15 Fun Stocking Stuffers for Kids

Our home is full of HEXBUGs. These creepy crawly creatures can be found in every nook and cranny of our home. From nanos to inchworms, they're everywhere! This year, they will happily find the HEXBUG® Kids Fire Ant RC Robotic Bug in their stocking. It's one of the newest little critters to be released and the coolest part is that you can race your friends...or siblings! Simply pair one Fire Ant to a Channel 1 Remote and the other Fire Ant to a Channel 2 Remote and take off racing!

About this product: The HEXBUG® Fire Ant is a high-speed robotic creature that you can control! This speedy robotic bug lights up and features six custom wheels to boost its ability to move around obstacles in its path.The HEXBUG® Fire Ant’s unique design elements were carefully chosen by our engineers to get children to think about the science behind our robots. The HEXBUG® Fire Ant is available in an assortment of five colors including Blue, Green, Orange, Red and Yellow! Three button cell batteries are included in the Fire Ant, and two batteries are installed in the I/R remote control. To power on, simply press the button on the top of the Fire Ant and take off with the I/R remote control. HEXBUG Fire Ant is compliant with CPSIA standards. Ages 8+

Technically, this book is too big for a stocking, but each year we place a Christmas book on top of the mantle for each of our children to find the morning after we decorate the house. It's usually something super cute and fun that we can do together to bring on the Holiday spirit. This year, Reindeer Dust will earn one of the coveted spots.

About this book: A special Reindeer Dust Recipe and poem to recite on Christmas Eve are included in the book – it's a fun holiday craft that will keep children of all ages engaged. Why not add a little sparkle to the holidays? Reindeer Dust is an interactive picture book that engages the imagination through family participation. The book tells the exciting tale of how the Reindeer Dust tradition first began. Designed with the entire family in mind, the book also includes an easy recipe and poem to be read on Christmas Eve.

If you saw our 12 Great Creative Play Toys For Kids Gift Guide, then you already know that we're madly in love with Folkmanis puppets. So it should come as no surprise that we're including their itty bitty finger puppets in our Stocking Stuffer Guide. These little critters are the perfect size for sneaking into a stocking and are loaded with cuteness. Our son is going to flip out over this tiny Rabbit in a Hat - it's the perfect addition for his magic kit!

About this product: With a Folkmanis finger puppet, you'll always have a friend nearby. For the aspiring magician in all of us, this Mini Rabbit in Hat is a fun surprise. When you poke your finger through the bottom of the velvet hat, you can wiggle the bunny around inside. Ideal for use in interactive stage and puppet theater, Folkmanis Puppets are also great for teaching, daycare, school, pretend play, games and parties, or to pair with a book for storytelling. Easy to feed and care for, just add lots of love and snuggly fun. Folkmanis has been encouraging young imaginations to blossom since 1976 with its innovative and engaging specialty puppets, promoting creativity and discovery while winning nearly every industry, child development, and kid-tested award. Folkmanis has grown to become the premier manufacturer of plush puppets worldwide, offering over 200 of the most heartwarming and realistically designed creatures--both exotic and familiar--on the market today. (Birthday: July, 2007).

Our kids are obsessed with these silly little Keychain Poppers from Hog Wild. I'm not sure if it's the barfing effect that they love, or the brightly colored characters that are attached tot he keychains. Either way - these are very entertaining for the school-aged set, and Santa will be putting several of them in their stockings this year. Teachers everywhere are going to hate me!

About this product: This miniature version of Hogwild's squeeze poppers is all the fun in a smaller package. Guard your keys all day with, and never lose the attached ball. Popper attached to a keychain. Lots of fun in a small package. Ball attached to string so it doesn't roll away!

I know nothing about Stikbots, but my kids do. They've been talking about them for weeks. Apparently, they are poseable sticky robots who will adhere to almost any flat surface. They're cute, they come in a 6-pack, they're end up in our stockings.

About this product: Stikbots are pose-able sticky bots who will adhere to almost any flat surface thanks to their suction-cup hands and feet. Their unique design allows stikbots to be posed in countless ways - their limbs, torso, and even neck can be positioned at multiple different angles! Stikbots are ridiculously fun and addicting to play with!!! But Stikbots are more than just cute pose-able figures. Stikbot is the first ever social sharing toy! We have created a free smartphone app available on ITunes and Google Play where really stikbot really shines; kids can pose , film and edit their Stikbot in stop animation quickly and easily. Once filmed, they can upload their video creation from the app to share with their friends with the simple touch of Instagram, Facebook, twitter and vine.

I've been reading rave reviews about this exciting game from one of our favorite companies, Melissa & Doug. Suspend helps develop hand-eye coordination, cognitive skills and interpersonal skills -- and I'm always on the hunt for a simple "Let's Do This!" kind of game to play with the kids when the weather is nasty outside. I also love that they also have a new Junior version for younger kids too.

About this product: A family game of tricky hangs and steady hands! Try this hanging balance game and you'll be hooked! Suspend comes with 24 notched, rubber-tipped wire pieces to hang from a tabletop stand. Sound easy? Try adding another piece! Each time a bar is added, the balance shifts, the difficulty changes and the incredible midair sculpture transforms. Can you add all your game pieces without making it fall? This tricky game for 1-4 players is a test of steady nerves and steady hands.

