Christmas
Stumped for Stocking Stuffers What Your Children Really Want to See in Their Stockings This Holiday Season
By
Nov 14, 2005, 22:43

(ARA) - Bored with buying the same old stocking stuffers every year? Looking for new and imaginative gift ideas sure to please your children? In order to be successful in your stocking stuffer venture, you’ll have to get creative . . . very creative. Here are some helpful hints that will guide you along on your stocking stuffer shopping endeavor:
Think of favorites. What are your child’s favorite animals, sports, characters, colors, candies or foods? Include favorites as stocking stuffers and you’re guaranteed a smiling child this holiday season. If they collect something (action figures, baseball cards, Beanie Babies) – throw one in as a stocking stuffer for a guaranteed hit.

Mini games or card games. Travel-size editions of your child’s favorite games or card games that can be played in the car are good examples. They have the added benefit that they can be used to occupy the children on any future long car rides or visits to grandma’s house.

Educate them. School supplies are often overlooked as stocking-stuffer items, but shouldn’t be! These gifts can be used throughout the year and will probably need to be purchased regardless. Think your child won’t like gifts related to school? Try something new that can enhance their learning and still grab their attention. The unique Mark-My-Time digital bookmark is the perfect fit for a stocking stuffer – colorful, slim and reasonably priced at under $10.

You’ll be amazed at how excited your kids will be about reading when they can electronically record their daily reading times. A countdown timer and alarm tells them when they’re done, or they can set a cumulative time and watch the minutes add up throughout the day. It’s a great feeling when they can see how much progress they’ve made. They will actually look forward to picking up a book and reading again. In addition to serving as a useful tool during reading sessions, the Mark-My-Time digital bookmark is also ideal for timing music practice sessions, timed math fact activities, meetings and homework study sessions.

Start a tradition with ornaments. Many families enjoy giving each member a special ornament as a stocking stuffer to open and then hang on the tree. When kids grow up and move out, their own ornament collection begins with the set of 18 or so ornaments they’ve received throughout childhood. Finding ornaments that commemorate a special memory for that year adds a special touch.

Arts and crafts. What child wouldn’t love a box of his or her very own brand-new markers or crayons? Kids love to create and draw, so, like the school supplies, these are probably gifts you will end up buying at some point anyway. Coloring books, colored Post-its, gel pens, colored pencils and paints are not only a popular choice, they can also be used for other activities well after the holiday season has passed.

Wrap it. If you can find the time, wrapping each stocking stuffer makes the opening even more fun. It’s the perfect way to use up all those leftover scraps of paper from wrapping your larger Christmas gifts. You can also leave one or two items unwrapped and sticking out of the top of the stocking.

Whether it’s with an ornament, school supply or arts and crafts item, take the extra time this holiday season to match your child’s unique personality and interests with just the right stocking stuffer. The smiles on your children’s faces when they peek inside their stocking will be worth the effort.

To order the unique Mark-My-Time digital bookmark or to locate a retailer, visit www.mark-my-time.com. Courtesy of ARA Content

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