Stocking Stuffers for Baby

These small wooden balls from Haba are the perfect size for little hands to grasp. With a rattle, a squeaker, a clacker or a chime inside, each of these little toys provides a different type of fun for baby. The beautiful and non-toxic paint makes them visually striking, too. At just $6 each, you can throw more than one in baby's stocking this year.

Bath time is a lot more fun with silly puppet characters to play with! Zoo Mitts aren't just for fun, though. You can also use them as a wash cloth when it's time to get baby cleaned up. Each Zoo Mitt comes with one of Skip Hop's cool suction-cup bath hooks, too, so you can easily hang your mitt up to dry after the bath. You get two fun bath items for less than $10. Score!

Toddlers love to drink from a more grown up straw cup, but sometimes straws can make quite a mess. I love the Born Free Twist n Pop straw cup for two reasons - the straw doesn't come out of the cup when baby pulls on it, and there's no cap to lose. To close the cup, you just twist the top. Voila! You don't have to worry about the cap coming off in your bag and spilling water everywhere. These cups come in bright colors and are sized just right for toddler hands to hold. About $8 each.

These adorable wrist rattles are sure to get an "awwwww" when they come out of baby's stocking this year. Super soft organic cotton was used to create the tiny plush toys on Apple Park's wrist rattles. You can choose from several animal characters - lamb, bear, monkey, duck - or a sweet little flower. Even before baby is able to grasp toys, these sweet rattles can provide hours of interest. $16 each.

Sure, your baby is creative enough to pretend to chat on a banana, but an actual toy cell phone is a lot more durable. This cute little phone from Little Tikes has bright colors, flashing lights, silly sounds and buttons to push. There's a little mirror inside the flip phone for gazing at the most adorable baby ever, and pushing the number buttons makes a little electronic voice say the number out loud, so there's a lot of learning to be had alongside the imaginative play. Not bad for a $10 toy!

A new bath toy is a fantastic addition to baby's holiday stocking! Boon gives a new twist to the classic bath duckie with Odd Ducks. These ducks come in different shapes and textures, each with their own funky paint job. I'm partial to the hot-pink Jane Odd Duck, but there are several other wild colors available. Since baby toys often end up in baby's mouth, Odd Ducks are also BPA- and phthalate-free. About $5.

Munchkin's Snack Catchers make it easy for baby to carry a snack around without spilling it everywhere. Little handles on the sides are just right for grabbing, and the rubbery top flaps let little hands reach in for a treat but hold the snack where it belongs otherwise. The wide, rubbery base also keeps the snack cup upright and prevents slipping when it's used on a table or high chair. $4 each, or $7 for 2.

These bright-colored plush toys from Infantino are easy to take along with you when it's time to travel, thanks to a clip at the top that can attach the toy to a baby carrier or stroller. Lots of different Jittery Pals are available, from lions and monkeys to pink poodles and a hilarious moose. The dangly-gangly legs make these soft toys fun to shake, plus there's a vibration feature in the top string, so you can pull down on the animal and watch it shimmy back up. About $10.

A brand new teething toy is exactly the right size for a stocking stuffer, and the price is nice, too. Baby will love holding, shaking, touching and chewing on these fantastic teethers. A range of prices, sizes and materials means you can choose a teether that fits your baby and your budget.

For about $11, you can fill baby's stocking with 5 fun balls with a variety of textures and colors to hold baby's attention. The combination of prints, textures, and sounds creates a multi-sensory experience for your baby. You can roll them around, bang them together, hide them inside other toys, and whatever else baby can come up with to do during play time. Inexpensive and endlessly entertaining!