Gift ideas · Holidays

Stocking stuffers for kids that actually get used

Most stocking stuffers are gone by lunch. The ones that last are small versions of what a kid already loves to do. Pick the kind of play that sounds like your kid and grab two or three.

Not sure how your kid plays? Take the quiz.

Remind me beforeor

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For a Builder

  • 1A small box of LEGO bricks, not a kitLoose bricks join the bin and get built into everything. Find one
  • 2A roll of painter's tapeRoads on the floor, tape forts, a city marked out on the rug. It peels off clean. Find one
  • 3Wikki StixBendy wax sticks that turn into anything and never dry out. Find one

More gifts for a Builder

For an Explorer

  • 1A headlampEvery explorer wants their own light. This one keeps their hands free. Find one
  • 2A pocket magnifying glassSmall enough to take on every walk. Find one
  • 3Glow sticks for a backyard nightTurns a dark yard into somewhere to go. Find one

More gifts for an Explorer

For a Competitor

  • 1A pocket card game, like Sushi GoShort rounds, easy rules, and it fits in a coat pocket. Find one
  • 2A stopwatchNow brushing teeth is a race. Find one
  • 3A deck of cards and a book of card gamesOne deck, a hundred games, and the grown-ups can play too. Find one

More gifts for a Competitor

For a Storyteller

  • 1Finger puppetsA whole cast of characters in a stocking. Find one
  • 2Rory's Story CubesRoll the dice and make up a story from the pictures. Find one
  • 3A small notebook of their ownFor the stories and maps they aren't ready to show you. Find one

More gifts for a Storyteller

For a Collector

  • 1A geode to crack openSomething to find, then something to keep. Find one
  • 2A reusable sticker bookA place to sort and re-sort, over and over. Find one
  • 3A small clear organizer boxCollectors like a spot for every piece. Find one

More gifts for a Collector

For a Performer

  • 1A harmonicaEasy to make a sound on the first try, and it goes everywhere. Find one
  • 2Face paint crayonsInstant character, and it washes off. Find one
  • 3A trick deck of cardsOne good magic trick means a show for everyone who visits. Find one

More gifts for a Performer

For a Puzzler

  • 1A Rubik's cubeSome kids will solve it by New Year's. Some will spend a year on it. Both is fine. Find one
  • 2A wooden brain teaserQuiet, small and harder than it looks. Find one
  • 3A travel logic game from SmartGamesSingle player, with levels that get harder. Great for the car. Find one

More gifts for a Puzzler

What usually doesn't get used

Bags of tiny plastic toys that break the same morning. Three things they use beat ten they don't.

Find gifts that match how they play

The gifts that get used match how a kid already likes to play. The quiz takes two minutes, and nothing about your kid is sent anywhere.

More gift ideas

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Made by a dad of three. Ideas and picks are chosen by hand, and nobody pays to be on this site. Game ratings come from the ESRB and the App Store, so check anything yourself before saying yes.Also from the same dad: Nightlight, tonight's dinner and bedtime in three taps, and Halftime, for when the day gets away from you.