Stocking challenge - £15 budget and 2 kids stockings, one for a 3 yr old and one for a 5 yr old.

[Marzipanface]

I have a max of £15 to go on two stockings. Not each... fifteen quid in total.

I really need ideas of large inexpensive fun items to bulk out the stockings.

So far to fill I have;
Fruit - prob a satsuma depending on what is the fruit bowl Xmas Eve.
2 x chocolate coins - £2.00
Bubbles x 6 - £1.00 pack from Home Bargains
a 'special' stationery set - £1.50 (for the five year old as she has just started to do homework, includes pretty notepad, three pens, three pencils and pencil sharpener)
A set of cheap fibre-tipped pens - £1.00 (probably for the three year old)

I have approx £9 quid left. What else can I fill the stockings with? We do tend to only put small gifts in their stockings, fun stuff like bubbles, sweets, stickers that kind of thing. Big presents are all sorted and go under the tree from family.

Any help? I have a number of cheap Poundland bargain stores near me which I know I can go to but I don't want to fill them up with tat that will break but equally we have little money at the moment, and have had to budget carefully. I know I can get some nice craft stuff from cheapy store for the five year old but not sure about the Ds 3.

Would really appreciate some help from all the clever frugal mumsnetters out there!

[mrsmeerkat]

What about a whoppie cushion

Slinky

Toy cars

[attheendoftheday]

Big tube of sweets for £1 each will fill up space. I got the all-pink smarties from the supermarket.

If you have a computer and printer then you can print off colouring pages and dot-to-dots, roll like a scroll and tie, then wrap.

Tescos has Minions bubble bath for £1.33 each. Or you might be able to split some bath crayons? They are £3.

I would spend the rest in a £1 shop, looking for packs that can be split between them. There's often little packs of animal figures or cars. Or maybe hair clips?

[Marzipanface]

I think slinkys are coming from Granny already. I didn't think about whoopie cushions. Good idea for a fun inexpensive present! I'll look for joke presents. My youngest will love a whoopie!

Big tube of sweets is a fab idea. I will definitely do that. They have them in HB for a pound each. I'll look in HB for packs of toys as well. Little animals always go down quite well with my two. Good idea for splitting them.

Thank you for your responses.

[Fueledwithfairydustandgin]

Wilkinsons had great stuff. I've mainly used them for DSs stocking

[glentherednosedbattleostrich]

A magazine each, box of chocolates breakfast cereal, a book

Aldi do chocolate coins for 50p per net.

[plannedshock]

Was going to say wilkos 50p choc coins, magic paint books (which is just use a wet paint brush) £1, felt tips £1, pot of play doh, own brand-loads of craft stuff! Stickers £1 can get loads for your money!

[ifigoup]

Poundland do big bags of squashy Haribo marshmallows.
Those fluffy socks are also cheap (I've seen two kids' pairs for £1.50 in TK Maxx) and take up a lot of space.
Christmas deelyboppers.

[FrozenPonds]

The £1 shops usually have families of ducks for the bath, a couple of big ones and some smaller ones in a pack.

Wilkinson's have bottles of paint (the nice thick stuff) for £1 each, and brushes/printing sponges for pennies.

If you are near the beach or a playground, buckets and spades are usually cheap, and useful all year round.

[eastmidswarwicknightnanny]

We have a nothing over £2 rule in our stocking and buy throughout the year so not overly helpful now but here is ours

Ds1 - 5yrs

4 Lego superhero figures 48p each from aliexpress
Minions spoon 49p aliexpress
Flannel from anorak £1.80 with codes used
Tube freddo choc 75p
Marvel boxers £1.50 sports direct
Scooby doo boxers £1.50 sports direct
Minions battery toothbrush £2 wilkos
Hot wheels £1 poundland
Marvel blind bag £1.50 John Lewis

Ds2 -13mths

Wooden recorder ~75p wilko
Wooden harmonica £1 wilko
Wooden scrapper instrument £1 Sainsbury
Wooden jingle bell rattle £1.25 Amazon
Mini guess how much i love you book £2 Amazon
Pk organix biscuits 50p boots
Wooden mini fire engine £1 kiddicare

[eastmidswarwicknightnanny]

Oh n baby has set Scooby doo socks £2 sports direct

[cravingcake]

I saw large bath sponges in different animal shapes (duck, hippo, frog) yesterday at supermarket for £1 would have brought them except I had DS with me

[LittleReindeerwithcloggson]

Character sponge - poundland
Minions/frozen bubble bath - poundland
Home bargains - lots of good kids books for around a £1 and some
DVDs for £2
Hot chocolate spoon also in Home bargains, pretty sure was under a £1
Supermarket pencils 50p
Sticker sheets 50p in most value shops
If you've got a party shop near you have a look in there or in the party bag selection at supermarkets. Amongst the plastic tat you can find a couple of nice things or some very cheap fun things . I try to avoid most tat but a 39p foam aeroplane kept mine occupied for ages last year!

[LittleReindeerwithcloggson]

Mine have also got £1 glow sticks, a lego friends bag, a light up yoyo (99p store), a tube of smarties, a choc Father Christmas (lidl) and a long pack of plasticine (£1 co-op).

[Wenchelda]

Little pots of playdoh?

[GiddyOnZackHunt]

I got some A4 size sticker books from Entertainer for £1 I think. The Works might have random stuff on offer too.

[Eva50]

Mine loved little torches. You can usually get something fairly cheap. Toothbrush and toothpaste. Tub of Playdough and cutters. Mittens. Socks. Bouncy or inflatable ball. Kids jewellery. Twisty straw and cup, mug, beaker.

[RJnomore1]

Home bargains usually do individual packs of coco pops/ frosties for 29p each which go down great with my two as they don't usually get them. How about a mini tin of cola as well if it's a treat? Think they're about 30p each in asda. Those would take up space.

[JacobFryesTopHatLackey]

I always put in a bottle of matey bubble bath. I think it's £1 in asda.

[ChristmasEvePJs]

Home bargains have MLP and Frozen sandwich tins with sweets inside for £1.49, great for using afterwards to store little toys.

[cantgonofurther]

Tesco have some small wooden cars and trains for £1. Plastic instruments for a £1. Plastic cars for £1. Quite good quality for the price, my dd has the plastic cars to go with her fisher price little people and they get played with a lot. Hotwheels for £1.50.
The works has a good stocking filler section too.
Poundshops are worth a look as not all tat.
Poundworld had some decent disney mugs and the some disney character gloves. The same gloves are in tesco for £3! They also had Thomas the tank engine and Mr Men books in.

[Marzipanface]

Thank you thank you everyone! Some great ideas. Heading out to do a late shop and will update on my stocking challenge :)

[FreddieBoswellsHair]

I think morrisons have the large choc/sweets tubes 2 for £1.50 at the moment, so that would save a few pence. Also I got my 3 year old a paw patrol mug in poundworld which is a nice size for little hands. It came boxed too so will take up a bit more room in a stocking.

[WyrdByrd]

Worth having a look in charity shops - especially for kids books.