I mentioned yesterday that I’m already getting really excited for Christmas. I love giving (and receiving!) gifts and it’s hard for me to rein myself in sometimes. But at Christmas we definitely try to keep our minds and hearts on Christ and not get bogged down in the “Christmas list” mentality. We also tend to be much more indulgent at birthdays because “your birthday is about you, Christmas is about Christ.”
But we do stockings. We have lots of fun hunting up stocking-stuffers and I tend to stuff those babies to the gills to fit in all the gifts I couldn’t resist! And I try not to fill them with candy and junk! Here’s some old favorites and new ideas we’ve got for this year!
1. Headlamps! We ordered 3 of these kids headlamps for the crew while they’re out doing winter chores! They’re gonna love them! (I was crazy about these hat/light combos, but Mr. Fix-It brought me back to earth by reminding me that would take up all my stocking room!)
2. Flashlights! We buy the little LED ones (like these cheap-ies from Lowes.) We need them and constantly lose them around the farm. The kids also like to keep theirs for secret games under the bed and in their closets.
3. Pocket Knives! I can’t believe we’re getting to this age, but we are. And I have to admit, I wouldn’t mind getting a new one in my stocking either! Much like flashlights, we use them and lose them constantly around here! (I like this boy scout tool or this trekker knife, but I usually defer to Mr. Fix-It on stuff like that.)
4. Compass/Magnifying Glass! Ok, I just think this backpack compass, watch, and magnifier is awesome! I’ve bookmarked the page to watch and see when it’s back in stock because we’re ordering 3 of them. Maybe five! I think these would make great gifts for other adventure-loving kids too. Or nature-loving–I can just see my little nature-studiers out there examining stuff. (By the way, I also just picked up a couple large handled, plastic magnifying glasses at our dollar store! They’ll be perfect for the boys, since they tend to be so much rougher on stuff.)
5. Colored Pencils. We’re all on a colored pencil kick because they’re so much better for nature journaling than markers.
6. Puzzle and Coloring Books! I ordered this set of Wild West coloring books for the Cowboy for his birthday and I discovered that the publisher has tons of other educational coloring, puzzle, and activity books, including nature-themed and history-themed. I often have Speedracer do number or letter dot-to-dot books and color by number or letter coloring books while the other two are doing “real” schoolwork. We call it “book study time.”
7. Legos! We don’t have a lot of legos, but each of the kids does have a small Rubbermaid bucket of their own and stockings are the perfect place for little add-on or specialty sets. The Ladybug wants a horse for her “girl” legos. Speedracer would like some knights and horses like the Cowboy has. These “mini” sets are great for guest gifts and stockings.
8. Crafts! I picked up a couple little cross-stitch kits for the Ladybug’s stocking (like these) that she can make and give to others. And the boys love sun-catchers and these paint-and-build kits from Melissa and Doug–although it takes some shoving to make them fit!
9. Flashcards or Learning Card Games. I found dry erase flashcards with addition, subtraction, and sight words at our Rite Aid. (Like these.) They’ll be perfect for in the car coming and going from school! Our kids also love UNO (perfect for practicing letters and colors!).
And guess what I dug up from my own childhood–AUTHORS! It’s an Old Maid-type card game where you try to collect all the books by each classic author. I remember playing this endlessly with my Grandma and sister–educational and fun! (That’s still how I remember that Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The House with Seven Gables!) And it turns out they have tons of other education takes on the game, including explorers, composers, and inventors. I’ll be saving this one for a few years until the kiddos are reading a bit better, but these will be in stockings at The Lowe Farm soon!
10. Old Standbys…I actually have a lot more than 10 to share, but those 9 are my top finds for this year. The rest of the list is my fill-in-the-nooks-and-cranies picks!
- Toothbrushes
- Toothpaste (flavors and characters allowed!)
- Socks or tights
- Hats, gloves, mittens, or scarves
- Markers, watercolor paints, or chalk
- Batteries
- Comic books or early readers (These are usually ok if they are bent or rolled briefly.)
- Favorite magazines (We usually just pick up one issue at the bookstore as a stocking stuffer, but this is a great way to “test” a publication before committing to a subscription.)
- Jewelry or hair clips and headbands.
- New belts (and belt buckles!)
- CD or movies
- Bath toys
- Small action figures or dolls
- Band-aids (favorite characters allowed!)
- Bubble bath or body wash (with sponge!)
- Milk straws! (These are so fun for the kids!)
- Single packs of “fancy” hot chocolate mix. (Our grocery store usually has these 10 for $10 or less in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas!)
- Wallets (store-bought or handmade!)
- Jerky or fruit leather (Our kids love anything that reminds them of cowboys, Indians, pioneers, or other old-fashion times.)
- Tissues and hand sanitizer (I found 6-packs of Cars and Tinkerbell tissues at our dollar store!)
And you know, most of these work for adults too! What are some of your favorite stocking-stuffers?
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