The stocking stuffer is the traditional opening act of Christmas morning, a humble assortment of socks, an orange, and maybe some waxy chocolate coins. It's the warm-up band before the main event under the tree.
But this year, we're staging a coup. The small gifts are ready for their headlining tour. We've found the tiny treasures and compact games that are so cool, so fun, and so genuinely wanted, they might just steal the whole show. Prepare to win the "Best Stocking Ever" award, because the era of filler gifts is officially over.
#1 The Only Thing The Grinch Would Regret Not Stealing From Whoville Is A Stocking Full Of Hershey's Kisses
Review: "These are perfect for stocking stuffers, quality great, price was right ,taste yummy." - CS
Buy Now: amazon.com
#2 Even If They Forget To Water It For The Rest Of Eternity, LEGO Botanicals Will Never Fade
Review: "The LEGO Botanicals Happy Plants set is awesome! It was super fun to build and relaxing to put together. The finished plants look excellent on a shelf — bright, detailed, and realistic without needing any care! It’s a great LEGO set for any age, whether you’re a collector or just want something creative to display. Highly recommend!" - Tanyr
Buy Now: amazon.com
#3 Their Brain Is About To Short-Circuit With A Game Of Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
Review: "Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza is pure fun in a box! Easy to learn, super fast-paced, and guaranteed to make everyone laugh. Perfect for family nights, parties, or travel — it’s silly, competitive, and totally addictive. A must-have game that never gets old!" - Maria
Buy Now: amazon.com
#4 The Final Boss Of All Fidget Toys Has Arrived, And It's The Flipslide Handheld Puzzle Toy
Review: "I bought this for my 16 year old son to put in his stocking. I read great reviews on this and thought he might enjoy it. He does but not as much as his 57 year old Mom! I started playing with it and I was hooked and had to get one for myself, instead of stealing his!" - Anonymous
Buy Now: amazon.com
#5 Aqua Fairy Water Gel Lets Them Cook Up A Whole Zoo Of Squishies To Keep Them Busy While You Cook Up A Holiday Storm
Review: "My toddler is 3 years old and he had so much fun under parents guidance. It’s really fun for kids and we had so much quality time when playing with this. He loved the finished product and it works really well! However I used up all gelling pellets and forget to save it for next time. My kid was so disappointed because he wanted to play this excellent toys again. So I contacted with the customer service and the representative Ms Rachel get back to me promptly and said she will provide more gelling pellets to me, thank you so much Rachel!" - Fungster
Buy Now: amazon.com
#6 The Spirograph Classic, Geometric Art Is The One 'Vintage' Thing They'll Actually Think Is Cool
Review: "Great stocking stuffer! Worked well for travel too! Kids played with for a long time. Recommend for cheap entertainment." - Shari K. Fearn
Buy Now: amazon.com
You are walking a fine line between buying a "stocking stuffer" and "random junk that fits inside a sock." The former is a tiny, perfect treasure that elicits a genuine squeal of delight. The latter is a novelty eraser that will be lost to the couch-cushion dimension by lunchtime. The items on this list are all firmly in the first category, proving that the size of the gift has absolutely no correlation to how much it will be loved.
