A toddler's stocking looks small until you start filling it. Then it is half empty, or a toy sticks out of the top because it did not fit. Good stocking stuffers for a toddler are small and simple, and they still get played with after the morning is over. Below are four picks from our own line, and how to check anything before it goes in the stocking.
What are good stocking stuffers for a toddler?
Good stocking stuffers for a toddler are small, simple things the child can hold, read or draw with: a little plush animal, a small book with thick pages, large crayons and a coloring book. Before anything goes in, run three checks. Does it fit the stocking? Compare the size in inches with the stocking's opening. Does it fit the child's hands? A toddler should be able to carry it around the house in one hand. What age is it made for? Check before you buy, and go by it. The checks take about a minute. They save you from the toy that only works for a five-year-old.
The CPSC, the U.S. product safety agency, has holiday advice for people buying toys. It says to choose toys that match each child's interests and abilities. It also says to "keep balls and toys with small parts away from children younger than three." That is why there are no balls in these ideas. For toys meant for children under 3, there is also a federal rule on small parts. The CPSC explains it on its page for manufacturers on small parts. For the person filling the stocking, it comes down to one habit: check what age a toy is for and go by it, even for a very advanced two-year-old.
The part that is yours is knowing the child. What do they love right now, and what can they already do? Leave the puzzle with a hundred pieces for later, and the rattle if they are past it. If they love trucks this month, a small book about trucks is a good start. If you are a grandparent, aunt or uncle, ask the parents. For something to hold, our plush sets of 6 come in dinosaurs and unicorns, and each toy is made so a child's hand can grab it and hold on.
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The picks
1. If the child loves dinosaurs
Naturally KIDS Dinosaur Set of 6
Six different plush dinosaurs, from a T-Rex to a Stegosaurus. They are 3 to 6 inches tall, so you can hold those inches up to the stocking's opening before you order. Each one is made so a child's hand can grab it and hold on.
2. If the child loves unicorns
Naturally KIDS Unicorn Set of 6
Six plush unicorns, each 5½ inches tall and a different color. A child can carry one around the house, and the rest can wait for later. Two or three are enough for the stocking.
3. If the dinosaurs go along on a trip
Naturally KIDS Dinosaur Set of 6 with Magic Bag
Six plush dinosaurs with a drawstring bag for easy carrying. They are great for playing and taking along on any travel. You do not have to put all six in the stocking: two or three can go in, and the rest can wait in the bag for a long car ride.
4. If the unicorns should stay together in one bag
Naturally KIDS Unicorn Set of 6 with Magic Bag
Six plush unicorns, each 5½ inches tall and a different color, with a drawstring bag for easy carrying. The set can go along on a trip or to the grandparents' house, and the toys travel together in the bag.
How to check a stocking stuffer before it goes in
These steps use advice from the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics, plus three simple checks: inches, hands, age.
- Pick one of each. Something to hold, something to read and something to draw with. A small book with thick pages is for two people: the child, and whoever reads it with them.
- Sit with the child for the crayons. The CDC's tips for parents of toddlers include this one: "Encourage your toddler not to put pencils or crayons in their mouth when coloring or drawing."
- Measure the opening, not the length. A narrow toy slides all the way to the toe, and a wide one sits on top all morning. Hold the size in inches up to the stocking you actually have.
- Check the hands. The child should be able to carry it around the house in one hand. If it needs both arms, it is a gift for under the tree.
- Check what powers it. The American Academy of Pediatrics says: "Avoid toys with button batteries or high-powered magnets." Small light-up toys are worth a second look.
- Check the age, and ask the parents. Look at what age a toy is for before you buy, and go by it. If the gift is for someone else's child, text the parents first: ask what the child loves right now and what they already have.
The sets above have their size in inches, so steps 3 and 4 take a minute before you order.
What this means for your family
Start with the child: what they love right now, and what they can already do. Then pick one thing to hold, one to read and one to draw with. Before anything goes in, check the stocking's opening, the child's hands and the age the toy is made for. If the gift is for someone else's child, text the parents first. If the child loves dinosaurs or unicorns, start with one of our sets of 6: plush toys a child's hand can grab and hold. Two or three go in the stocking, and the rest wait for a long car ride. We make these for children who carry their favorite animals around the house, and for the people who fill their stockings.
Sources
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) — Don't Be Left Out in the Cold This Holiday Season with Unsafe Presents: Buy from Trusted Sources
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) — Small Parts Ban and Choking Hazard Labeling
- CDC, the U.S. public health agency — Positive Parenting Tips: Toddlers (2–3 years old)
- American Academy of Pediatrics — Toy Buying Tips for Babies & Young Children: AAP Report Explained
Frequently asked questions
The dinosaurs in a set are different sizes, from 3 to 6 inches tall. Before you order, hold those inches up to the opening of the stocking you have, not its length. The unicorns in a set are all 5½ inches tall, each a different color. Each toy is made so a child's hand can grab it and hold on.
Six plush dinosaurs: a T-Rex, a Mosasaurus, a Spinosaurus, a Triceratops, a Brachiosaurus and a Stegosaurus. The set comes with or without a drawstring bag for easy carrying. It is great for playing and taking along on any travel.
Six plush unicorns, each 5½ inches tall and a different color. The unicorn set comes with or without a drawstring bag for easy carrying. A child can carry one around the house, and the set can go along on a trip or to the grandparents' house.
The sets of 6 are for ages 18 months and up. Each toy is made so a child's hand can grab it and hold on. If the gift is for someone else's child, ask the parents first what the child loves right now: dinosaurs or unicorns.
Two of the four sets: the Dinosaur Set of 6 with Magic Bag and the Unicorn Set of 6 with Magic Bag. They come with a drawstring bag for easy carrying, so the six toys can travel together on a trip or to the grandparents' house. The other two sets come without the bag.