Stocking Stuffers for Toddlers

Thanksgiving is a week away but I already have visions of sugarplums dancing through my head.  Maybe because I was just at the mall and not only was I surrounded by twinkling lights, Christmas carols being piped through almost every stores sound system and posters of upcoming "holiday sales", but I actually bumped into the big guy (yes I am talking about Santa) himself!  Apparently since the day after Halloween, you could have your little one's picture taken with Santa.  Poor Thanksgiving, it seems to get overlooked more and more every year.

One of my families annual Christmas traditions (there are so many) is opening our stockings!  We save them for last.  After we have teared open all of our wrapped gifts and thrown away enough bows to decorate a small town, we eagerly dig through our stockings pulling out chocolates, soaps, nail polishes crossword puzzle books, tiny little do dads that seem to disappear within minutes, a rose for all of the women in my fathers life and finally our very favorite; lottery scratch off tickets!

But this year I have a new dilemma, my 16 month old son! What in the world do you put in a toddlers stocking? Well the Occupational Therapist in me had to take over and push the mommy in me aside for a moment to develop this list.

In no particular order, with no gender consideration this is what I came up with:

Stocking Stuffers for Toddlers (under 3 years)
1. Miniature sized books
2. Bath Toys (foam letters or numbers, squeeze toys, water instruments)
3. Tooth Brush/Tooth Paste set with a new character
4. Matchbox cars
5. Little People (Fisher Price)
6. Stickers
7. Finger puppets (I have seen really cheap ones at IKEA)
8. Removable tattoos
9. Stacking cups
10. Bath Crayons
11. Window crayons
12. Tactile balls or koosh balls
13. Travel sized Potato Head toy
14. Silly Straws (the ones that twist and loop)
15. Spinning tops
16. Egg shakers
17. Maracas
18. Bubbles
19. Refrigerator magnets
20. Socks, hats or mittens

Then I began to think outside the box (It's what OT's do best!).  I began searching for what other parents have suggested and I came across some very interesting, very different and very fun ideas! Here are a few:
1. A package of post it notes for kids to rip apart, stick to things, or draw on
2. A travel package of tissues to keep kids busy for hours pulling the tissues out of the bag
3. Character Band Aides
5. A deck of playing cards (think 52 card pick up)
6. Empty boxes of pasta or macaroni and cheese for stacking and building
7. Roll of toilet paper (let them wrap you up, or better yet, wrap them up tightly)
8. Measuring cups and spoons
9. Egg timers

With all these great ideas, I think I will need to buy Michael a bigger stocking!