#7 The Only Way To Make The Constant Nagging To "Please Wash Your Hands" Even Remotely Cool Is With A Touchland X Hello Kitty Hand Sanitizer
Review: "It smells really good to me personally, smells like berries with a hint of cologne. The smell lasts a bit and the keychain helps bring it places. My hands do feel clean afterwards and soft.. it doesnt leak a bit for me! It is in the scent berry bliss so be careful if thats not your thing!" - Bailey
Buy Now: amazon.com
#8 The One Christmas Tree In The House They Won't Get In Trouble For Redecorating A Million Times Is This LEGO Christmas Tree
Review: "Great product. Got it built in no time." - Andrew S
Buy Now: amazon.com
#9 The Official Currency Of Childhood Is Stickers, And Their Portfolio Is About To Get A Major Boost From The Sticker Wow! Activity Pad And Sticker Stamper
Review: "Kept my 18 month old entertained for a good 15 minutes on the plane. It was easy for him to manipulate. It is small and easy to pack on a carry on. There are so many stickers so no need to worry about it running out." - PDTZ
Buy Now: amazon.com
#10 The Slow, Methodical Destruction Of A Very Unstable Tower Is The Only Kind Of Chaos You'll Actually Approve Of With The Original Jenga Game
Review: "Awesome game from years ago. Still as good now as it was then. Perfectly made, Perfectly priced. Fun for all ages." - Feefee Mar
Buy Now: amazon.com
#11 The Multi-Generational Family Feud That Usually Takes An Entire Weekend Can Now Be Condensed Into A Zippy 15 Minutes With The Monopoly Deal Card Game
Review: "My family and I absolutely love this game!" - Heny Patel
Buy Now: amazon.com
#12 You Can Give Them The Gift Of Both A Fun Game And The Ability To Legally Hit Their Sibling With A "Draw Four" Card With A Deck Of UNO Cards
Review: "Gave as a gift. Kids love the game and mom likes the quality of the cards and the storage tin." - Amazon Customer
Buy Now: amazon.com
A good portion of the main event gifts requires an engineering degree to assemble and a mortgage to pay for the batteries. The stocking stuffer, however, is the unsung hero of immediate gratification. These are the gifts they can rip open and start playing with right away, buying you precious, uninterrupted moments to sip your coffee and mentally prepare for the main event of untwisting a thousand twist-ties.
#13 The Stick4ever Jelly Sticker Book Finally Gives Their Impressive Sticker Collection A Chic Apartment Instead Of Letting Them Squat On Your Walls And Furniture
Review: "Great reusable stickers! I have a 2 year old and they can peel and stick these so easily and the stickers don’t flop over onto themselves. Great size for little hands. 2 full pages of different types of objects. I’ve washed them and they are brand new again, they hold up great. Fantastic stickers for home, traveling by car, plane rides and visiting grandparents! 100% recommend!!" - Faith
Buy Now: amazon.com
#14 Say "Thank U, Next" To Their Old Body Spray With A Bottle Of Ariana Grande Cloud Pink Eau De Parfum
Review: "This perfume smells amazing, not overwhelming, soft and light. Lasts a long time. excellent quality, would be nice if price was a bit lower, but worth every penny. I would definitely, order again. Also fits nicely in your purse." - tamra
Buy Now: amazon.com
#15 All Signs Point To Them Loving The Original, Old-School Version Of The Magic 8 Ball
Review: "This toy is great quality and a classic for every kid! It’s well made and seems pretty durable. The writing in the little display window that pops up when you shake it is clear and easy to read." - elizabeth
Buy Now: amazon.com
#16 The Original, Number One Frenemy Of Your Living Room Carpet Has Arrived, And It's A Fresh Can Of Play Doh
Review: "This Play-Doh set is good quality and way better than the stuff we had as kids. We used this 10-pack for birthday party gift bags, and the kids loved it. The assortment of colors kept them busy and creative, and the non-toxic formula is perfect for little hands. A simple, fun, and colorful way to make parties or classroom activities extra special." - Bill & Marissa
Buy Now: amazon.com
#17 The Most Important Life Lesson You Can Teach Them This Holiday Season Is To Never Touch A Polar Bear!
Review: "This was my baby’s first book, and he couldn’t stop holding it! The rubbery texture feels so interesting — almost like animal skin. It’s soft, safe, and perfect for little hands. He was totally fascinated." - Sveta Horbatiuk
Buy Now: amazon.com
#18 This Year, Santa Brought Them An Emotional Support Water Bottle In The Form Of A Hydrojug Traveler
Review: "Great water bottle keep the water cold for 24 hours and it doesn’t drip. Can fit perfectly fine in the car cup holder. Doesn’t scratch and it’s a great quality. The color is exactly as it shows in the picture. Highly recommended." - Gabbie & Mia
Buy Now: amazon.com
#19 They Can Finally Put All That Bouncing-Off-The-Furniture Practice To Good Use With The Rebounce Game
Review: "We play pickleball in the nice weather. I was looking for something we could play inside on rainy or snowy days. This is a fun little game, and fit my needs well." - Amazon Customer
Buy Now: amazon.com
