10 Adorable Baby Stocking Stuffer Ideas

Here are 10 thoughtful ideas to make your baby's first stocking a good one!

1. Teething Toys

Teething toys are soothing and fun for babies. And if you get the right ones, they'll be hanging onto them for months to come.  But not all teething toys are created equal. Some teething toys are a nightmare to clean or are full of toxic chemicals that I wouldn't want my baby knawing on all day long. Here are some tips that will help you narrow down your options for baby's first stocking: 

• Never opt for the teethers that are marketed to be frozen or refrigerated to help soothe baby's gums. These are often full of chemicals and run the risk of growing mold inside. 
• Plastic teethers are not ideal. Although having plastic toys isn't always a bad thing, if the whole goal is for your child to chew on it, plastic is not the material to use. 
• Avoid teethers that are hollow in the middle and air can be squeezed out. These kinds of teethers are known to have mold in the middle without you even realizing it. Your baby can be chewing and sucking on a mold-infested toy without you ever knowing. 

Try these popular teething sticks,  this 100% food-grade silicone teether, or a Natural Wooden Teething Ring.

2. Board Books

Board books foster early learning and are great for babies' little brains as they learn to flip through the pages, look at the pictures, and start to imitate what they hear when they are read to. It's always been important to me to choose books that are difficult to rip, easy to hold, fun to look at. 

Some tips when choosing board books to put in baby's first stocking: 

• Try to avoid books with peek-a-boo flaps at this age. Those are the ones that get ripped the easiest because babies aren't able to control how far they pull the flap just yet. These are best saved for next year. 

Instead, some favorites include “Guess How Much I Love You” and “The Very Hungry Caterpillar“.

3. Small Battery-free Toys

Obviously?  Not really. I've found that actually finding small toys that babies enjoy that aren't huge and obnoxious is quite hard. But there are a few essentials that I would recommend to any new mom. 

Some small toys that I would put in my baby's first stocking are:

• Suction spinner toys are a perfect screen-free distraction when you're at a restaurant, at the dinner table, or even attached to a mirror for some stimulating fun for your little one. 
• Wooden musical shake eggs are a fun toy that helps baby foster a love for music without all of the batter-powered, over-stimulating light-up toys that line the toy store shelves. 

4. Baby-safe Bath Products

I have three kids and I've always felt like finding good quality bath products was always the hardest task. I either found squirt toys that were mold's best friend, or complicated toys that took up so much space in our bathroom that it wasn't even worth it. So, finding toys for the bath that are:

• Safe
• Mold free 
• Easy to store

… is life-changing. 

• Stock up on gentle bath essentials like Tubby Todd's Baby Bubble Bath and Mustela Gentle Shampoo.
• Grab some bath time favorites like wind-up swimming toys, and stacking water toys.

5. Small Plush Toys

You know when you see perfectly stuffed stockings and you think “how did you get it to look so full and beautiful like that?!”…

It's because they added in a beautiful stuffy to hang out of the top of the stocking to give the feeling of excitement and anticipation for what's inside.

Adding a cuddly stuffed animal is a non-negotiable for baby's first stocking. 

• My favorite stuffies have always been Cuddle and Kind. They are the sweetest, most beautiful, high-quality stuffed animals with a bonus of donating meals to kids in need with every purchase. 
• I also love Warmies. Warmies are adorable, soft, cuddly stuffed animals that can be warmed to give extra comfort or cooled to soothe bumps and bruises. We LOVE to warm up our Warmies animals right before bedtime to get baby to soothe and snuggle up nice and easy. 

6. Pacifiers or Pacifier Clips

If your baby takes a pacifier, that's an obvious go-to for stocking stuffers for baby's first Christmas! Our family dentist recommended these orthodontic pacifiers but my babies always loved these ones no matter what I tried. Another fun pacifier option are the ones with cute stuffies attached! These ones are nice because they are much harder to lose!

Pacifier clips are another great way to help keep track of your pacifiers and lose less of them. Hook them to their shirt while walking around or to a blanket so that it's harder to drop and get left behind when out and about. 

7. First Christmas Ornament

Commemorate this special holiday with a Personalized ornament. Our family has a tradition where we get a new ornament for our tree each year. Obviously, the years when we've had babies always deserve a “baby's first Christmas” ornament. 

8. Feeding Accessories

Practical gifts include:

• Genius, game-changing products that keep baby's feeding and teething items within reach and off the floor at home and one the go!

9. Holiday Outfit Accessories

Complete your baby’s look with hats, headbands, and bows. 

• Hats
• Headbands
• Bows
• Hair ties

10. More Small Toys

If you've got the bulk of your baby's Christmas stocking done and you're looking to add some last-minute additions, here are some recommendations: 

• Toy car keys

• Melissa & Doug Multi-Sensory Soft Taco Fill & Spill toy

• TV remote teether
• Stackable teethers
• Crinkle toy

Your Baby's First Stocking Stuffer Ideas

Baby stocking stuffers can be simple, thoughtful, and fun. Which ideas will you try this holiday season? Share your favorites in the comments below. Wishing you and your family a magical holiday season!