What are the best stocking stuffers for kids?
The answer is obvious!
Games that will keep the kids busy for days and days after Christmas is over. Games that keep them thinking, strategizing and testing their luck.
But these stocking stuffer games are not just for kids, oh no! The entire family will enjoy playing these games all year round.
With that in mind, I have curated this gift guide with our favorite stocking stuffer games. I included several types of games, and all are just the perfect size to slip into the Christmas stocking after putting out a plate of cookies for the big guy (Santa, not your eldest kid).
So much better to find these treasures in your Christmas stocking than a handful of coal, right? So I certainly hope everyone has been good this year...
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Logic Game Stocking Stuffers
Kanoodle. My kids have played this pocket-sized game off and on now for several years and it has been such a mainstay of quiet time in our home that I've recommended it several times on this blog! The newest version has 200 puzzles ranging from easy to very difficult. I love that it comes in a little carrying case which, when open acts as the board for the 2D puzzles and when closed is the board for the 3D puzzles.
IQ Logic Puzzles. When you want a portable puzzle that will work those thinking muscles on the go and which doesn't use a screen to entertain, these two logic games are exactly what you need. From personal experience I know the IQ family of games will also keep kids busy on long trips! Games are played by solving puzzles by fitting irregularly shaped pieces on the game board.
Micro Simon. I don't know if Simon counts as a logic game, per se, but it surely requires quick thinking and good memory skills! Parents probably remember playing this memory sound game and competing against friends to see who could recall the longest sequences of sounds and colors!
MORE: Be sure to snag a few single player logic games because parents need a little rest after getting up at 5:01 am to see what Santa brought.
Card Game Stocking Stuffers
Dog Man Hot Dog Card Game in a Tin. Got a Dog Man fan? For kids who get frustrated by strategy games, or those who enjoy a good fast-paced game where everyone is on equal footing, this is a silly card game that will make everyone laugh. Fortunately, even though the goal is to collect as many hot dogs as you can, you aren't required to eat any of them.
Phase 10. This is one of my older son's favorite card games! One year he and my mother played the game about 25 times over the course of a week! It's been around since the 1980s and I always know I can count on games that have stood the test of time. It is based on Rummy but with a clever twist. This is definitely a favorite in our house.
Uno. Honestly, you can't go wrong with this perennial favorite, and if your family doesn't already have a deck of Uno cards, I really don't know what you are waiting for. 🙂 There are also a bazillion different versions, so if you love the game already, there is a clever twist version waiting for you.
MORE: 10 Card Games Every Kid Should Know
Themed Playing Card Deck
Fun choices: Unicorn playing cards | Space (NASA) playing cards
If you have kids you have probably experienced sitting down to a card game and realizing there are fewer than 52 cards in your deck! But where are the missing cards? Who knows! We have several incomplete decks that hang out in our game card box waiting for a purpose in life and I love to put a fresh new themed deck in their Christmas stocking or hand them out on Hanukkah so the kids can play a few rounds of War or Spit before dinner. I even own a unicorn deck for my inner 8-year-old.
MORE: Use your new deck to play Garbage or Go Boom!
Rook is a classic game that I remember playing at my grandparents when I was young. You can play with 2 players but it is excellent for playing as teams. This fast-paced game involves bidding, tricks and trumps!
Illustrated Card Game
Fun choices: Crazy 8s | Snap! | Go Fish! | Dinosaur Rummy
I absolutely ADORE eeboo's card games illustrated by children's book illustrators. We have a few of these because I can't resist a deck of cards illustrated by Chris Raschka!
Dice Game Stocking Stuffers
LCR Wild Dice Game. We love the original LCR game and this "wild version" with some alternative game play options looks fun. LCR is a game for at least 3 players and consists of dice and chips. The rules are simple and the instructions are easy! Players pass chips to either their left, right or pop them in the center of pot depending on what they roll. This is a version of a traditional dice game, Aces in the Pot.
MORE: Favorite Dice Games for Kids to Keep Them Off Screens!
Pig Dice Game. This is a cute version of the traditional dice game PIG in a handy-dandy, stocking-stuffer sized container! The company makes several themed dice games that come in these little cylinders. I also love the sound of this Train Dice Game. Any kid would be delighted to find one of these cute dice games in their Christmas stockings this year.
Farkle. Farkle is an incredibly popular dice game. It is fun, fast, easy to learn, and not just for kids! In a twist on the original Farkle, any points you earn may not be yours to keep. If the original Farkle is too large for a stocking, we also love the card version, Farkle Flip, which was one of our games of the month.
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