As a child, one of my favorite Christmas morning moments was going through the goodies that Santa left in my stocking! With wide eyes, I would take in all of the unexpected treasures that filled it – figurines, knick-knacks, travel games, and other delights. Playing with each one made the day even more special, and I strive to create the same experience for my kids each year.
As an Amazon Influencer, I’ve included commissioned links for some of the suggestions. I may make a small commission if you use one of the links to make a purchase (at no cost to you).
Dance Essentials
- Dancer Emergency Kit – From the makers of the RhinoStone Board! It has everything you need for competition emergencies. Includes a clear makeup bag that contains body tape (and a refill), hair ties, hair clips, bobby pins, lip balm, a hot/cold pack, adhesive bandages, a small empty mist bottle you can add your own hairspray to, and a small compact that opens to a hair brush, mirror and a sewing kit.
- Dance Bag Cleaner – Ever notice that lower of crumbs and crust that seems to congeal at the bottom of the dance bag? This reusable ball gathers all the lint, debris, and other goo to keep it clean!
- Portable Speaker – Being able to hear the music will definitely help your dancer rehearse, but sometimes the speakers on cell phones are not terribly powerful.
- Massage balls and rollers – Perfect for throwing in a dance bag or locker, your dancer can work out the kinks to relieve minor aches and pains. This set has three spiky balls, each with a different degree of firmness.
- Audition number magnets – Save those expensive dancewear pieces from being pierced with a safety pin. Instead, use magnets to adhere numbers to your dancer for conventions and/or auditions. Attraction Magnets and Pins Dream On are two small businesses that make great ones!
- Fitness towels – Newsflash: Dancers sweat! Having an absorbent towel handy is a godsend after an intense class. Buying a multi-pack (like this one) will ensure that your dancer always has a fresh one.
- Blister pads – Dancers are on their feet for countless hours, so having these in the dance bag can be a lifesaver. We have these Gaynor Minden Dancers’ Dots.
- Dance socks – Popular in convention classes, regular dance classes, and even onstage, the premier name in dance socks is Apolla. Bloch also makes some as well (they’re called Blochsox).
- Stretch bands – No matter what your dancer’s flexibility goals are, a stretch band can help to reach them! Choose from looped, over-the-door, and multi-looped strap options (we have this one from Sankuu).
- Notebooks – Whether it’s writing down critiques, goals, or reminders, having a dance notebook on hand can help your dancer stay on top of things. This one features an inspirational message on the front.
- Dance shoe bags – Keep your dancer’s shoes separate (but able to breathe) with mesh bags, like these.
- Jewelry Cases (Personalized) – These by Bright Side NJ are fantastic (actually, anything from them is great)! Personalize them with your dancer’s name and a silhouette for a fabulous, functional stocking stuffer.
Hair and Beauty
- Travel Makeup Mirror – The lighting on this mirror guarantees that your dancer will be able to check their makeup, even in the darkest of dressing rooms.
- Spa Headband Sets – This set of headbands, wrist bands, and hair clip helps keeps hair back during skincare routines.
- Pimple Patches – No one wants pimples, but dancers that will be taking the stage needs a way for those blemishes to get gone.
- Hair elastics – Let’s be honest – these are ALWAYS in high demand! Find a cute assortment for younger dancers to brighten up their stockings.
- Bows, headbands, scrunchies and other hair accessories – When my girls were younger, they loved having hair bows that coordinated with their dance outfits. Nowadays, they’re more into scrunchies (although matching them with their clothes seems to be more of an afterthought these days).
- Makeup – Mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow palettes, makeup brush sets, and everything in between can be stuffed in a stocking! Your dancer will probably need these items for dance anyway, so you earn practical gift points.
- Makeup bag – Having a cute cosmetics bag to keep those makeup pieces together is essential! This one has a fun design!
- Makeup Remover Cloths or Wipes – Dancer can’t wait to take their “faces” off after a long day. Make it a little easier with makeup wipes or reusable cloths (like these).
- Bath supplies – My girls love bath bombs, bubble bath or foaming bath, bath poufs, and more to give themselves a nice treat after a long dance day. You can find so many of these items at your local dollar store (click here for Dollar Store Finds for Dancers for more ideas).
