35 stocking stuffers for toddlers (safe, non-candy and mostly under $10)

The quick list, if you're shopping tonight:

1. Chunky crayons or egg crayons
2. A Christmas busy book or coloring book
3. A board book
4. Bath crayons or foam bath letters
5. A sheet of big puffy stickers
6. Non-slip socks or mittens
7. Bubbles (with a no-spill tub)
8. A clementine in the toe

For a stocking stuffer that keeps them busy all December, our Merry & Bright Christmas Busy Book is $9 and slips into a stocking rolled with a ribbon.

What's inside the Merry & Bright Christmas Busy Book: 43 pages of Christmas trees, snowmen, reindeer and gingerbread friends. You get 6 coloring pages, 6 counting and number pages, 4 big pictures to color and trace, 3 mazes, tracing and pencil-control pages, matching, patterns, spot-the-difference, I-spy counting, drawing pages, word cards, clip cards and a certificate. It's an instant PDF in black and white that prints on US Letter or A4, with a 14-day money-back guarantee.

To be honest about fit: it's made for ages 3 to 5. A 2 year old will enjoy the coloring pages and big pictures with you beside them, but tracing and mazes are usually a stretch until closer to three. Want to see the style first? Try our free printable book.

Small gifts are the ones most likely to be a hazard for toddlers, so check each one before it goes in.

The toilet paper tube test

If an item, or any part that could come off, fits inside a cardboard toilet paper tube, treat it as a choking hazard for a child under 3. In the US, toys for under-3s must pass a "small parts" test using a cylinder of about that size, which is why many toys say "not for children under 3." Pull firmly on eyes, buttons, pom-poms and bows to check they stay put.

Button batteries: the one to take seriously

Button and coin batteries can cause severe internal burns within hours if swallowed. They hide in musical greeting cards, light-up toys, flameless candles, remote controls, key fobs and some ornaments. US law (Reese's Law) now requires battery compartments in many products to be secured, but older or imported items may not be. If you think your child has swallowed one, go to the emergency room right away, don't wait for symptoms.

Also leave out

• High-powered magnets and magnetic "putty" sets
• Water beads
• Balloons (uninflated or popped pieces are a choking risk)
• Marbles, small balls and bouncy balls under about 1¾ inches
• Hard candy, whole nuts, popcorn and whole grapes
• Cords, ribbons or necklaces long enough to wrap around a neck

If you're unsure about a particular item, check the age label and ask your pediatrician or health visitor.

Art and paper

1. Chunky crayons or egg-shaped crayons (hard to snap)
2. Washable dot markers
3. A pad of thick paper
4. Big puffy or reusable stickers
5. A Christmas coloring book with thick lines
6. A Christmas busy book
7. Washable window crayons for the bath or patio door
8. A roll of painter's tape for "roads" on the floor

Books

9. A lift-the-flap Christmas board book
10. A touch-and-feel animal book
11. A small photo album with family photos inside
12. A "first words" board book

Bath and sensory

13. Bath crayons
14. Foam bath letters or shapes (large ones)
15. A bath cup set for pouring
16. A tub of play-dough (for older toddlers, supervised)
17. A sensory bottle you make with glitter and water, lid glued shut
18. A small squishy ball (check the size)

Practical and cozy

19. Non-slip socks
20. Mittens or a hat
21. A toothbrush with a favorite character
22. A sippy or straw cup in a fun color
23. A child-sized flashlight with a screw-secured battery cover
24. A small backpack or tote
25. Hair clips or bows for older toddlers (not for mouthers)
26. A bib or apron for crafts

Movement and outdoors

27. Bubbles with a no-spill tub
28. A soft ball
29. Sidewalk chalk (chunky)
30. Movement cards: "jump like a reindeer," "stomp like a snowman"

Snacks (non-candy)

31. A clementine or orange in the toe
32. A banana with a smiley face drawn on the peel
33. Their favorite crackers in a festive container

Printables you can roll up

34. A Christmas craft kit to do together. The Merry Makers Christmas Craft Kit has ornaments, headbands, cards and gift tags; an adult does the cutting for toddlers.
35. A "coupon book" you write: pancakes with dad, a walk to see the lights, an extra bedtime story.

Two and three can feel like very different ages.

For 2 year olds, think big and simple: chunky crayons, board books, bath toys, bubbles, stickers with large pieces, and pages with one big picture to color. Many 2 year olds still put things in their mouths, so the safety checks above matter most at this age.

For 3 year olds, you can add more: a busy book with tracing and mazes, safety scissors with a craft, play-dough tools, simple puzzles. Our Christmas activities for toddlers guide has more ideas to use these on the day.

If you want something bigger for a 2 or 3 year old, the Early Learning Mega Bundle (Ages 2–4) includes the Tiny Steps Toddler Curriculum plus the farm and toy box busy books, first counting and pre-writing tracing. It's more of a "main gift" than a stocking stuffer.

Under $5: bubbles, a clementine, socks, stickers, a toothbrush, chalk, bath crayons, the Cozy Christmas Coloring Book ($5, 23 pages of trees, snowmen and gingerbread friends with thick lines).

Under $10: a board book, dot markers, a hat and mittens, a flashlight, the Merry & Bright Christmas Busy Book ($9) or the Merry Makers Christmas Craft Kit ($9).

Printables are good value in a stocking because you can print favorite pages again for siblings in your home, and they don't add clutter once they're used.

Candy in a toddler stocking usually means a sticky, overexcited morning, and hard candy is a choking risk. Treats that feel just as special:

• A clementine in the toe (a long-standing tradition in many families)
• A small festive tin of their usual crackers
• Stickers, which toddlers treat like treasure
• A new "special" crayon set they only use at the holidays
• A coloring page with their name written in big letters

A PDF can still be a fun thing to pull out of a stocking. Pick one:

1. Staple and bow. Print 8 to 12 pages, staple them along the left edge with a colored card cover, and tie a ribbon around it like a book.
2. Roll it up. Roll the pages into a tube, tie with a short ribbon and pop a few chunky crayons inside.
3. Envelope surprise. Put the pages in a big envelope, write their name on the front and add a sticker seal. Toddlers love opening envelopes.
4. Send it to someone else. Giving to a niece, nephew or grandchild? Any book can be sent from our gifts page with a message on the date you choose, and you get a printable gift certificate. Or give a gift card from $25 so parents can pick.

A simple formula: something to do, something to read, something to wear, something for the bath, something to eat. Five items fill most stockings, cost very little, and every one gets used.

The "something to do" is often the one that earns its keep after Christmas morning, on travel days, at grandparents' houses and in the quiet days before New Year.

The Merry & Bright Christmas Busy Book is 43 black-and-white pages for ages 3 to 5: coloring, tracing, counting, mazes, matching and patterns with a Christmas theme. It's an instant PDF for US Letter or A4, ready to staple, roll or put in an envelope, with a 14-day money-back guarantee.