I clearly remember the excitement and pure delight of Christmas morning as a kid. My Dad would be up super early cooking a huge buffet breakfast with a big fire burning in the fireplace. My brother and I would get up super early and beg to open SOMETHING.
My Dad wouldn't let us touch anything until my Mom made her way out into the family room searching for that first cup of steaming hot coffee to help her shake off the lack of sleep caused by an all-night gift wrapping session the night before.
When we got the "green light" from our parents, my brother and I would immediately start tearing into all of the tiny packages carefully wrapped in white tissue paper stuffed inside our soft red velvet stockings (handmade by our grandmother of course).
I don't particularly remember it mattering much what was inside our stocking. I just remember being filled with that Christmas-morning-nothing-could-go-wrong attitude that children have on that special day.
BUT, I do remember a few things...
1. We always got scratch-off lottery cards
2. We always got batteries (which I appreciate so much more now as an adult)
3. We always got gum & candy (which we were allowed to eat right away, as much as we wanted).
Other than that, I don't really recall any specific gifts. But as a parent now, I feel like I want to give my kids useful, fun stocking stuffers just as my parents did. And specifically, I don't want to fill it with a bunch of crap that is going to a. fall apart in 15 minutes, b. get thrown away in 3 days, or c. be tossed aside and never looked at again by either kid.
So, here's a list of some stocking stuffers that I think almost all kids (some depend on age) regardless of gender, would love to receive!
Super Snow ($3.25 on Amazon) - I've used this stuff with a couple of different groups of friends before and it is so fun for Florida kids... or anyone else who doesn't live where is snows very often. You can play with it in the yard, or put the kids in their bathing suits and play with it in the tub. It's SO much fun!
Toothbrushes ($2-4) - There are so many different types of fun toothbrushes on the market today. I wouldn't normally spend the money on them, but for Christmas, it's a fun splurge. They have ones that play music, ones that come with stickers that you can personalize, and everything in between.
Target Dollar Bin musical instruments ($1-2) - I got maracas and a mini tambourine ($2 each) for Parker just a week ago. Hopefully they carry them in your Target as well.
Mini Flashlight ($2-7) - These range from a simple plastic one from your local drug store, to this cool one on Amazon that comes with different lenses that you can put on it to make fun shadows. Either way, include some batteries with it!
Pack of Origami Paper ($3-10) - If your child is 7 or older, a pack of Origami paper and a kid's Origami book from your local library can open a whole new world of creativity for your child. They can create adorable characters and creatures with a few simple folds.
Gift Cards (Any amount) - You can get McDonald's, Chick-fil-A, Dunkin Donuts, Target, etc. gift cards in any amount. Payton loves to get a $5 gift card and then use it whenever he wants.
Activity "gift certificates" - I saw an idea where a mom gave her kid a little cloth cinch bag filled with Chuck E. Cheese tokens and a certificate that she printed off offering a trip there with a friend. You could do this for just about anything... the zoo, Science Center, beach, sleepover, ice cream... the ideas are endless!
Scented Markers ($5) - Or scented pencils or glitter crayons, or stickers, or any sort of small craft materials. We even gave Payton two rolls of Scotch tape one year that he could just use for whatever he wanted. He LOVED it!
Lottery Scratch-off Tickets ($1)- If your kids are old enough to scratch off the little silver box with a coin, they will love these. It only costs $1 a ticket and if the kids win anything, it will make their morning!
Okay, that's my list of starter ideas for you. I hope it sparks some good thoughts and gets your creative juices flowing! But remember... you could probably stuff the stocking with a few packs of gum and an orange and your kids wouldn't care. Christmas is about what you make it. So, have fun getting creative and enjoy coming up with a few fun surprises along the way.
Merry Christmas everyone!
1 comment:
Uh oh, I think I got the last 2 packs of super snow... hopefully they will restock soon. I need 1 more!!!
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