Stocking fillers are fun to give, but after the third bag of chocolate coins and the fourth plastic trinket you know how it goes. Your child is happy for two minutes and then it disappears into a drawer. It can be different. With a few small gifts your child can actually make something with, the stocking becomes something to look forward to, for you too. Below you will find ten ideas, from free to around ten or twenty euros, plus tips for spreading them out over December.

What makes a good stocking filler?

Three things. It is small, because it has to fit in the stocking. It is not too expensive, because the big presents go under the tree. And ideally it is something to do. A gift that keeps a child busy for half an hour always beats a gift that only sparkles.

10 stocking fillers for creative kids

1. A new sketchbook with chunky wax crayons

From age 3. Simple, cheap and it works every year. It gets more fun with a little note from the elves: "Draw what you would pack for a trip to the North Pole."

2. A cardboard craft kit

For ages 3 to 8. A cardboard craft kit like the hippo folds together without glue or scissors, and afterwards your child colours it in. Two activities in one gift, and it lies flat in the stocking.

3. Stickers and a roll of painter's tape

Sounds dull, but with painter's tape you can lay out a road network on the floor or a hopscotch course in the hallway. It peels off without leaving marks. Add stickers and your child is busy for an afternoon.

4. A stencil book for the 3D pen

From age 6, for children who already own a 3D pen. The XXL stencil book with tracing sheet has dozens of examples to trace. Handy when freehand drawing is not quite there yet, or when the first stencils are known by heart.

5. New filament colours

Also for the kids with a pen. Filament runs out before you know it, and a set of twenty colours feels like a gift rather than a refill. Do check which pen is in the house: the wireless starter kits and the Race Kit use PCL filament, the XXL starter kit uses PLA. The two are not interchangeable.

6. An LCD drawing tablet

A slightly bigger budget, but it fits in the stocking. On an LCD drawing tablet your child draws, wipes it and starts again, without paper or pens on the sofa. Great for the car ride to the grandparents in December.

7. Stencils with moving animals

From age 6, again for the pen owners. Animal stencils you trace and then really make move with a small mechanism. A nice next step after the flat figures.

8. A mission card from the elves

Free and often the most popular. Write a mission on a card: "Build a sleigh from things you find in the house" or "Make a hat for the cat, without the cat." Children find a mission more exciting than a thing, especially when a reply from the elves is waiting the next morning.

9. A small game for the table

A memory game, a card game or a mini puzzle. The gift itself is modest, playing it together at the table is what sticks.

10. The classic

A chocolate Santa or a candy cane simply belongs. Alternate it with the hands-on gifts above and it stays special.

Stocking fillers by age

• Ages 3 to 5: big and simple. Crayons, the cardboard craft kit, stickers. No small parts.
• Ages 6 to 8: something to make with a little explanation. Stencil book, filament, stencils or the drawing tablet. From age 6 a wireless 3D pen is suitable, but save that one for under the tree.
• Ages 9 to 12: they usually know how it works, and that is when the mission card becomes fun. The drawing tablet and their own designs with the 3D pen also suit this age well.

How to spread it out over December

Many families give small surprises in the run-up to Christmas, on St Nicholas Day or on the Advent Sundays, and keep the stocking for Christmas morning. Buy everything in one go at the start of the month and put it away. That saves a panicked trip to the shops on a Wednesday evening.

Alternate a hands-on gift with a treat. And if a 3D pen is going under the tree, put the stencil book or the filament in a small package a week earlier. That way the fun starts early and there is something to get going with right away on the day itself.

Frequently asked questions

How much do you spend on a stocking filler?

Most parents keep it between 2 and 10 euros. A pricier gift such as a drawing tablet you give once in the whole season, the other times you keep it small.

When do you give the small gifts?

There is no rule. Many families do one or two small surprises a week in December and keep the stocking for Christmas morning. Agree on it beforehand, then there is no discussion when an evening passes without a gift.

From what age can you put 3D pen items in the stocking?

The wireless 3D pens from Fits4Kids are suitable from age 6. A stencil book or filament only makes sense if there is already a pen in the house, or if one is coming at Christmas.

Which filament fits which pen?

The wireless starter kits and the Race Kit use PCL filament, the XXL starter kit uses PLA. Check the pen or the box before you order.

Check the cupboard to see which pen is there, take the list above and pick two. That is the first stocking sorted.