Looking For Non-Toy Stocking Ideas

We do jelly beans in the toes (gourmet!). This year the 6 year old is getting Brain Quest cards. A perfect fit. And tape. I love the tape idea!

I'm putting one of those small purse umbrellas, a flashlight, and a matryoshka doll. Fun stuff everybody

if you have the time, and imovie (or another movie making software) you could make a dvd with pictures and video messages. you could secretly video the people in your family sending messages/compliments to one another (well, maybe for anna you could relay the message you think she'd like to say ;-) ) blend it with some music, and you have a pretty memorable stocking stuffer.

We do fun socks, gloves, panties/underwear and for girls a piece of inexpensive jewelry. For older girls makeup.

we usually do the practical items: toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, shampoo, kitchen gadgets. we always wonder what Santa left for us!

oooooooooh, i just remembered a really fun stocking stuffer....but it's a toy. you get them at Target in the checkout aisle. it's a yo-yo ball. it's a yo-yo and a ball all in one. perfect for simon's age. the benefits of a yo-yo without having to rewind the string over and over. the string rewinds automatically. $3.99.

NetFlix subscription; or subscription to a magazine. I was lucky to find a year's subscription to Real Simple for $5! Or a gift card to Starbucks since even kids like hot cocoa.

We always got our own can of Pringles each year when I was growing up!

Crayola Tub Tints (get them at Target) and other bath things like bubbles & toys. Also we add a fun toothbrush.

now cathy masking tape is more appropriate for children and it comes in a vast array of colors.
toothbrushes, socks, lotto tickets, bookmarks, disposable cameras, paints - that's all I have.
If it was for adults I would have said...
tums, razors, single shot whiskey bottles, condoms,

My mom always makes a christmas ball with crepe paper with little items rolled up into it along the way. You could put in the pieces for a small lego item to build something small for Simon. My girls always get small animals or tiny glass figurines.You just roll the items up in the crepe paper and keep on rolling and rolling as you go putting in one item here and there. It is a riot to watch the kids unroll these and see what will come out as they unroll it. I think these are a traditional English item?

Handwarmers were my stocking-find-of-the-day! I also try to always have one "real" gift (a bigger ticket item that's small in size tucked low in the stocking - for that "wow" factor!

This year tickets to the Wizard of Oz are going in. Getting rid of last year's toys made be rethink this holiday. Hoping not to just stuff with stuff.
Prisms for my little science kid.
A whole box of tissues for the baby to rip apart with out me stealing them away. He'll be in heaven!

I'm getting my 7 year old a self inking stamp with his name on it from EXPRESSIONERY.com this year. I'm sure he'll stamp everything he owns, but he's old enough to not stamp things that SHOULDN"T be stamped (walls, tables, etc.).

The kids have always been very nice and not snickered at it when they get things like toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant (for kids that don't use deodorant yet the roller body paints they can use in the bath tub) & chapsticks in their stockings - something that everyone needs or uses and you can find some interesting ones to share sometimes :-)

I always do toothbrushes, floss, and carmex. This year for my husband I also bought him one of those Bic lighters to help light the grill and woodstove. Usually something that can be used.
Always have some coal, too (LOL)!

When we were kids the best thing in our stocking each year were the package of personalized pencils our parents got with our names on them.
I often put mini photo frames in my kids stockings...sometimes with a photo or sometimes without so they can choose their own favorite photo to insert. I also often buy each a new music CD or book to read.

I like to add little edible treats, like chocolate covered popcorn or peanuts, special candy canes, small boxes of Godiva chocolate, or even a package of assorted tea or coffee flavors.

Movie tickets.

What a great list! I just bought beach towels with hoods (Christmas in Australia), but more generally thing that are needed and don't have the toy wow factor, we have had animal torches, labels for clothes and lunch boxes, was thinking batteries, some times clothes and hats. Recently read a post of someone bying all home made gifts, what about chutneys and hand made sauces etc for the adults.