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Nov 22, 20215 min read

Stocking fillers for Babies & Toddlers

Updated: Nov 25, 2021


Whether your little one quite appreciates the occasion that is their first Christmas is debatable, but for many of us, creating our child's first festive stocking full of infant-friendly goodies is a truly special moment. And I promise it only gets more fun as they get into those pre-school years!


So to help inspire you and get the festive feeling flowing, I have put my Santa's thinking hat on and created a list of my favourite stocking fillers for babies and pre-schoolers! I mean, really, any excuse to online window shop… haha.


For babies

For babies there is a never ending list of goodies that can be stuffed into a stocking, from socks, pacifiers, headbands, finger puppets, baby sunglasses, soft cloth books to festive sleep suits and more, but here are my top 10:

  • Finger Puppet Book: Always good for a handbag toy and to help introduce and engage your baby early on with books.


  • Teether: We all know both the baby and parental pains of a teething baby, so you can never have too many! Sophie the Giraffe is an obvious stable so here are some other ideas!


  • Wrist rattles: These are one of the best toys for young babies to help them

discover their little hands. There are lots of different types from Lamaze, Infantino and Tomy etc but I adore these little festive crochet ones from Stephan Baby!


  • Pram/travel toy: Admittedly you probably will have a lot of these already, but I adore any excuse for a festive toy and couldn't resist little Rudolph! They are great for car seats and strollers, but we also used them to hang around our girl's playpen to encourage them to sit and pull up.


  • Stacking cups: A childhood staple! Interacting with and stacking or nesting cups is a sign that your child has developed good hand eye coordination. Perfect at home, in the bath or at the beach!


  • Ball: You can't go wrong with ball – ever. No matter how old your little one gets! My kids loved the Oball as babies as the holes made it easy for them to grasp and hold. So that gets my vote!


  • Bib: Everyone loves a festive bib whether your baby needs a cloth one as they are still on milk, or a silicone bib for those that are weaning – we have you covered!


  • Rattles: These are beautiful little rattles, again there are plenty out there from Fisherprice, Jellycat, but there is something incredibly sweet and romantic about these crocheted little creatures!



  • Bath toy: Something you do every day… bath time! I always include a bath toy whether it be a bath book, squirter, duck or wind-up toy.




  • Wooden fidget toy: Babies love to grasp at things and twiddle and these little wooden fidget toy are great for just that.


For pre-schoolers

Pre-schoolers are a great age for stockings, they get so excited and you can have so much fun playing with all the little fillers. It is good to have a zip pouch to keep them in as they make great handbag activities when you're out and about and need to keep them busy. From wind-up toys, toy cars, stampers, kids chopsticks, bath toys, crayons, to colouring books and more, but here are my top 10:


  • Book: My little ones love these push and pull books as they get to be involved in the story. Plus there are endless themes from Christmas, traditional fairy tales, places, occupations, animals and all sorts! For Christmas though, these are my favourite.


  • Fine Motor tool set: Whether its playing with water, sand, pompoms or sensory rice, these fine motor tool sets are fantastic at encouraging your little ones to get involved!

Learning Resources Sand And Water Fine Motor Set & Learning Resources Helping Hands Fine Motor Tool Set



  • Water wow: I love these as they are mess free and can be reused time and time again.



  • Sticker books: Whether they are still little and need help a bit of help, in which case puffy stickers are easier, or older where they can handle them independently, everyone loves stickers!


  • Bath toys: Who doesn't like having fun in the bath? For those who love drawing bath crayons are a firm hit, or if you fancy experimenting in some colour mixing why not try these bath Water-Coloring tablets.

  • Messy sensory play kit: Whether it is slime, waterbeads, gelli – if it is messy sensory play then my kids are all hands in! Zimpli kids have some great mini kits – all you need to do is add water! Perfect stocking size too! Slime Play Blue from Zimpli Kids, turns water into gooey, colourful slime.


  • Janod MagnetiBook: We have only just discovered these, but love love love them! Hours of entertainment and great for at the table play or to pop in your suitcase! From pirates, vehicles, 4 seasons, animals, to princess costumes – there are lots of themes to choose from.



  • Wooden Lacing beads or lacing cards: If you have a younger pre-schooler then wooden lacings beads are great for their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Plus they come in a tube – perfect for stockings! If they are a little older and could handle something trickier then try these lacing cards as a more challenging alternative.


  • Brainstorm Torch and Projector: These are soo much fun! Pull the blackout blinds down and have some fun flicking through images using the torch. There are lots of themes from super cars, animals, sharks, pirates, mermaids, space, fairys and unicorns and more.




Happy Christmas shopping!

 

Contributed by committee member Hannah Beth Richardson




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