Stocking fillers - please help!

[tripletsohgod]

I am really, really bad at them. I don't know why but I get it wrong every year and my kids are (politely, quietly) disappointed! Age 5 DD and 10 DS, budget of around £75 each. I'd be so grateful for suggestions please!

DD is very 'girly' mermaids, unicorns, make up etc.

DS into gaming, football. TIA 🙏🏻

Our stockings are small (ones you hang over the fireplace size). Dd will have just turned 6 and is a mermaid, unicorn fan, ideas or getting:
Hair bobbles/scrunches
Small unicorn purse
Small unicorn across body bag
Stationery (gel pens, highlighters, ruler, unicorn eraser)
Lockable furry unicorn diary
Chocolate eclairs (her favourite but not something she has very often)
Small chocolate reindeer
Bath bomb
Small Playmobil set (sheep for her farm)
Flower seeds (sweet peas)
Mini bracelet bead craft kit
Mermaid bookmark
Rainbow magic book/ballerina book
Unicorn plasters
Plasters are a big hit with mine, they use them on bears and dolls.

Top trumps (wonders of the world)
I love getting bits for her stocking, I could fill it 10 times over, easier than her other presents.

I pack my kids stocking with stuff they need so they always get
Pyjamas
Dressing gown
Slippers
Knickers
Socks
Bath bombs
Book
Chocolate coins
Shampoo and conditioner
Shower gel / bubble bath
Outfit for Christmas day
Hairbrush
Mug
Christmas hat
Scarf hat and gloves
Hair scrunchies, clips, elastics
A toy

Then a couple of bits and pieces

Are you sure they’re disappointed and you’re not just imagining it? What are some examples from your disappointing stockings?

Have you asked them what they want? Get them to write a list to father Christmas and that might give you some inspiration. My 5 year old last year was most pleased with the things they had asked for and magically received.

We do small to medium sized presents (£2-5 per item) in stocking but I'm wary of plastic stuff that gets thrown away after a few uses, so i don't tend to get things like tiny toys and novelties, my kids also don't eat many sweets.

What 5YO is getting this year:
Smallest selection box
Character socks, pants and PJs
Mini orchard toy game
Shaped "pop it"
A book
Stickers
Felt tip pens
Temporary tattoos
Yoto card

Total cost around £30

Wow, I've just come back to this, not read all the replies yet but I will. Thank you for the responses. I'm going to rethink stockings this year. Expectations have been too high. I'll re-assign money from stocking budget to main present budget and worry less about having so many stocking things! Thank you all

So, the 5 year old isn't disappointed. The boys are sometimes. It's because I try to put so much in, and I think expectations are too high, and I've gone for quantity over quality. Novelty crap for the sake of it. I feel much less stressed now, having read your suggestions 🤗

This pre- done bundle! Arrived and very happy for what it costs

www.thelittlethings.co.uk/products/girls-filler-kit

I don’t think £75 is crazy for a stocking personally, everyone budgets differently and indeed has different amounts to spend so don’t feel this is too much necessarily if you are happy with it. I always loved my stocking gifts the most! For your daughter I would definitely get one of those mermaid Barbies that change hair colour in water etc (have seen them on Amazon as have a niece of similar age and tastes!). My niece loves a nice Christmas dress and sparkly shoes! Boden have gorgeous stuff in my opinion despite eye watering prices, Monsoon can be good value in the sale. I’m thinking of getting her a musical jewellery box this year which I think she’ll love. Next have great value sets of hair accessories and actually Superdrug even better! Probably not a stocking gift but for “big presents” there is a gift I know my niece would love called Myla the magical make up unicorn by V tech. You can find it in all the usual places. And I am linking to something I got my niece for her birthday which she loved, it’s such a cute little plush unicorn in a handbag and not too pricey for what it is. My link is John Lewis but Amazon have them too. Also I wouldn’t underestimate Christmassy stuff like a sleigh bell from Santa, a snow globe etc. And personalised books. I still remember getting a set of personalised colouring pencils with my name on them as a child in my stocking, I was delighted! The Imaginarium have lovely stuff. There are also little furry cute toys that change colour with the background called Lumies she might like.

