25 Amazing stocking stuffers for Preschoolers that support their development
As the holiday season approaches, parents and caregivers often seek thoughtful stocking stuffers for preschoolers that not only bring joy but also contribute to a child’s growth and development.
Stocking stuffers are a fantastic opportunity to sneak in some fun, developmental toys and tools that can enhance a preschooler’s motor skills, sensory processing, and cognitive abilities.
This post was created by Marra Robert, OTD, OTRL and contains affiliate links.
Hi! My name is Marra and I’m a mama of a sweet preschooler and a pediatric occupational therapist who has years of experience working with children with different developmental needs and helping their parents navigate the ups and downs of child development.
I loved being a support person for parents learning about child development, different developmental skills, sensory processing, and their child’s individual needs.
I would often recommend to families toys or sensory equipment to help improve their child’s sensory processing and developmental skills. I’d like to share the most common recommendations with you that would make great stocking stuffers for your kids.
In this blog post, we’ve curated a list of 25 stocking stuffers for preschoolers, all of which are designed to support various aspects of development.
These items are small enough to fit in a stocking but pack a big punch in helping children develop important skills. Each item includes a direct link to purchase on Amazon, making your holiday shopping a breeze!
THE TOP 15 STOCKING STUFFERS FOR PRESCHOOLERS
Play-Doh Starter Set
Play-Doh is a classic toy that helps strengthen fine motor skills and encourages creativity. Manipulating the dough enhances finger strength, dexterity, and bilateral coordination.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: It encourages creative play while improving hand strength and dexterity.
Melissa & Doug Lacing Beads
These oversized wooden beads are perfect for little hands. Lacing them onto a string helps preschoolers practice fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, while also learning about shapes and colors.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers:: Lacing beads build concentration and fine motor control, foundational skills for writing.
Crayola Washable Markers
Crayola’s markers are a fun way for kids to explore drawing and writing without the worry of permanent stains. These washable markers promote creative expression and help improve pre-writing skills.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Encourages creativity while refining fine motor skills necessary for writing
Squigz Suction Cup Building Set
Squigz are innovative building toys that stick to each other and various surfaces. They’re not only fun but help develop spatial awareness, motor planning, and problem-solving.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Excellent for enhancing spatial awareness and fine motor skills.
Lego Duplo Blocks
Lego Duplo blocks are designed for younger children and are perfect for building creativity, problem-solving, and fine motor skills. The larger size makes them safe and easy for preschoolers to handle.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Promotes imaginative play and supports hand-eye coordination.
Tangle Fidget Toy
This sensory toy is perfect for busy hands, offering a calming effect for children who need to fidget. It’s also great for improving fine motor dexterity and bilateral coordination.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Helps children focus and stay calm while improving hand strength.
Melissa & Doug Wooden Puzzle Set
This set of wooden puzzles offers opportunities for kids to develop problem-solving skills, visual perception, and hand-eye coordination. The chunky pieces are easy for little hands to manipulate.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Enhances cognitive development and problem-solving skills.
VTech Touch and Teach Word Book
This interactive book encourages vocabulary development while improving fine motor skills. It introduces words, letters, and sounds in an engaging and fun way.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Supports early literacy skills while developing fine motor abilities.
Fat Brain Toys PipSquigz
These suction toys provide tactile stimulation and can be used in multiple ways to support sensory exploration and fine motor development.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Fantastic for sensory play and promoting motor skills.
Melissa & Doug Cutting Food
This pretend food set comes with velcro pieces that allow preschoolers to “cut” with a wooden knife. It’s great for practicing bilateral coordination, motor planning, and imaginative play.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Teaches children about healthy foods while supporting hand strength and coordination.
Crayola Color Wonder Mess-Free Coloring Kit
This kit features special markers that only work on Color Wonder paper, ensuring a mess-free experience. It allows children to practice their coloring skills while reducing stress for parents.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Enhances creativity without the mess, promoting fine motor skills and color recognition.
Learning Resources Mini Motor Math Activity Set
This toy set comes with colorful cars and math activities, encouraging early counting, sorting, and fine motor skills as children move the cars around.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Combines early math skills with fine motor development and imaginative play.
Melissa & Doug Deluxe Water Wow! Coloring Books
These reusable water-reveal activity books are mess-free and promote fine motor skills, creativity, and hand-eye coordination. Simply add water to the brush and watch the pictures come to life!
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Encourages fine motor control and creativity with no mess involved.
Learning Resources Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog
This fun and colorful hedgehog comes with chunky pegs for little hands to grasp and insert into holes, helping to strengthen fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and color recognition.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Promotes fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and sorting abilities.
Fat Brain Toys Dimpl Toy
This sensory toy features silicone “bubbles” that can be pushed in and out, providing tactile stimulation and fine motor practice for preschoolers. The compact size makes it ideal for on-the-go play.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Supports sensory exploration and fine motor development.
Wikki Stix
These wax-coated strings can be bent and twisted into endless shapes, promoting creativity, fine motor skills, and tactile feedback. They are great for imaginative play or as a quiet fidget toy.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Encourages creativity while improving hand-eye coordination and dexterity.
Boon Building Bath Pipes
These bath toys encourage imaginative water play while enhancing fine motor skills and sensory experiences. Preschoolers can build different pipe combinations and watch how water flows through them.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Supports problem-solving skills and sensory play during bath time.
Melissa & Doug Wooden Stamps Set
This stamp set includes various wooden stamps and washable ink pads, allowing preschoolers to create pictures while practicing fine motor skills and creative expression.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Encourages creative play while supporting hand strength and coordination.
Educational Insights Playfoam
These colorful eggs are great for shape sorting and color matching, promoting cognitive development and fine motor skills as kids open the eggs to reveal chirping chicks.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Encourages problem-solving and fine motor skills through play.
ThinkFun Roll & Play Game
This beginner’s game helps preschoolers follow directions, identify colors, and practice gross motor skills as they roll a large cube and act out activities.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Encourages physical activity while developing social and gross motor skills.
Melissa & Doug Magnetic Wooden Fishing Game
This magnetic fishing game helps develop hand-eye coordination, motor planning, and patience as children try to “catch” the fish using a magnetic fishing pole.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Supports hand-eye coordination and concentration through fun play.
Melissa & Doug Jumbo Triangular Crayons
These durable, non-toxic crayons have a unique triangular shape that encourages a proper pencil grip, helping preschoolers develop fine motor skills while exploring creativity through drawing.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Helps build proper hand positioning and enhances creative expression.
Skoolzy Nuts and Bolts Fine Motor Toy
This set of colorful plastic nuts and bolts encourages children to match shapes and colors while practicing fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. The twisting action builds hand strength and dexterity.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Strengthens finger muscles and promotes problem-solving skills.
Janod Magnetibook
This magnetic book comes with pieces that kids can arrange to create various faces, animals, or scenes. It promotes creativity, visual motor skills, and problem-solving.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Supports imaginative play and spatial awareness while building fine motor control.
Rainbow Counting Bears with Sorting Cups
These colorful bears are perfect for teaching preschoolers about counting, sorting, and color recognition. They come with cups to sort into, helping to improve fine motor control and cognitive skills.
Why these are great stocking stuffers for preschoolers: Combines early math concepts with fine motor development.
