Looking For Non-Toy Stocking Ideas

I should have added that I buy for stockings all year round. I usually end up with extras and those go into their Easter Baskets.

fun character band aids (becuz I am always too cheap to buy normally), chapstick, HUG cards (whenever you need a hug, use a card, with the additional option of "just asking," and no expiration) =),

Kernels popcorn. Healthy-ish and takes up lots of room (do you guys have Kernels...hmmm, maybe not). Hot chocolate and a new mug. Small boxes of lego. Socks.

magnets..any kind of magnets..letters, #s, magnets that stick together, horseshoe shaped...I don't know why but kids are fascinated by magnets and things magnets can pick up or stick to work well, too. Toys from years gone by are good, too, like the characters that collapse when you punch the base they are on-I've seen reindeer and other animals recently, Pez dispensers, super balls, plastic animals & people, silly putty, yo-yo, batteries. I know you said "not food" items but...Cracker Jacks, small packets of cheese crackers, sugar free gum, "gummy" anything, animal crackers in the boxes-stuff kids might not get on a regular basis or it's just packaged differently for the holidays. We would only get this stuff @ Christmas so it gave us something to look forward to getting & made for some great memories. I saw "lump of coal" boxes that had pocket change in them when opened up...cute!

I thought we were the only ones who did the cool toothbrushes and sparkly toothpaste! Too fun to see others do that too. What about a deck of playing cards? Uno or Rook too depending on their age. Chapstick/lip gloss is a big hit w/my girls too. I love the idea of fuzzy socks.

LOL Cathy Z! I will add duct tape and flash lights!

We always got the Lifesavers books in our stockings. My kids do not eat a lot of candy and we can't get the full books here in Panama (do they even sell them anymore?) so I bought a couple of rolls for each child. We do stockings for the adults who are onsite for Christmas as well. This year all of the adults will be getting a chamois cloth - we use them to dry the seats on the boat.

We put in stuff for our kids to demonstrate how well Santa knows them. We have the best picture ever of our youngest (then about 3) pulling a bottle of ketchup out of her stocking. She has the most delighted look on her face. It really is priceless.

Cathy - I always gave my kids tape. This year my 17 yr old son is getting several colors of duct tape. Tape DOES rule!
Great question - great answers!

I was seriously under the illusion that we were the only people who put new electric toothbrushes in our boys' stockings! Who knew?!
Thanks for this post and all the great ideas! Two regulars here are a comic book for each boy, and a blank book (you can make your own or see tons of options at www.barebooks.com where I stock up on them).
Favorite baseball team hat.
CZ may have been joking but my 4 year old would LOVE his own role of tape:-)

This is easy . . .
We ALWAYS, ALWAYS had an orange in the toe of our stocking. It was a running joke, as we always thought it was just a "filler". But as my mother who grew up in the Depression always told us, this was the MOST EXOTIC, EXTRAVAGENT thing ever for her. Citrus in the middle of winter was a huge thing. Funny, I don't know if my mother even got presents and maybe her stocking was all that she got for Christmas.
But, we rarely got toys or "gifty" things - maybe just one special thing, but that was more when we were older. Our stockings were very practical . . . mostly socks (the Easter Bunny brought socks, too, instead of candy), school supplies (Crayons, paper), a new toothbrush, maybe a small toy-like thing (pack of cards), at least a week's allowance (a quarter) . . . little things like that.
Our stockings were just enough to tide us over as something to "rip open" between our SANTA present and a full sit-down breakfast (torture!!).
The thrill of Christmas was for us the tree and the trains on Christmas morning. My parents didn't put up the tree or the trains until we had gone to bed Christmas Eve (and everything went away New Years Day.)
Christmas morning was MAGICAL. Presents were stored at the top of the kitchen cabinets prior to Christmas, and the Christmas Eve ritual was transfering them from the kitchen to a pile in the living room. We did the Night Before Christmas and hung stockings . . . then to bed.
Ah well. Our stockings were great without toys. It wasn't until we were much older that we laughed about the socks and underwear. And the oranges. At the age of your kids, unwrapping ANYTHING will be a joy!!
Buy them the essentials. They won't know that socks aren't a prize present. It will become a tradition!!

I give mini scrapbooks to a lot of people :) And I want to donate to Oxfam in people's names this year rather, a gift that means something to me, the person who receives the donation, and hopefully the person I donate in the name of!

I know there's at least one book out there on making things out of duct tape (wallets are the only thing I remember right now) and if I remember correctly, I believe the one I saw was small enough to fit into a stocking.

A little flashlight is great for anyone's stocking. Everyone needs one / wants one!!

I always got a necklace and when I was an adult I got a lottery ticket :-)

toothbrush,lip balm,tic tacs, legos, ornaments,socks,cool boxers,music,gift card to store,mu son loves that because he thinks they are credit cards, special notes, puzzle.magic tricks,deck of cards,crayons,

my mother always put scotch tape in our stocking! And I always used it! Too funny

For our boys we do a gc to Barnes and Noble and one to their favorite restaurant...sort of a date night. I think this year we will do a gc to the local movie theater as well. My husband and I do this for each other every holiday :) Makes it nice if money is tight and we need a break. I think this is kind of a two fold gift in that they have to figure out exactly what they have to spend and how to spend it.

My kids open their stocking first & so I usually put a disposable camera in so they can take their own shots of Christmas from their perspective. They get a new journal & colored pencils, sometimes other craft supplies, socks & undies, mittens & collectible cards like pokemon. Also things like lip gloss, lotion & deodorant!!

When I was a kid the best thing in the stocking was Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers!! OMG! That takes me back. This year I am putting coupons from santa for extra goodies like staying up late, ice cream sundaes, no chores etc. My kids are also getting those cool little japanese erasers that are all different shapes and totally the rage at school!