Stocking Stuffers for the Creative Child

Written by Jamie Martin, editor of Simple Homeschool and founder of Steady Mom

A note from Jamie: This post originally published on November 22, 2010. Enjoy!

Holiday shopping time is nearly upon us and one of my goals as a mom is to avoid buying…how should I say it?

Junk.

Often, in the efforts to fill the narrow spaces, stockings accumulate plastic trinkets that break after a day or a few too many sugary, high fructose corn syrup laden packages.

But I want even the smaller gifts my children receive to have the ability to inspire their imagination and creativity (& yes, a little chocolate is fine, too!).

If you feel similarly, here are a few ideas to fill the stockings for your little ones.

1. A Backpack

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Huh? Yes, you heard me right–this year Santa plans to remove the stockings over our fireplace on Christmas Eve and replace them with simple, colorful backpacks.

This is the one traditional school object my three kiddos consider quite cool and they’ve never had a need for one before. So I know they’ll be thrilled to discover them Christmas morning.

Backpacks may not directly impact your child’s creativity, but they do offer a bit more space inside, which we’ll be filling with a few of the items below.

2. Beeswax Crayons

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Beeswax crayons have a lovely vibrancy in color, come in both block and stick versions, and last much, much longer than their cheaper counterparts. You also never need worry if your little person takes a nibble–these are made of pure beeswax with no additives or fillers.

I also love these sweet crayon rocks–perfect for a preschooler just learning to color.

3. Art Kits

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Melissa and Doug carry an inexpensive collection of art kits, and some are small enough to slide into the top of a stocking (or backpack!).

I also like this decorate-your-own miniature piggy bank and this alphabet stamp set.

4. Blank Books

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My kids love receiving small journals or blank books in which they can create their own masterpiece stories and artwork.

This set of blank board books allows you to use software to make a more professional version of your child’s creation.

5. Make Your Own Puzzles

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My son Jonathan has really gotten into creating his own puzzles lately. This inexpensive set of two dozen small puzzle templates will fill quite a few stockings!

6. Book Character Memorabilia

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This sweet Raggedy Andy will poke his head out of my youngest’s backpack this Christmas. If you’ve recently read a book your child enjoyed, look for a small doll to go along with it.

My three will also be receiving this Wizard of Oz sticker book–another treasured favorite story. And the whole line of Dover little activity books are small enough to fit nicely in a stocking.

Choosing one or two of the above items will still leave room for a clementine or apple and a few chocolate treats. See if you can give your kids’ imaginations a boost (not just their sugar levels) when they open their stockings this year.

Do you have any favorite stocking stuffers to add?