Stocking Stuffers Babies Will Use

When it comes to stocking stuffers, babies can be a hard group to buy for. They are too young to play with most of the popular toys on the market and likely have more clothes, blankets, and burp rags than they know what to do with. Buying gifts for the future is impractical and items like diapers just do not feel appropriate to put in a stocking. As such, every year, parents of babies find themselves in the conundrum of trying to find stocking stuffers that babies will actually use.

While babies celebrating their first Christmas have no idea that Santa comes on Christmas Eve to fill stockings for all good girls and boys, parents still want to begin the tradition with their little ones of emptying their stockings and seeing what the man in red brought them. If the stocking stuffers are toys that are too advanced, babies will likely show little to no interest in what they received. However, if the stocking contains items that are tasty, work motor skills, or are pleasant to the eyes and ears, it is likely that pure excitement will be elicited from little ones on Christmas morning.

Here are stocking stuffers that babies will actually use.

6 "The" Lovey

By the time babies are born, they likely have amassed a few stuffed animals that are soft to the touch, are a favorite animal of the parents, or maybe even match the decor of the nursery. However, it is unlikely that a lovey, that stuffed animal that goes everywhere with a baby, has been chosen by the little one yet. As such, a lovey makes for a perfect stocking stuffer that will get used.

According to The Baby Sleep Site, many babies gravitate to one particular lovey to seek comfort. It can be a stuffed animal, small blankets that are part animal and part blanket, or other soft and soothing items. Whatever it may be, once a baby has made a bond with "the" lovey, it will be impossible to leave home without it.

The best time to introduce babies to a lovey, according to the publication is between four and nine months of age. And while babies should not sleep with their lovies until they are one year old, having them during the day will help them navigate new situations having their trusted lovey by their side.

5 Board Book

One of the best things that parents can do for their babies is to read to them. And by including a board book in the stocking that can be used at bedtime or other designated reading time per day, it is a given that this stocking stuffer will be used and not go to waste.

Even though they may not be able to talk, babies can begin to learn words and copy the sounds that they hear from their parents when they are read to, according to KidsHealth. They also work on their social development and thinking skills when read to, per the publication.

As such, include a couple of board books in babies' stockings and enjoy the time spent together exploring the world that unfolds from the story in the book.

4 Teether

When babies begin to teethe, there is no warning that it is about to happen. As such, by putting a teether in the stocking, there is an almost 100 percent guarantee that it will get some good use.

According to What To Expect, there are several different types of teethers on the market. They range from teething rings made of plastic or wood, teething toothbrushes, teething blankets, and teething toys.

There is no telling which teether a baby is going to take to. As such, many parents choose to purchase a few different types to ensure that when teething does strike, they are prepared. And a great way to do that is to include them in the stocking.

3 Baby Snacks

Depending upon the age of babies at Christmas, including a pre-packaged snack that babies have taken to is a sure-fire way to make sure that a stocking stuffer gets used.

Be it puffed snacks, yogurt-based snacks that melt in the mouth, or even pouches that contain yogurt or apple sauce, babies who are on solid foods have likely chosen one snack food they really enjoy. As such, have Santa give them one or more as part of their stocking stuffers, and watch a child get excited about what is in their stocking.

2 Rattles

Rattles are toys that stimulate babies' brains from when they are newborns to the time they are more independent. As such, making one a stocking stuffer is ensuring that the rattle will get played with for a long period of time.

According to VeryWell Family, when newborn babies hear a rattle, they want to turn their heads to see where the noise is coming from. They will also track the object with their eyes as the rattle moves.

As babies get older and have more control over grasping objects, they may want to hold the rattle in their hands with all of their strength. While they are not ready to rattle it yet, according to the publication, they are working their motor skills to get to the point where rattling will occur with great consistency. And once that happens, there will not be a quiet moment had in the house!

1 Bath Toys

Bath times for newborn babies means getting in and out of the tub in as short a time as possible. But, when babies are slightly older and want to play and splash in the water, bath toys make a great addition to their bath time fun.

According to BabyList, when babies are in the water with bath toys, they get to experience a whole new "sensory experience" than they would when playing on the floor. They get to see what happens when toys are pushed to the bottom of the tub and pop back up, see how they suck in water and squirt it out, and even get to play with different textures of toys.

When bath toys are added to bath time, babies will not want to get out. This makes bath toys a stocking stuffer that will get used, without a doubt!

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