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50+ of the best stocking fillers for Christmas 2023: genius stocking ideas for kids of all ages
From sweet treats and family games to practical ideas you can pick up on your weekly shop, we’ve tapped in to the collective wisdom and experience of Mumsnetters to bring you over 50 of the best stocking fillers for children of all ages.
By Lucy Cotterill | Last updated Dec 14, 2023
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Whether you have a toddlers, tweens or teens, it wouldn’t feel like Christmas morning if there wasn’t a stocking full of small treats and toys waiting for them when you wake up. But how do you differentiate the fun and budget-friendly from the overpriced plastic tat to find stocking fillers that your kids will actually enjoy?
With Christmas getting closer, we’ve done a lot of the hard work for you. Our Mumsnet users love the nostalgia of putting together stockings for their loved ones, so we scoured the Mumsnet forums - the largest online network of parents in the UK - to bring you this bumper list including more than 50 of the best stocking filler ideas to suit all ages, with budget-friendly ideas, practical gifts and treats they'll adore.
From chocolate goodies to presents for babies, toddlers and teens, we’ve found the best stocking fillers for kids straight from (ahem) Santa’s workshop.
For more top tips on excellent gift options for your loved ones this Christmas, don't miss our guides to the best toys for babies aged six to 12 months, best kids' blanket hoodies and best board games.
Here are the best stocking fillers for Christmas 2023.
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Beevive The Original Bee Revival Kit
Cute and compact
Save a bee's life!
Great gift for adults too
Made from recycled materials
Comes with syrup included
Keep it on your keyring
Made in the UK
What could be cuter and more wholesome than a tiny container of bee-reviving syrup? If you and your kids have ever seen a bee staggering across the pavement and wished you could help it, this is a brilliant gift.
Made from recycled materials and shipped in sustainable packaging, the environmental credentials of this charming stocking filler couldn't be higher.
Read next: The best toys for 3-year-olds
Brio Magnetic Signal Bell, £11
Compatible with most wooden train tracks
High quality bell
Works with magnets
Noise might get annoying
Brio - or any of its compatible wooden train track rivals - makes a brilliant big present for birthdays and Christmases for 3, 4 and 5 year olds. Once they've got a collection going, little accessories like this signal bell make perfect stocking fillers or smaller treats.
Related: The best Black Friday toy deals - handpicked savings for Black Friday 2023
More collectable stocking fillers
Read next: The best toys and gifts for 2-year-olds
Lego mini figures. Everyone loves a blind bag or two 😀, and the figures are obviously kept and played with (if not Lego, then search around. The amount of different blind bags is truly astonishing. Obviously some are more tat than others, but there are good ones out there).
Best blind bag for 6-year-olds
LEGO Minifigures
£8
Games for the whole family to enjoy
Multi Tool Pen
Loads of functions
Great for STEM enthusiasts
Stylus pen for touchscreen devices
9-year-olds probably won't use the bottle opener function
Like a Swiss Army knife without the sharp edges, this multi tool pen has lots of functions 9-year-olds will love to explore uses for, including a spirit level, screwdriver, stylus pen and LED torch.
Read next: The best toys and gifts for 9-year-olds, tried and tested by Mumsnetters
I always hit up the big museum shops for stocking fillers - the British, Natural History and Science museums and V&A shop always have interesting things and it’s all online too.
Natural History Museum
£14
Toddler-friendly stocking ideas
Related: The best toddler toys, according to Mumsnetters
Genius supermarket stocking stuffers
If you're looking to save both time and money, the humble supermarket has plenty of budget-friendly stocking fillers to pop in your (real or virtual) trolley.
My wee ones then aged four, asked for their own mini sellotape and Blu-tac. They still talk about when Santa brought them blutac in their stockings!
Bostik Blu Tack
£1
Tubes of Pringles here! Along with other bits and pieces.
Pringles Original
£1
Kellogg's multipack mini cereal were always my kids faves.
