The first mention of a Christmas stocking being hung by a chimney is in the story written by Clement Moore in The Night Before Christmas.
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that ST. NICHOLAS soon would be there…..
Traditionally the stocking would have been filled with small items like fruit, nuts and candy, but most of these items have been replaced with modern gifts, such as, the latest toys! Did you know – the largest Christmas stocking measures 51m 35cm in length and 21m 63cm in width (heel to toe) and was produced by the volunteer emergency services organisation in Carrara, Italy, on 5 January 2011 – imagine having to fill that with gifts!
To help you out with a little stocking inspiration we’ve put together our Top Five Stocking Fillers all under £6.00:
Paper Planes - Make 10 different paper planes following the step by step guide. Perhaps your little monsters could take on our Paper Plane challenge - How far can you throw your paper plane? The gauntlet has been thrown down by Liza Findlay-Wilson, aged 13, from the Cotswolds with her plane Stardust which reached 18ft. Price: £4.99, Age: 7+ years
Mosaic Masterpieces - Make 8 fun mosaic pictures with self-adhesive foam tiles. Simply tile by numbers, matching the tile colour toits number on the picture. Price: £4.99, Age: 5+ years
Bouncy Eyeballs (Horrible Science) Make eyeballs that bounce! You kids will find out how balls bounce and learn jazzy juggling, plus make one large eyeball and three small glow-in-the-dark eyeballs to terrify their friends. Price: £5.99, Age: from 8 years
Magic fun – great for the Christmas table entertaining Grandpa and Grandma; the kids will be able to amaze everyone with this minipack containing 3 magic tricks. Hours of fun! Price: £4.99, Age: 6+ years
Stain Glass book - 24 imaginative stained glass designs on translucent paper tocolour and display in the window. Price: £3.99, Age: 5+ years