As the mother of three boys, I always find stuffing their Christmas stockings a challenge. Especially now that they're getting older and I can't rely on old standbys like Hot Wheels and bouncy balls (although they do still love those). Maybe I'm just not very creative, but it seems like girls would be so much easier, with all the nail polish and lip balm and jewelry and hair accessories to be had.
So I consulted some experts--other moms of boys--and came up with this fabulous list of stocking stuffer ideas for boys in the 10-17 year old age range--give or take a few years. Really, many of these would be perfect for college age boys and even grown men. Especially the thumb wrestling masks!
Something useful: I'm a practical person, so I insist on including at least one useful, by which I mean
"not fun", item in my kids stocking every year.
1. Toothbrush and toothpaste: Not the most exciting thing to find in your stocking on Christmas morning, but I find with boys, it's important to emphasize personal hygiene at every opportunity.
2. Deodorant: Appropriate, if not necessary, for boys as young as 10. Really.
3. Axe Products: Personally, I think this stuff stinks to high heaven, but the young men love it. and apparently the young ladies do too. There are all kinds of products to choose from, including shampoo, body wash, deodorant, and various aromatic sprays. You can usually find a few Axe products in the sample section of the grocery store. They're the perfect size for stockings, and you don't have to put up with the smell for quite as long.
4. Shaving supplies, for older boys, of course. Although perhaps not as old as you'd think they would need to be.
5. School Supplies: Pens, pencils, post it notes, etc. December is about the time of year the kids have either run out of or lost everything you sent to school with them in September.
6. A 2013 planner: I have been trying, with little success, to get my high school sophomore to use a planner for his homework since he was in the 5th grade. But
this one might just inspire him to new organizational heights.
7. Gas card: Obviously for kids who are of driving age.
8. Christmas Ornament: Your boys will not appreciate this. At least not right away. My mom used to give us an ornament every Christmas. I thought it was the dumbest thing ever. Until I got married and had to decorate my first Christmas tree. But maybe if you get an ornament like
this, your boys will warm up to the idea more quickly.
9. Wallet
Something to wear:
10. Socks: Boring, but pretty much everybody needs them. Especially in the winter.
11. Watch: nothing too expensive. It's just a stocking stuffer.
12. Tie: Even if they don't dress up much now, they're going to need one eventually.
13. Belt
14. Hats and Gloves: You can never have too many, as they are always getting lost or left behind at school.
15. T-shirt: Roll it up and tie it with a festive ribbon.
16. Sunglasses
17. How about a
Harry Potter scarf? Just be sure to choose their favorite house.
18. Pajama Pants or Shorts:
Target always has a fun selection to choose from.
19. Baseball cap featuring their favorite team or high school mascot.
Something to read (or help them read):
20. Paperback Books: The Fablehaven series is a favorite around here.
21. Comic Books
22. Barnes and Noble gift card
23. Bookmarks
24. Magazine Subscription
25. Book light
Camping Gear: Even if your boys don't camp, they'll love this stuff.
26.
Survival Bracelet: If you haven't heard of these yet, it's time you did. And if you like to do homemade gifts, you can make your own.
We've made them for about $2 with supplies purchased in the fishing department of our local outdoor store. Here's a helpful
video tutorial. The idea is that you'll always have a handy piece of rope to get you out of any predicament. Which sort of makes your son feel like MacGyver.
27. Flashlight
28. Pocket Knife
29. Caribiner Clips
30. Headlamp: My boys would be ecstatic to find a headlamp in their stocking on Christmas morning. They would wear it all through Christmas break (especially to read in bed at night) and probably end up with some sort of permanent mark on their foreheads.
31. A compass, or a GPS, if you
really want to splurge. Or have a child who gets lost on a regular basis.
The latest technology:
32. Earbuds
33. Or some
earbud holders.
34. Thumb drive. I'm kind of partial to this
8GB Red Ninja Flash Drive. I mean, what boy doesn't love ninjas.
35. Phone Case
36. Mouse/mouse pad.
37. iTunes gift card. Because if they don't have Angry Birds Star Wars yet, they want it.
38. Laptop/phone skins:
Skinit.com has an amazing selection. You can even create your own design.
39. How about some
i-cloths, to clean up all of those techie gadgets.
Sports Equipment:
40. Golf balls and Tees
41. Water Bottle
42. Hockey Tape
43. Bike Computer:
This one from Schwinn tracks speed, distance, time, calories burned, and more.
44. Football or baseball gloves
45. Pedometer
46. Mouthguards: Kids who play contact sports can never have enough of these.
47. Swim goggles
48. Sweatbands: Trust me, that dodgeball movie made them cool again.
Games:
49. Card games or a deck of cards. Check out
Gamewright for tons of great card games, like GUBS. Most of their games are also available on
Amazon.
50. Rubik's Cube: Always a classic.
51.
20Q: This thing has been known to entertain my boys for hours. And being boys, they really enjoy thinking of words like toilet, vomit, and whoopee cushion.
52. Video Games: You don't want to spend an arm and a leg on stocking stuffers, so look for older games in the $20 or less range. And don't forget about buy back game stores, where you can get great deals on used games.
53. Speaking of video games, consider a gift card to a favorite video game store, like Game Stop.
54.
Spot It: It's like four games in one. A favorite at our house, and the perfect size for stuffing a stocking.
Homemade Gifts:
55. Make a coupon book with things to do with them or for them throughout the year (movies, ice cream, chore free day, water park, zoo, hike, favorite restaurant, or a "do whatever you want day."
56.
Marshmallow Shooters
57.
Chocolate Bar Snowmen and Santas from Martha Stewart
Junk Food: Because boys love to eat. Preferably things that will turn their fingers orange.
58. How about an entire 2 liter bottle of soda? Just put an orange in the toe and you're done!
59. A can of Pringles
60. Beef jerky
61. Pez Dispensers
62. Gum or breath mints.
63. Pop Rocks: I've seen a peppermint flavored Christmas version at Wal-Mart.
64. A gift card to a local candy shop, like
Rocket Fizz.
65. If sugary cereal is usually off-limits at your house, single serving cereals can be a fun, special treat. And they'll even double as Christmas morning breakfast!
Just for Fun:
66. Legos: Minifigures are the perfect size for stockings. These small
Lego Creator sets are another stocking stuffer favorite around our house. I've even found Target gift cards with small Lego sets included.
67. Movies on DVD or Blu-Ray. Don't forget to check the $5 bin at Wal-Mart.
68.
Xbox Live points card.
69. Or a
Wii points card.
70. Or
PlayStation.
71. Practical jokes, like
these from Restoration Hardware: My youngest got the pack of gum that snaps shut on your finger at Chuck-E-Cheese once, and he thought it was the best thing that ever happened to him.
72. Collections: Does the boy in your life have a collection? Add something to it.
73.
Thumb Wrestling Masks: Even my husband would enjoy these. Nachooooo!
74. Fast food restaurant gift card: Think McDonald's, Taco Bell, that sort of thing. Great for older kids who can leave campus during school lunch.
75. Movie Theater Gift Card: Especially good for older kids who like to go out with friends.
76. Action figures
77.
The Snowballer: perfect if you're expecting a white Christmas.
78. Gifts card for the local fun center. You know, the place with laser tag, mini golf, go karts and arcade games.
79. Cash: Wrap it around a favorite chocolate bar, or fold it into an
origami shirt.
80. Tickets to a concert or sporting event: A bit of a splurge, but definitely memorable! Just make sure you will be available to drive or come along if necessary.
