Looking For Non-Toy Stocking Ideas

Last year I put in a disposable camera (as suggested above) to all of the children who were 5yrs to 34 yrs. I also gave each of the smaller children a brag book and the adult children a small scrapbook so that they could put thier photos from thier camera in them. This went over big. The little ones had a blast putting in thier photos into the brag books and the older children loved altering thier book to put thier memories in from that Christmas. I will be continuing that tradition this year and every year.
Mary

We do fun things too
sparkly toothpaste, fun flavoured toothpaste.
fun bandaids,
temporary tattoos,
those washcloths that are compressed into tiny packages,
Silly shaped soaps (or with toys inside)
bubble baths,
regular bubbles,
socks,
Sprinkles with a long spoon for ice cream sundaes.
This year my teenage kids are getting those cute pack down into their own pocket shopping bags, snacks we don't usually buy, coupons for various things, engraved stainless steel water bottles filled with candy, pomegranates, oh and a £1 coin - used to be a penny but there is inflation :)

Some of my favorite practical stocking stuffers include postage stamps, rolls of quarters (college students love this for vending and laundry machines), rolls of film or batteries, an ornament, small bottle of lotion or nail polish. That's what pops into my head right away (and most have been in my stocking!)

My sons loved getting mini flashlights in their stockings growing up (with extra batteries) and now that they are adults, I always include mini vacuum sealed pkgs. of flavored coffees ($1 bin @ Target) and mini (single serving size) bottles of favorite alcoholic beverages (like those available on airplanes) and they love to see what "drink" I'm serving up each year.

these are all wonderful ideas...thanks ladies...i can't wait to start shopping for the kids stocking stuffers!!! :)

michaels always have the dollar bins with all kinds of stuff there that would work good too.

My son is getting underwear and t-shirts in his stocking. I like the fun stuff to come from us and the necessities to come from Santa! How about a letter from Santa? (If Santa comes to your house). We have a Magic Elf with us until Christmas Eve and I was thinking of including a letter from Santa about our Elf's report.

Some things my mom has included in our Christmas stockings over the years: nail polish, gum, bookmarks, chapstick, gift cards, picture frames, crayons, notebooks/journals, etc etc. :)

a brand new box of crayons is always a hit :)

Ali - thank you for asking that - I needed these answers! LOL

Heather - I got a clip on light at Walgreens last week for $1.99 for my daughter.

I always got among some toys: several pairs of undies, socks, a toothbrush and toothpaste, chapstick, and travel bubble bath etc. I now give the same to my kids and ask my husband to include some of those things in my stocking as well. Sometimes it's the everyday things that mean the most.

Dollar store musical instruments are great for young kids. Bells, castanets, etc.

Hahaha!!! Isn't that the truth!

In our family, it was our silly joke that Dad always got an onion in his stocking - it was kind of like the coal thing, but he likes onions, so... :) My sister used to get a jar of pickles and I would get a can or jar of olives - favorite special snacks that we usually wouldn't get all to ourselves.
Jewelry or small perfumes sometimes too.

Elem. school aged boys like small flashlights, and they especially seem to love headlamp-style flashlights.

I used to get my husband full size liquid body soap, and it took up most of his stocking. He also gets a scrubbie or two stuffed into the toe. I've also gotten the travel size toiletries when he traveled more. One idea I have is to make everyone their own cloth napkin for Christmas dinner and put it in their stocking. We're really getting into cloth napkins around here. Handkerchiefs would be good too.

my mom always takes care of our stockings. she includes things like new socks, a new toothbrush, hats, gloves, notepads, and a new Christmas CD.

cans of silly string

I always put a new battery operated toothbrush and some fun kid toothpaste in the kids stocking. My MIL always puts a flavored lip balm. Last year she found Twinkie flavored Chapstick. The kids loved it.