Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Teens and Grown Kids that are Unique & Practical

I’m sharing Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Teens, stocking stuffers for kids, and grown kids. These stocking stuffers are unique & practical because we have had stocking gifts on our minds all week.

This post was originally written several years ago, but I still go back to it yearly to get ideas.

It started the other day when Becky was talking about finding a few stocking stuffers for the kids. It is easy when they are young… a little toy car or a small doll, but now it requires a little more planning. We don’t want to fill their stocking with candy, so we try to think of things they can use but also unique things.

As our kids have gotten older, it’s been trickier to find something that they are going to like but also something that they are going to use. Today, I’m sharing gift ideas that are gift ideas that are unique but practical. These are great for tweens, teens, and even grown children (I should know… I am one!)

Who Fills the Stockings?

With four children, with the youngest at age 7, we make it clear that Santa isn’t the only one who fills the stockings. Santa, Mom, and Dad can all add things.

We let our kids know we put things in the stocking, too. It isn’t just Santa that does it in our house. We can add to it before we go to bed- before Santa comes.

Why? Well, if our kids happen to see some of these things ahead of time in our room or the closet, and then it appears in their stockings or under the tree… it’s OK because Santa lets us add a few things. He’s jolly in that way, you know.

Practical Stocking Stuffer Ideas

We love finding unique ideas, so in addition to our 50 stocking stuffer ideas for kids, here are a few more…

1. A new Phone Case & protective glass covering

They know that people are going to drop their phones. We like gift ideas that are unique cases because they absorb the impact with multi-drop protection up to 16ft, & these cases kill germs!

2. Winter Accessories (beanies, gloves, scarves)

What makes it practical? I feel like this one is self-explanatory. Who doesn’t want to be warm when it’s cold outside? This does the trick.

Why it is Unique? There are so many options to make it unique but still practical! You can get text-friendly gloves, mittens, fingerless gloves, scarves with your initials on them, hats that cover your ears, decorative hats, and slim hats that fit in your pocket when you get to where you are going.

Who should you buy it for? Everyone.
Becky has fingerless gloves – she likes these because she is always helping the kids with something. They have a flap that she can put over her fingers when it gets too cold, turning the fingerless gloves into mittens.

Allie has a white hand muff. Becky ordered Allie a white fur hand muff last week, like the one she had when she was younger.

The boys and I have plain text-friendly gloves. We each have a few sets since we’ve been known to leave them at a game, on the bleachers or stadium seats.

3. Gift Cards

What makes it practical? I think everyone is happy with a gift card, but the key to making this a great gift is to consider where that person will be using it.

Why it is Unique? I like that gift cards can be used anywhere! One idea I like is to give a gift card with a piece of paper taped to it that shows a gift suggestion.

Using the phone case example from earlier: Give them a gift card to Best Buy or Amazon and include a sheet of paper that shows the tech21 phone cases that you like. Then you give them an idea (so it is unique), but they are picking it themselves (so it is still practical).

Who should you buy it for? Just about anyone.

💳For the kids, we like to gift cards to Amazon or to their favorite snack shop (for ice cream, freshly baked cookies, etc.)

💳 We also love subscription boxes and non-toy gifts for kids.

💳For Becky, I know she’d love a gift card to get her daily diet coke up the road or a gift card to rent a movie. Again, the gift card itself isn’t the only part of the gift. When you give a gift card like this, like the movie rental one, you are giving the idea with it. A movie rental gift card means she & I will rent a movie & hang out.

💳For adults, an Amazon gift card, a gift card for coffee, or a gift card to their favorite restaurant or store is key. Just knowing who you are buying is what is going to make this gift special.

Mickey Mansfield

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