Looking For Non-Toy Stocking Ideas

Chapsticks, gloves (my kids especially like the magic stretch kind that are like $1 a pair) & hats, gift cards for the movies and big movie size boxes of candy, gift cards for Jamba Juice, etc., those bottles of body wash with the character heads or foam soap, lotion, magic wash cloths, flashlights, carabiners, bungee cords, music cd's, card games....you made me think about it, now I need to go shopping.

Stockings are my girls favorite memories of Christmas. I personalize each stocking to my kids. Each starts with a silver dollar in the toe, a personalized letter or mini album for each child (my husband contributes to this too:) and all end with a beanie baby. Stuff them with simple things they each love.

Didn't read all the comments so sorry if I repeat:
My MIL is great at stockings. She often does a pair of knit gloves, hand sanitizer, chapstick, etc. but one of the biggest hits was little LED keychain lights. They are super bright (almost like a laser pointer) that my husband and his brothers LOVED. Simon would probably love it, too.

We always got new pencils, a notebook, new crayons, a toothbrush (but a cool one). Little boxes of sugar cereal were always special. As we grew older - music, books. Now as a grown up - seeds, candy, a bulb ready to be forced -- but I would be happy for pencils, crayons now too. :) Pez dispensers (and a refill). Silly socks. Coloring books. My mom works at the local food co-op -- so there was always random lotions and other things she collected from vendors over the year.

POPTARTS... we have a tradition at our house called POPTART TUESDAY... they are not a staple in our house unless it's tuesday, the kiddo's get them in their lunches on that day and Santa always leaves a package of poptarts in their stocking every Christmas Eve... there are gingerbread flavored poptarts but my kids are crazy for the brown sugar cinnamon. Also, my grandma always gave us a chocolate letter... our initial... we have a dutch specialty store near us that sells them. I remember as a kid thinking it was so cool to get a chocolate letter S!

I've been following the Sew, Mama, Sew blog and they had a tutorial on handmade mustaches out of felt. I made a set of 4- one for each member of my family and it took about an hour. Think how incredibly cute your kids would be in mustaches! At the least, it will be a laugh and a half Christmas morning and a great picture!

Some favorites of my boys (now 24 and 18): harmonicas, pocket knives, carabiners, mini recorders, guitar pics (they then self-taught themselves with guitars from Santa), fishing lures, worms, etc., cds, flashlights, camping knick knacks, magnifying glasses, Legos (mini-kits), coin rolling papers, small locks with keys (a big hit), colored Duct tape (they create EVERYTHING!), cards, Poker chips (yes, poker chips), Burt's Beeswax, after shave like Dad's for fun, joke, riddle, and puzzle books. Oh the memories....I still put the like into their stockings. A college education hasn't diminished the wonderment of surprises at Christmas.

Someone may have written this, but we decide on season passes to something in the Atlanta area (Zoo, High Museum of Art, Aquarium, Children's Museum) Everyone gets that in their stocking and we are able to use that throughout the year. It is so fun to have them and have really discovered our area better.

We do GC's for the kids' favorite restaurants (yes, McD's and ChickFilA - I know: fast food, but they're always excited about these).
We've also done calendars (my daughter was really excited about a ChickFilA calendar one year - it came w/ coupons for free food) and lottery tickets. (Do you have a lottery in OR?)
Cute socks and hair stuff for girls are fun too.

I always loaded up my kids' stockings with new art supplies: markers, crayons, colored pencils, scissors, glue, glitter, etc. It was always fun to see what Crayola had out that was new or novel.

Bubble bath! We also always get a note from Helper the Elf. (He's our Elf on the shelf.) He tells the girls how proud he's been of them this Christmas season and the date they can expect him back next year.

My kids always get those tiny boxes of cereal, they get their stockings put on the ends of their beds - with the cereal, & usually a book, they then can have the one of the cereals for breakfast while we wait for the grandparents to arrive to open all the presents. They still love the tiny cereals - even as older teens.

Movie tickets- especially the ones with popcorn and coke- big hit with teenagers, college students, and newlyweds.
Also blockbuster cards for renting video games for my 8 year old will be in his stocking this year.

Crazy Foam!

LOVE the clip on light idea..my son is always wanting to turn on the light in the back of the van while we are driving..I am SO getting him one of those for the car..thanks for the idea!

Flashlights. Little kids love them; adults need them.

very cool idea!!!

This year I have dehydrated facecloths that look like a block and expand in the water and a funky calendar that's made out of lego type blocks. I'm on the hunt for some fun band aids (last year I found sushi band aids). King Arther flour has some children's baking kits and if small enough I'll put it in a stocking. Tickets to the ballet for my husband and to either the circus or a children's concert will be in my daughters this year. One year when I had my act together I put matching hand knit hats in my daughters' and husbands stocking - that was fun.

my mom STILL puts underwear in my stocking and i am 46!!!!!

School supplies! Crayons, papers, travel notepads, etc. Also, give the kids their own tape and tape dispensers. My kids are always taking mine, so this year, they're getting their own!

Scotch MAGIC tape; that's the bees knees.
Last year an online pharmacy was selling duct tape bandages so I got them for DH as a gag. HE LOVES THEM; he says that they 'hold' better than regular bandages (and they look SO AUTHENTIC). O_O
Around Christmastime I start paying attention to whatever gags, games, fun things we have going on around the house and then 'play it up' in the stockings. This past year 19yo DD 'chickened out' at the recruiter's station (she's still thinking about it), so I may get some Army/Navy/AirForce/Marine/Coast Guard fliers. LOL
I think that a good, small book is fun.
Magazine subscriptions (with one issue attached, of course).
A magic game or "gag gift" (7yo DD said, "rubber chickens make me laugh" one day this year... guess what she's getting!)
EXPERIENCES: tickets to a local theater, movie, amusement park, cooking classes, anything they're interested in (or you'd like them to get a try).
An easy game for Anna - and I made one a couple of years ago for my niece - print 2 each of the same photos of each person in the family. Cover the backing so that they're identical & voila! - you have a Memory Game! SO COOL and SO FUN.

My mom always said this was a back east tradition and I've been continuing it. She always put an apple, an orange, and a bunch of shelled nuts that we could use the nutcracker on.
My neighbors daughter actually said she is looking forward to getting a toothbrush in her stocking this year!

Small Magic tricks are fun - can find them for just a dollar or two, new pencils for school, stickers, gift card for new books, coloring or activity books (rolled up tied with a ribbon), dot to dot,

I don't have kids, but maybe some of this will apply... :) We do stockings for our parents and my "adult" brother every year, and one for a great-niece which was mostly filled with little toys and books. :)
Toothbrushes, toothpaste, gloves, socks, scented soaps or sachets, hot chocolate mix (found some at Target that had various flavors and were prettily wrapped), monogrammed notepads (Michaels).
And since mine were adult-oriented, I also included bags of coffee in some, tea bags, and gift cards for Audible, iTunes, etc.
Stockings are fun!!

Tickets are always good - an experience rather than another toy to take up space. Movies are inexpensive (as far as tickets go) and gift cards are convenient to buy.