November 1, 2026 • From the Ready Set Rackets coaches
Stocking stuffers for a toddler are tricky. Candy is gone in a minute, little plastic things get lost by lunch, and most of it does not survive the week. Here are ten stocking stuffers under $10 that a toddler who loves to move will actually use, picked the way we pick things for class: simple, safe and fun on the first try.
The best toy we know. Under $5 for a bag that lasts all winter. A balloon floats slowly enough for a toddler to actually hit, and it cannot break anything. Blow up one a day.
A three-pack of soft foam balls, about the size of a tennis ball. They roll, they toss, they bounce a little, and they do not hurt when they land on a sibling.
A roll of blue painter’s tape turns any floor into a court. Make a line to hop over, a box to stand in, a road for the sled pull. It peels off clean.
Two sturdy paper plates, a paint stir stick and a roll of tape, wrapped together. Your child decorates the plate and you tape it up. The how-to is here. Under $2 and it is the paddle we start every little one on.
Our printable: ten five-minute racket games on cards, a 30-day play calendar, a star chart for the fridge, six coloring pages and a certificate. $9.99, and you print it at home, so it fits in a stocking as a rolled-up set of cards. Grandparents can print it too. It is in the shop.
Our coloring book: twenty-five pages of Racky, balloons and big bouncy balls, with bold lines made for little hands and fat crayons. $9.99 on Amazon, or signed by Tyler in the book bundle.
Chunky crayons that do not snap. Pair them with the coloring book above and you have a quiet half hour on the holiday itself.
A sheet of stickers is a reward chart, a game marker and a prize, all at once. We hand one out every class. Toddlers would trade a car for a sticker.
A small one fits in a stocking folded (the collapsible kind) or leans next to it. Lay it on the floor and it is a target. Hold it up and it is a hoop to toss through. Stand in it and it is home base.
Rolled-up socks are the safest ball in the house. A pair with a silly pattern becomes the snowball, the toss ball and the thing they insist on wearing to the grocery store.
Anything with a tiny ball, anything that needs batteries, and a real paddle that is too heavy. A toddler’s hands and eyes are still learning to work together. Light, big and slow wins at this stage. The real paddle comes later, and here is how to pick it when it is time.
Everything on this list fits the five skills we work on in Ready Set Rackets classes: catching, carrying, sending, aiming and rallying. If you want the bigger list, our gift guide for toddlers who love to move has ten more ideas, most under $25.
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