Stocking and advent calendar contents for a 2.5 year old

[Helgathehairy]

This is the first year I really want to do a stocking and advent calendar for DD. (partly influenced by the fact we're going to NYC at the end of October and I'm hoping to get a pottery barn stocking!) www.potterybarnkids.com/m/products/nordic-wool-stocking-collection/?pkey=e%7Cstockings%7C112%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C15%7C%7C14&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH

What can I put in that won't be too small ((or messy!). I'm going through threads but they all seem to be for slightly older kids.

Do you mean a wooden drawer type advent calendar? My nephew was that age last year and my sister had a mini Christmas tree for him, and then put a mini decoration and a Christmas sticker in each box, he absolutely loved it.

For the stocking, you could put in stuff like funky hair grips, a cuddly character toy, character socks, a fairy wand, mini books, farm animals?

Some things I have got over the years (my kids are son 7, and 2 dd 5ys and will b 3 this Xmas)

Wind up toys
Costume jewellery - usually pick ones up from primark or poundland, got Disney princess rings for £2 in primark last week.
Xmas themed crayons/colouring pad
Playdoh tub
Jumbo chocolate coin
Little people/happyland figures
Favourite character bubble bath
Character face flannels (magic ones in a square)
Small soft toy
Mini books
Favourite character brush & bobble set
Sylvanian family baby (usually about £5)
Playmobil surprise bag (more for 3+ but depends on ur child my youngest dd plays with them fine)
Lip balms/gloss
Kinder egg surprise or surprise balls (peppa pig etc)
Last year my older kids got a hexbug and robo fish so my 2.1yr (at the time) got them too, and loved them. Not something I would have thought to get that age group but really they are fine.

Brilliant ideas there.

The advent calendars I'm looking at are like mini stockings on a garland. I want something I can string across the chimney breast.

like this

Pound land is your friend for this!! I've cheated this year and bought my two the Lego one!

My DS (3 in December) will be getting the following:

Chocolate buttons or a chocolate lolly which he will eat for breakfast (chocolate is a rare treat in this house)
An Octonauts or Fireman Sam magazine
Bubbles
A small toy that goes with something bigger that he will get, like a playmobil 123 character, last year he got cars to go with his garage
Something silly that he will wear, like Superman socks or a funny hat

We tend to be pretty sparing on the stocking so that the DCs aren't overwhelmed too early in the day.

Stationary (sp?) bits and bobs? (Wilkos do a very cheap range of novelty rubbers, post-its etc, that dd has loved from a very young age).
Hair bobbles (H and M do some My Little Pony ones, complete with a long tail that is almost like a hair extension! Yay!)
Do you shop at Lidl ever? If so, they give you a free little toy in a blind bag (not sure of the name -dd calls them "popper things") for every £10 spent, which might fit well in an advent calendar.

I started this last year (DD would have been 3 then).
I had the stocking type garland too.
I filled it with a mixture of activities - draw a snow man, dance to Christmas music, go see Santa - and gifts - Christmas hair bobbins & clips. I picked them up in Claire's they had jingle Christmas bracelets & necklaces which she loved.

At the beginning of December I gave her a Christmas craft box which tied in with the activities - painting drawing making Christmas cards etc.

DS is 2 this year so I'll include stuff for him.

This year I'm doing the same activities again and interspersing with small gifts - bobbins, playdoh (small tubs) playmobil Christmas pieces small chocolates etc.

Stocking wise : (something they want, something they need, something to eat and something to read - I got that on MN)
Books
socks
underwear
stationary
crayons
colouring books
Small selection box
princess stuff - jewellery dress up things
Toy cars
Small playmobil selection
Hair accessories (you can never have enough )
A put together styrofoam plane - hours of fun chucking it around

HTH

One year a bought a big load of plastic animal figures on eBay and put one in each day of the advent calendar. Another year I did finger puppets.

Thanks so much. Really looking forward to this now!

I love the pottery barn stocking - have you seen anything similar in UK?

I don't really think there's a similar stocking in the UK. Etsy and not on the high street would probably be the best places to look. They're my back up plan if I can't get the pottery barn one.

You can order Pottery Barn online with UK delivery. The stockings are lovely - I got one for my eldest last year. They also do personalisation which is lovely.

Ooooo.... Thank you scotinoz.

Just don't get the Pottery Barn stockings with bells. Very pretty but totally impractical for Santa duties

So that I don't have to hunting for 24 small items for an advent calendar, I tend to do 12 pressies and 12 chocolate items. I also leave a Lego Christmas Tree in the pockets for days leading up to Christmas, indicates the gift is under the tree and I can then include a new Christmas Book, Christmas pyjamas and a new tree decoration (the DD's have their own tree to decorate). I know some people keep these items for a Christmas eve hamper though.

Rubber duck, toothbrush, flannel and tissues are staples for a stocking

BlueStarsAtNight - That Christmas tree idea is brilliant!

Just wanted to say that I bought an advent calendar like the one above from Sarah sewsit on etsy and it's beautiful, would definitely recommend

This is DS's first year for an advent calendar and he will be 23 months. I've bought a gorgeous set of 24 mini wooden Gisella Graham decorations and a lovely White Company tabletop tree so he can hang a decoration on it every morning.

• hair bobbles

- packet of chocolate buttons - pencils - miniature book that attaches to pushchairs (like this, keeps them amused when out and about...) www.amazon.co.uk/Fehn-85273-Picture-River-Design/dp/B00CPLDMKW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1448240556&sr=8-2&keywords=pushchair+book