Looking For Non-Toy Stocking Ideas

Ali, I know that this does not fit in a stocking, but have you seen the lego star wars visual dictionary that just came out in Oct?? My son Parker loves SW and I am sure Simon would love it too...

we do baseball cards also...have you seen the star wars cards?
we also do new gloves & ski hats, kid chopsticks, lip balm, matchbox cars, extra nerf gun balls or darts, mini lego or playmobil kits, blank comic books, and marbles. our older son is getting a wallet too. whew, those stockings are bigger than the one i hsd!
do you wrap stocking items or not? just curious. :)

BATTERIES are a must in the kids' stockings -- sized to fit new toys plus AA's as they are constantly needing new batteries. Hubby prefers rechargable type but kids can never wait to recharge (I have 1 with aspergers...). Playing cards, bouncy balls (we called them superballs), jacks, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, dental floss, notepads & pens, magnetic links, silly putty...

I always buy a fun toothbrush for everyone to put in their stockings. Last year it was the tooth tunes that played music while you brushed. The adults get a fancy spin brush - kind of silly but my kids get really excited by it!

We always do a new toothbrush (to battle the candy!), chapstick (for the winter cold), and stickers for kids to add to the thank you notes they write.

I put bento boxes in my sons' stockings to use to collect treasures, rocks, etc. I like the Disney Store's small ones for 3 bucks eac
h. I also like to put some old-time novelty items from the store at Cracker Barrel.
I'd like to put some origami paper in there someday.
Was I the only one that got her first deodorant, razor, lipgloss via stocking?!!!! LOL!

a new pair of ear buds for the ipod, fun holiday socks, and whatever else I can fit in there.

Along the lines of tape, paper plates & cups come in handy, making towers, airplanes all sorts of structures. My kids loved the wrapping tubes for making tall, curving structures for marbles to travel through. Also think of places you end up spending money on the person anyway and just give the treat in the stocking, as a gift certificate (ice Cream, Subway, gas, car wash etc., Chucky Cheese, zoo memberships etc. wherever it is). Boys and men like flashlights, outdoor gear.

Toothbrush and New toothpaste, orange, gum...all the standard stuff...

self-inking stamps, stickers, and a Christmas Cracker

We always gave new art supplies when they were young and of course Cathy Z is right lots of tape--it keeps them out of yours!! Now that they are bigger they always get new panties. Now my new son in law requests he doesn't get those!! Hubby gets dried fruit and breath mints and valve oil for his trumpet

School supplies, cookie cutters, lip gloss, mitttens, address books, crayons, memo tablets, little ornaments are some of the ones we have given.

Okay, I've gotten a lot of flack for this, but...toothbrushes, underwear, socks,glue, crayons. I like to add a few useful things that the kids need anyway. Easy on our pocketbook because they will actually be used, but the kiddos also get some candy and dollar store toys, cards... Hey, stop laughing, my 18-year old is used to it by now. Happy Shopping to all!

'Fancy toothbrush", new underwear, book, neat socks, a bag of chocolate money, writing paper, neat pen, puzzle books, small craft kit of some kind, lip gloss, ornament, coupon for their favorite meal (They get to present it for the day they want)

I am sure most of these have been mentioned, but here are some of the things that we put in stockings:
lottery tickets
led flashlights/led keychains
fun fuzzy socks or slippers
bubble bath/body wash
travel sized board games
gift certificates for movie theatres or restaurants
Once I took 5.00 and changed it into tokens for the local arcade and then went with my cousin for him to spend his tokens from Santa.

My friend gives her kids special bubble bath and bandaids in their stocking. Maybe some arts and crafts things would be fun for a budding artist--crayons, paints or colored pencils?

I don't know ... but I can't wait to read these comments after the kids go to bed. Thank you!

Ali I can't beleive this isyour post- with st nicholas day- and advent pockets filled with tiny toys and well, the big dayon the 25th- it's very aterialistic and we're really looking for creative gifts- my easiest answer was xmas coupons for reading boks, making snow ice cream, making hot chocolate, maybe on those tickets us scrapbookers use?

This may not be super useful to you right now but I try and share what I think is just a brilliant idea from my Dad. Each year when I was in college my Dad would buy a HUGE tote (always handy and you can never have enough of them) and then all year he would clip coupons and by me and my sister all the stuff college kids don't or won't by for themselves. Tissues, Ibuprofen, cough drops, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, bubble bath, gum, gift certificates to the grocery store, stain remover, mints -you get the idea.

Just reading the comments and had to laugh because I had already purchased a huge pack of tape for my almost 5 year old's stocking as he always uses up mine!!