When it comes to stocking stuffers, I try to think outside of the box. Sometimes, it works. Sometimes, it doesn't. This year, I'm making sure to slip a few packs of Tattly Temporary Tattoos. They come in some pretty amazing designs and are a huge step up from the baby tats that our kids get from Party City. I can't wait to see Grandma's face when the kids show up with some of these on their arms on Christmas morning.

About this product: The Animal Society Set is filled with 1 of each 8 Tattly designs: Sea Otter, Tabby Cat, Cheetah, Black Bear, Red Fox, Sea Lion, Hawk, and Red Rooster. Each set includes 8 Tattlys and comes packaged in our card stock sleeve with a full-color photo on the front and a single Tattly Sponge!

These Monster hand tattoos crack me up. They remind me of our cousin Dawn's crazy Mr. Chinagin character. Please tell me you had a wacky cousin like we do? One that turned out to be the best babysitter ever because she was completely out of her mind? Yeah, we love Dawn - and these tattoos are right up her alley. Our kids will love them too...maybe they'll have to make her a special video on Christmas day.

About this product: Transform your hands into little talking monsters with these fun temporary tattoos. The tattoos are easy to put on with water, and give your hand an effect similar to a sock puppet. There are eight different tattoos in the packet, each with dimensions of 8 x 6 cm. Use them as party favors, or for a fun puppet show. Age guide: from 3 years. Simple application with water. Instructions included.

I love these Mark My Time Book Marks! We currently use our iPhones to track how long the kids are reading, studying or practicing their music, but now with these self-timing bookmarks, they can track it too. What a great way to encourage them to put in ALL of their allotted time each day!

About this product: Now you can accurately track children's required reading times to help take the work out of daily reading homework. Made of durable polyethylene plastic. Also ideal for timing music practice sessions, timed math fact activities, meetings, homework study sessions, cooking and interval training when exercising. Each bookmark measures 1-3/4" x 7-3/4".

Hey folks, how about you scar your kids for life and shove a creepy clown in their stocking this year? Bwahahaha! Dear Lord, I'm only kidding. I hate clowns. Please for the love of Pete, do NOT stuff a clown in your child's stocking this year! Instead, opt for the Trapeze Monkey or the newer Trapeze Ballerina. We've had the monkeys for years and my kids still play with them!!

About this product: It's a Clown Trapeze Acrobat! Just squeeze the poles to make the cute performer swing. Presenting Trapeze Clown. Squeeze the bottom of the trapeze poll and watch the clown perform acrobatic stunts. A simple toy that will amuse and entertain. For ages 3 and up.

Are your kids Minecraft obsessed like ours? Well if so, these Mini Figure 3-packs are the perfect stocking stuffer! Santa likes to unwrap them and then fire them into the stocking. this way, as they pour out their candy, these little dudes fall out too. Just remember to keep track of how many are in each stocking or Fido might run off with one of them!

About this product: Dig in to the world of Minecraft world like never before with Minecraft Mini-Figure 3-packs! Each 3-pack includes figures that bring the game to life in the palm of your hand. Choose from four different sets in each series -- all of which feature signature, authentic game appearance and styling. Plus, each 3-pack includes one exclusive figure! So start exploring the world of Minecraft Mini-Figures and craft the perfect collection! Item includes three miniature figures. Colors and variations may vary.

We first laid eyes on these shadow puppets at a blogger conference that we attended this past summer. They were SO cool. Each little shadow puppet is affixed to its own stick and the cut outs are just exceptional! These puppets WILL break in the hands of younger children, so store them in a safe place.

About this product: Conduct your own Shadow Puppet show with these charming Shadow Puppets from Moulin Roty. With a lamp and a little imagination, they also make fabulous props for bedtime stories! Each puppet is made of black laser-cut cardboard, with a wooden holding stick. Comes with 11 shadow puppets including an elephant, lion, clown, tightrope walker and more.

Oh Shopkins. How our girls love you so. Seriously, we have over 50 of these little rubber creatures each and they just keep multiplying. But, for the most part, they're cheap so they make fantastic stocking stuffers. Load up while you can because in a few more days, you won't be able to find them anywhere. They just fly off the shelves after Thanksgiving!

About this product: Check out this massive pack of Shopkins stuff! You’ll have shelves of fun with this pack of 12 Shopkins, 1 shopping basket and 4 bags! Plus a Shopkins list collector’s guide! Shop to it now and avoid the rush at the check-out!

If your kids aren't into Shopkins, then maybe the Trash Pack will be more up their alley? They remind me of the Garbage Pail Kids that I had back in the day, but these dudes are squishy and kind of cute too.

About this product: This putrid Test Tube contains two new S7 characters and a collector's guide for easy reference of all the new Trashies. This putrid pack contains the new test tubes, five new S7 characters and a collector's guide for easy reference of all the new Trashies. Look out for the Ultra Rare Trash or the Limited Edition Trash which could be hiding in this pack!

When our Grandfather was alive, he bought my son a Harmonica. I don't remember why and I don't remember when, but I do remember my son taking an instant liking to it. I also remember being pretty surprised that he could play it so easily. Any time I hear a harmonica playing, I think of Pop-Pop and how much he loved our children. This starter set is a lovely surprise gift in any child's stocking!

About this product: Start playing the blues today with the Hohner Harmonica Starter Package. Includes one of the most popular Hohner harmonicas of all time, the Pocket Pal Hamonica. A 10-hole diatonic key of C model with a learn to play book and CD that will teach you how to play popular songs.