Kids & Stocking Stuffers

I'm excited to announce part 2 of my 4th annual Holiday Gift Guide Giveaway! This year's gift guide is split into two posts. Today I'll be featuring gift ideas for kids & stockings. You can visit the other half (for parents & families), too!

I'll share a bit about each gift idea and at the end of the post you'll have the chance to enter a giveaway for ALL the gift ideas in that day's post! Between the 2 gift guide giveaways, I've partnered with each of the brands and will be giving away over $1800 CAD in prizes and I can't wait to see who the winners are!

Gift Ideas for Kids

Happy Self Journal

I was excited when I found the Happy Self Journal (which is like a gratitude journal & more) for kids! It's based on scientifically proven methods that promote happiness, develop healthy habits for life and nurture enquiring minds. With just a few minutes of focus each day, your kids are guided through expressing gratitude, reflecting on their emotions and thinking about their actions. The "HappySelf Junior" is meant for ages 6-12. The "HappySelf Journal" for ages 12+ is also featured in the Parents section of this year's gift guide. The winner of this year's giveaway will get to choose a journal of their choice from HappySelf!

Buzz Box Fun Kits

Buzz Box Fun Kits was started (by a 16 year old!) during the pandemic to provide a fun, safe, home-delivery solution for bored kids (aged 4-12) and busy parents. I have watched this business grow from a local delivery service to now shipping across Canada and the USA! With 12 fun themes to choose from, you can find a box perfect for your child (or a child you know)! We got a couple for our nephews (the robot & spy themed boxes) for Christmas; I think they're gonna love them! Katrina also got a box and the unboxing just kept going & going because there were so many fun items inside! We love the packaging (makes us think of a pizza box) and the personalized card inside- this would be another great way to send a gift for Christmas to someone you can't get together with in person this year!

furReal Mama Josie

My kids have always loved Hasbro's furReal Friends! At age 11, my youngest isn't as likely to gravitate toward new dolls but a special stuffed animal or something fun like a furReal friend still gets her excited! Our kids have received furReal friends as their special "main event" toy gifts on Christmas morning a couple of years. There's just something magical about how interactive they are! They're also super cute with all of the sounds they make and I love that this year's Mama Josie kangaroo comes with 3 little babies!

The Child (Animatronic Edition)

Talia has started watching The Mandalorian this year with Ken and like everyone else, she thinks The Child is the cutest little creature! Hasbro's The Child Animatronic Edition features motorized movements (head, ear, eye, arm movement & more) and sounds inspired by The Mandalorian. It also comes with a robe and removable necklace. Talia doesn't know about it yet because we're hoping to surprise her Christmas morning, but Ken has been just as excited to give it to her as I think she will be to receive it! Designed for kids ages 4+, I think it'll be a hit with a lot of older ages too. A hot ticket item this year, this is the only item on the gift guide that isn't included in the giveaway this year, but I just had to share it with you!

Books

My kids are big readers. We actually have to put limits on the amount of time they’re allowed to read in the summertime, or they will do nothing else! They have enjoyed Brandon Mull's children’s books about Pingo (an imaginary friend) and his chapter books in the Fablehaven and Dragonwatch series in the past, but it’s always extra exciting to get your hands on a newly released book from a series! You can enter to win Brandon's recently released Dragonwatch book, Champion of the Titan Games, by entering a separate giveaway over on this book review post!

Play-Doh Set

I have childhood memories (way back in the 80s) of playing with the Play-Doh Mop Top Hair Shop. I loved it! My kids have also loved Play-Doh and while they're into their tween & teen years, they'll still have fun sitting down to play with it when we pull it out. (Who doesn't love to create? I'll even get into it!). One of Play-Doh's newest this year is the Kitchen Creations Candy Delight Playset. It comes with 5 Play-Doh cans and a candy store of fun ways to get creative making "candy" (of course, only for play-eating, not actual consumption). You can win this Kitchen Creations set by entering the giveaway at the end of this post!

Botley 2.0 Coding Robot

My hubby and kids are big into science and technology. I love it when they can play and learn at the same time, so I thought Botley 2.0 The Coding Robot was such a great toy concept! It knows how to code right out of the box- it can code by color, and you can make it move in different directions and even put on a light show. It's created for ages 5-8 years and can be transformed into a train, police car, ghost, and more. Your kids can build coding sequences of up to 150 steps! This year's gift guide giveaway winner will win the Botley 2.0 coding robot with the Crashin' Construction Accessory Kit that comes with a set of STEM challenges for the robot. You can turn Botley into a wrecking ball or tow truck with a moveable crane attachment and adjustable plow arms. So many fun adventures await and your kids will boost their critical thinking, problem-solving and other STEM skills while having a blast!

