to be dreading stocking filler junk!

[DozeyRose]

I absolutely love Christmas, and since having children, have enjoyed buying lots of gimmicky toys and bits for their stockings. This is the first year, where I am actually dreading cluttering the house with cheap plastic toys (that to be fair, they never really play with once all the 'proper' presents have been opened)

I'm dreading it because a) quite frankly it's a waste of money as it's rarely used, b) because I've just de cluttered and given those type of toys to charity and school fair and c) my eldest (9), wouldn't have a need or interest in such things.

BUT, I can't bear to disappoint - it's a tradition!. I was thinking of trading the large sacks for those stocking sock type things. I can't not do the whole Santa thing, but I need to get creative and a little practical...

What would you put in a 9 year old boys stocking?

My children get smelly things, soaps, bath stuff, lip balm, hair bobbles (not for DS)socks, chocolate coins, £1 (no idea why, I used to get 50p in mine, maybe its a Scottish thing) tangerine and a long tube of smarties or similar.

I don't like tat either. I get small but nice things. Last year the main things for DCs were wooden Brio-style trains, Happyland figures/figures from favourite disney movies etc - that sort of thing gets played with every day.

Also magic flannel (only £2 in disney store this year), toothbrush, this year they are both getting nice character undies as they usually only get cheapie stuff. Maybe socks too in a similar vein.

I have gone overboard again this year, but I am pleased that so far I've always managed to avoid tat.

They are getting some tat in the form of lots of craft kits this year! So still useful tat hopefully as they will enjoy making stuff.

Chocolate coins, gingerbread man, bath bomb, socks or hairclips or similar, some sort of small puzzle or game go in the stocking, which are the felt ones that aren't actually that big inside, then everything else is downstairs.

Typically that might be an annual, a DVD, a set of felt tips pens, a board game, some books, some sort of making kit, then one or two main presents depending on cost.

Thanks for all the suggestions. My DS has a sense of humour so probably add a few gimmicky jokes, but definitely going for the more practical approach-however dull it may seem! My youngest is too young to have any expectations, and my DD may very well have to adapt to the new shrunken down stocking lol!

If in doubt just a couple of tangerines and some walnuts. A good old fashioned Christmas.

Ours have a stocking to keep them in bed longer open in their rooms on christmas morning consisting of:

pants/socks
pens/pad
chocolate coins
satsuma
a jokey thing - like the fortune telling fish
a small pack of cards - top trumps or question cards

Lots of www.tickseed.co.uk stuff. And toothbrushes, socks etc.

At least I can't be tempted by Hawkins Bazaar or the BHS christmas tat fest this year. Hawkins Bazaar has closed down and they have turned BHS into Primark.

HAllo
We shall move this to our Christmas topic
Thanks

Lush bath bomb
Fart putty
Football mag
Erasers and other stationery stuff from here
Foot long jellybeans
Chocolate orange
FC Barcelona plaster (! a real Hoodoo McFiggin gift that [hgrin] )
Socks
Gloves

DD has

Lush bath bomb
Jellybeans as above
Smarties
Fart putty ( it was v popular last year )
Moshi crap
Moshi crap
Moshi crap
Bracelet
Erasers etc from Blott
Lip balm
Fairy Dust on a necklace

Missed off stationery/eraser link

Here

We have quite small stockings, not big sacks. They get fun bits in their stockings, and then 'real' presents under the tree.

Most if what goes in the stockings is either edible (orange in the toe, chocolate santa and bag of coins essential) or fun versions of essentials (funky toothbrushes, hello kitty socks, pens and pencils)
Then there are 2/3 small toys
because the stockings are small, there are about 10-15 items, most are pretty small (like the pencils) so enough to unwrap, somethign to fiddle with until tree presents are opened, but most have disappeared or been eaten/absorbed into their bedrooms by New Year

Oh they always get an annual, which is sometimes left under their stockings as they don't fit, and is sometimes under the tree

Mine always have lots of chocolate things and one small (in bulk) but good quality present and various things which as Ds put it are 'mildly amusing for about 5 mins'.

As they are now 12 and 16 I did suggest doing chocolate only stockings but was told that that was no fun.

My solution: I have bought each as small (c2ft) tree which will go beside their beds on Christmas eve. In their stockings will be some decorations for them. Next year there will be some more decorations and so on until they leave home .

Jaxteller Mine also get a £1 coin. Maybe it is a Scottish thing. I used to get sixpence. (I am very old).

Oh yes, Moshi crap. My DCs wrote their joint Christmas list tonight consisting of about 15 very rare Moshling figures each. Nothing else. Great.

There's lots of random small Moshi crap ( think weeny keyring shite ) in the Sainsbo's sale atm

NoHaudinMaWheest -
I forgot that! We have given them each a christmas tree dec every year since they were born. It has their name and the year somewhere on it (tiny labels etc)
This years tree dec is always in the stocking

Ours go on the tree downstairs though. (so when they leave home, I then get to console myslef with a load of new tree decs

Just don't do it then, easy

Only read OP

Kingcyrolophosarus
As I said, don't want to do tat but need inspiration and ideas to do a tat free stocking. But thanks for your input!

My kids haven't discovered Moshi Monsters yet....What am I missing?! :-)

Sorry, I realise that was a bit flippant, but seriously why get them stuff just to fill it out? It's just a bit of a mindset.
Get them what they want or need

My DS is 10, and in his stocking he will have:

Slinky
Socks
Hama beads glow-in-the-dark (he's running out)
Chocolate mouse (always gets one)
Chocolate coins
Bubble bath
Electric toothbrush - he's been after one for ages
Top Trumps
Some twist-up pencils
Usborne Brain Games cards (may be too young but I think he'll like them)

Dominos?

Pound coin, satsuma and choc coins at the bottom followed by -

Toothbrush
Variety pack cereal (small box thingys)
Marbles, spinning top, jelly monster, bouncy ball - something traditional!
Magazine
Unusual sweets - Japanese or retro ones (ebay)
Socks and pants
Stationery - stickers, pencils, etc
Bubble bath/shower gel
Fortune telling fish!
Crazy coloured nail varnish, bracelet, naff ring
Toy vehicle
Playing cards

Kingcyrolophosarus
I know, you're right, but that's just it for me. I'm so used to doing the same think year in year out, that it feels 'wrong' not doing it. But equally, it seems pointless doing it! As for getting things they need, they tend to have what they need throughout the year. So essentially, I'll be buying them things for fun. I will definitely be using a few ideas from this thread, but I think I'll have to miniaturize their stockings and set the new bar -small!!

We've got glow in the dark hama beads too this year, they each get a new template and a new colour of beads each year.