Kelloggs Variety Pack
£3
More supermarket bargains
Practical gift ideas
There's a lot to be said for including a few things your kids need anyway in their stockings. In our experience, it doesn't detract from the magic at all - in fact, getting something from Father Christmas they can use every day of the year is pretty special.
I go for ‘nice versions of boring stuff’ so my kids get socks, pants, bubble bath, and maybe hairbrush/toothbrush/flannel if they need them.
Mine always get toothpaste and toothbrushes
GeekerChip Bamboo Toothbrushes
£3.50
You might like: The best toys for 5-year-olds, as recommended by Mumsnet parents
Ideas for teens
Phomemo M02 Mini Pocket Printer
Print stickers straight from a smartphone
Encourages creativity
Fun and simple to use
Black and white only
Turn smartphone-snapped pics into black and white stickers in moments with this dinky little inkless printer from Phomemo. It also comes in handy for printing out postage labels for apps like Vinted.
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Buy now from AmazonI've got some Tozo ones from Amazon, still going almost two years later.
More stocking filler ideas for kids
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£10
Wreck This Journal by Keri Smith"My 11 year old likes the 'Wreck This Journal' book series." (Recommended by Mumsnetter Shine0n)
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£10
Sussed Conversation Starter Card Game"Bought for mine last Christmas - causes lots of discussions on life too." (Tried and tested by Mumsnet user Jigsawprison)
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£13
Pops and Dudes Personalised Children's Christmas GlassesCute novelty glasses little ones (and older ones!) will love to wear.
Read next: The best toys for 6-year-olds, tried and tested by real parents
What is a good stocking filler?
A good stocking filler should be small in size and low value, but ideally something that will get used and enjoyed rather than simply a space filler. Children enjoy having lots of little things to open, so stocking fillers with multiple pieces that can be wrapped individually are always a good choice. If preparing stockings for numerous children, multipacks that can be split amongst several stockings can help keep costs down.
Do you need to wrap Christmas stocking presents?
This is very much down to personal choice and will vary from family to family depending on your Christmas traditions. Traditionally, stocking presents aren’t wrapped so you can pop them in and save yourself time and money, whilst being more eco-friendly too.
However, wrapping each present individually (you can probably leave the obligatory tangerines though) can make the stocking last a bit longer and each gift will be a nice surprise.
If you do choose to wrap, why not opt for more sustainable wrapping or papers without glitter or shine so they can still go in the recycling bin?
What is traditionally put in a stocking?
Many Mumsnet users like to stick with tradition and pop in a satsuma and some chocolate coins in their children’s stockings, just like the ones they had in their own childhood.
Others stick with the rule of four – something they want, something they need, something they can wear, and something they can read.
About the author
Lucy Cotterill is a mum of two and Content Writer at Mumsnet, specialising in baby/child and lifestyle product reviews and round-ups. Having written product reviews on her own blog Real Mum Reviews since 2012, Lucy loves to research and explore the pros and cons of baby products, scrutinising reviews and consumer feedback to help parents make confident purchases that benefit their families.
Originally from a HR background with a degree in Business Studies, Lucy developed a real passion for blogging and writing when her children were young, going on to write for several online publications including US parenting site Pregistry and the Evening Standard. When she’s not manically tapping the keys of her laptop, Lucy loves nothing more than to cosy up with her Kindle and enjoy the latest thriller, or compete in Nintendo Switch rallies with her daughters aged six and 10.
How we chose our recommendations
Mumsnet users love chatting about all things Christmas, from Christmas dinners to gift ideas; Christmas party outfits to the best Christmas crackers.
First up, we sought out the trusted opinions of Mumsnet users to get their insights on the stocking fillers they love to see at Christmas or that have gone down well with their children in previous years.
We then scoured online retailers for products that had significant positive reviews. Weighing up any pros and cons, we then selected the best stocking fillers for each age group to bring you our definitive list of stocking fillers under £10.
Why you should trust us
We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We do sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. This helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.
Prices correct at time of writing.