Instax Mini 11

As a photographer, I love to get my kids interested in taking and printing photos! I wrote all about our experience with the Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 when Talia got it a few years ago, and Katrina got her own shortly after. This year's version is the Instax Mini 11 with some great new features including automatic exposure and one-touch selfie mode. These cameras are fun for kids of all ages (and even grown-ups). There are several accessories that go with an Instax mini (like camera cases and albums) and some extra film would make great stocking stuffers! I've teamed up with Fujifilm Canada to give the winner of this giveaway their very own Instax Mini 11 camera, so stay 'til the end to enter!

Stocking Stuffer Ideas

Hot Chocolate On A Stick

If you’ve followed my previous gift guides you know that Ticket Chocolate is one of my favorite special treats- I LOVE their ticket sticks! (Just imagine dipping one of these sticks into steaming milk to create a delicious, gourmet drink… or do like I love to do and lick the melty chocolate off the stick before it disappears into hot chocolate! These little delights are the PERFECT size to pop into a stocking which is why they’re on my list of stocking stuffers for this year’s gift guide! While you can't go wrong with any of their flavors, I definitely recommend the Vanilla Mint!

Happy Task Bookmarks

I mentioned earlier that my kids are big readers and what better gift for a reader than a special, customized bookmark? These bookmarks are engineered to not slip out of your book. They can be personalized with a name cut-out and are specially designed and 3D printed on biodegradable, non-toxic plastic. Guess what else? They're made by me! (Surprise! I created an Etsy shop!) Check out Happy Task to see what else I have available in my shop, including personalized and glow-in-the-dark bookmarks. The winner of the giveaway will win a bookmark from Happy Task! :)

Because you discovered Happy Task here, you can use the code RAISINGMEMORIES to get 25% off when you buy any bookmarks in the shop between now & Christmas!

Look me up on Instagram! :)

Loopy Case

I've been using a Loopy phone case for a couple of years now and can't imagine going back to a loop-less case! It gives my fingers a break because I don't have to stretch them all the way around my phone to get a good grip and it has saved my phone from plummeting many times. That said, the phone HAS plummeted and has been protected by the case- so far, no cracks! The loop is flexible so I can still get my phone into a flat pocket. I recently switched from the Jasper style to their new Tie Dye design (which makes me think of cotton candy!) ;) A new loopy case would be a great gift or stocking stuffer for anyone who uses a phone! The winner of the gift guide will get a $50 Loopy case gift code!

Instax Mini Film

If someone on your list is receiving the Instax Mini 11 camera (or if they already own an Instax Mini camera), then Instax Mini Film cartridges are the perfect stocking stuffer! It's like a renewal of a gift you already own! You can make this even more exciting by choosing one of the many film variations available- from black & white to different colours or prints on the borders! The winner of this year's giveaway will win both an Instax Mini 11 camera and a package of film so they can get started with it right away!

Keychain or Ornament

I'm not the only one in my family who has been busy making things! Talia (my 14 year old) is making these cute amigurumi whales (they can be ornaments, rearview mirror hangers, keychains, or just simple small stuffed animals). She even started an Etsy shop called The Chubby Whale. I love the idea of including something fun like this in a stocking, whether store-bought or handmade- and I had to share her little shop with you because I'm proud of her for giving it a try!

Win the Gift Guide Giveaway!

Here's your chance to enter to win all the prizes listed in this post! Just fill out the form below to enter (there are some optional entries- the more you do, the better your chances of winning!)

Contest is open to USA & Canada but a couple of items can only be sent to addresses in one country or the other. A second winner will be drawn to receive the prizes that cannot be sent to the first winner. Void where prohibited. Giveaway is open for more entries until the end of November.

PLEASE NOTE: I will contact the winner of the giveaway in December. I will contact them through email and I will not ask the winner to fill out a form. If you receive a DM through Facebook or Instagram from someone claiming that you have won a prize from my blog and asking you to fill out a form, you can be sure that that is NOT from me!

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Disclosure: All products included in this guide were chosen by me. Feature & Giveaway products have been provided by the companies listed, to facilitate this post & giveaway.