- Facial sheets – To add to their fun spa nights, my girls will break out a facial sheet for a more indulgent experience. These feature animals; they’re so cute!
- Mini manicure set – Dancers need to keep their nails trimmed and neat, so this is a useful tool set to keep handy.
- Lotions – Small bottles of scented lotions are fun and useful, helping to keep dry winter skin at bay. This Tips and Toes set by Burt’s Bees is fantastic!
- Hand sanitizer – My girls love scented hand sanitizers, or the cute little holders that are available for the standard mini hand sanitizer bottles.
- Lip balm set – I don’t know about your dancers, but my girls’ lips get as dry as sawdust during the winter months. This set from Cliganic has gotten some solid reviews!
Games and Activities
- Activity Books – Coloring books (even for older kids, like this one), mazes, Sudoku, crossword puzzles, word searches, and Mad Libs (check out this Dance Mania version) make for great, therapeutic ways to pass the time.
- Books – Yes, they’re still a thing! Biographies of well-known dancers (the Misty Copeland Young Readers’ Edition is great for kids, and Taking Flight was a fantastic read for older readers who are able to deal with more mature content) are a wonderful source of inspiration. You can easily find books about dance history, specific movements in dance, health and wellness, and countless other topics.
- Travel Games – LCR, Uno, Spoons, puzzles, sticker books, and other games are perfect for when your dance family is on the road, or in between performances at competitions and recitals.
Jewelry
- Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, and keychains can become especially beloved keepsakes when they depict a sweet sentiment or deliver an inspirational message.
- Travel jewelry box – Keep track of all of those bling-blings is tough, so a small travel box is a godsend! Want a personalized one? We have this one from Bright Side NJ and LOVE IT!
Novelties and More
- Phone Screen Cleaner – You know they’re on their phones ALL the time, and the screens become a cesspool of contagion. Give it a quick spritz and a wipe, and you’re good to go!
- Iced Drink Cup Sleeve – What is it about this generation of dancers that they love their iced drinks? Keep them cold with these decorative cup sleeves.
- Flash Drive – My girls fill up their phones with apps, videos, and pictures, so having extra storage capacity really helps.
- Croc Charms – If your ballet dancer loves Crocs, they’ll LOVE this assortment of charms!
- Stickers – Fun stickers that go on laptops, notebooks, water bottles, and more help them showcase their love for dance! This set is great for ballerinas and this assortment is great for all dancers.
- Glow gloves or shoelaces – Is there a better way to have fun with movement than with light-up or glow accessories? Turn out the lights and have a dance party!
- Smartphone holder – You can easily find a fun and functional cell phone holder that your dancer will love (and actually use). Find a variety of dance-themed PopSockets here.
- Candy and snacks – One of my son’s favorite stocking stuffers one year was Hershey bars (seriously). If your child has a favorite candy or snack, why not let them indulge during this special time of year?
- Art supplies – To create and/or decorate vision boards, posters, and notebooks, your dancer will need some basic art supplies.
- Tattoo markers – Dancers are typically a little “extra,” so allow them to express themselves even more with these tattoo markers! Just watch the age suggestions, and make sure they don’t get into them the night before a competition!
- Novelty socks – What is it about teens and tweens that they love novelty socks? Some of my girls’ favorites are these Degas socks (and I love these funny ones), but there is no shortage of options out there!
- Journal and/or Diary – One of the most popular suggestions for self-care is journaling. Let your dancer start this helpful habit early! Here’s a fun unisex design.
- Gift cards – It’s what the kids seem to want the most these days! My girls’ favorites are Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts, fast food restaurants, and Lululemon. Convenience store cards are great too – remind them to bring them along during dance travel days, so your pockets don’t get sucked dry.
A little word of advice – keep track of the stocking stuffers you buy before the big day. I MAY have over-bought on occasion, having misjudged the amount that I had previously purchased before loading up on more goodies.
I truly hope you found some of the suggestions helpful, and will use them as inspiration for finding fun stocking stuffers for your dancer.
wow! Very nice