Seine), the creamiest (and easiest to use) highlighter* (I have it in Cosmic Dancer), the Merit blending brush*, or the best tan drops (I mix one into my moisturizer every other night – a bottle lasts forever!).

— Dry drops,* the polish remover pot,* and cuticle serum* from Olive & June. Truly excellent, all of them!

— A makeup eraser*, the easiest way to remove eye and face makeup

— A shower speaker for sudsy tunes

— Bookmarks, tees, stickers, slim tumblers, and more for book lovers big and small – all with the cutest illustrations

— A chocolate orange… always in the toe!

Of course, feel free to mix and match to your liking with any of these suggestions… you know your people best! Happy stuffing! :)

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