www.johnlewis.com/aurora-world-fancy-pals-rainbow-unicorn-soft-toy/p4937087

For DS we quite often do repeat presents- so one year I bought him lots of pokemon figures - really cheap and then wrapped them up in separate packages- so about ten packages of 20 pokemon I think- all in different shaped packages - i've done the same with trading cards- I think its a volume thing.
Novelties- such as stress relieving squeezy toys, novelty viruses, pens/art stuff,clockwork toys, themed stuff for TV shows (eg Avatar, Pokemon , doctor who)
If we are with family with children we quite often have the same stocking filler in each stocking,

This thread has given me some great ideas! Thanks 😊

@tanqueray10

This thread has given me some great ideas! Thanks 😊

Me too, thanks everyone! My DD is 4 and I think it's the first year she's properly excited as she knows what's going on more. Silly question maybe - do you wrap what goes in the stocking? In the past we've stuck to mainly larger presents (not always expenses, just not stocking fillers), which are wrapped and some go in her big sack (off santa) and some are off us. But she'll love little bits now and there are loads on this thread that I can get her. Was thinking of getting a personalised stocking for her and the baby this year ☺

For the 5 year old,
I'd go with the
suprise type things like the mini brand balls
Fun hair stuff
A magazine
A box of her favourite cereal
Maybe a voucher for McDonald s or somewhere like that.
If she likes playdoh you can get pots of glitter Playdoh
Bath bombs
Favourite sweets
Something you wouldn't normally let her have,ie ,slime etc.

For DD, I suggest -

Temporary tattoos from Etsy; you can get incredibly pretty and realistic ones in botanical and fairy-type patterns. A lot of 'girly' girls would like these as they're much more unusual and nicer than high street ones. Some also have touches of gold.

Tiny bottle of fools gold / iron pyrite.

A crystal or a geode slice - something shimmery, shiny, girly etc.

For my 11 year old ds stocking:
Disco ball (small)
Head torch
Hot chocolate bomb
'Would you rather' book for 11 year olds
Reindeer Christmas slipper socks
Hair gel
Christmas tree bath bomb
Candy cane
Matchsticks
Match attack cards
Personalised cornishware Mug
Other sweets

@SazCat - I never wrap the gifts in the stocking as I see the stocking as the wrapping if you see what I mean!

[quote UndertheCedartree]@SazCat - I never wrap the gifts in the stocking as I see the stocking as the wrapping if you see what I mean![/quote]
Thanks, that's what I was thinking! Less wrapping is a bonus for me ha ha

I've posted before with this but for elder boy - batteries . To have his own stash.

SazCat - we don't wrap things. Only the gifts under the tree are wrapped as they appear throughout December. Stockings and Santa sacks plus everything Santa delivers is unwrapped it would be crazy time-consuming and environmentally wasteful to wrap everything.

I'm trying to cut down on plastic unless it's something DC have specially asked for. Last year they had:

Sweets and chocolate
Mini packs of biscuits
Socks (T-shirt for DS who already had a lot of socks)
Colouring Pens
Sketch book

The pens for DDs were expensive iirc (£12) but the total was still under £25.

So far my 5 year old dd has
Disney pants
Disney socks
Disney hair clips
Colouring book
Hat/gloves
Jewellery
Will be adding sweets and a pencil case and maybe a small toy.

For our 9 year old ds so far.
AirPods (not the real ones but ones on Amazon for a £10 which get good reviews)
Beano annual
Nerf just hype too
Just hype boxers
Novelty pen
Robux voucher (as we say he absolutely can’t have any more other than his monthly subscription do FC can get away with it).
Chocolate orange
Hot wheels version of his fav car
Minecraft soft toy
Still got the rest to buy, I just keep an eye out for stuff they will fit and then stuff they won’t is from us. We try and stay away from stuff that is just plastic crap or one hit wonders so it’s either stuff he wants or upgraded stuff he needs like getting just hype boxers rather than the normal cheap H&M ones or consumables/luxury food stuffs.