Christmas is one of the biggest buying seasons of the year for toy retailers, schools, PTAs, Santa's grottos and festive events – but choosing the right Christmas toys and gifts isn't always easy.
From inexpensive stocking fillers and festive novelties to squishies, crafts, plush toys and small games, shoppers are looking for affordable gifts that still feel fun and exciting.
In this guide, we've brought together some of the most popular types of Christmas toys and stocking fillers for 2026, along with ideas for retailers, Christmas fairs, schools and anyone buying festive toys in bulk.
What Makes A Great Christmas Best Seller?
Not every successful Christmas product needs to be the latest must-have toy.
For many retailers and festive events, smaller affordable gifts can be just as important. Parents need stocking fillers, children want inexpensive treats and schools and PTAs need prizes and gifts that allow them to work within a sensible budget.
Popular Christmas products tend to have a few things in common:
- Affordable price points
- Strong visual appeal
- Easy-to-understand play value
- Suitable for gifting
- Popular themes or current toy trends
- Small enough for stockings and Christmas Eve boxes
- Good perceived value for the price
Novelty is important too. A toy that makes someone stop, pick it up and try it can be particularly effective in a retail environment.
1. Christmas Stocking Fillers
Small toys remain an essential part of Christmas.
Parents and grandparents often look for inexpensive presents to fill stockings without buying another large main gift, making pocket money toys and mini novelties particularly useful.
Popular stocking filler ideas include:
- Mini games
- Fidget toys
- Squishies
- Novelty stationery
- Keyrings
- Puzzles
- Bouncy balls
- Small craft sets
- Sensory toys
- Christmas novelties
For retailers, offering several price points can help customers build their own selection rather than relying on one larger present.
Browse our Christmas Toys & Stocking Fillers range for more festive gift ideas.
2. Squishies & Sensory Toys
Squishies and sensory toys have become an established part of the pocket money toy market, and Christmas-themed versions give an already popular toy category a festive twist.
Santa, snowmen, reindeer, gingerbread characters and other seasonal designs can work particularly well as stocking fillers, small gifts and impulse purchases.
Non-Christmas designs shouldn't be overlooked either. Children don't suddenly stop liking their favourite toy trends in December, so popular everyday squishies and sensory toys can work just as well as products covered in Christmas trees and snowflakes.
This is an important consideration when choosing Christmas stock: a good stocking filler doesn't necessarily have to look Christmassy.
3. Christmas Plush Toys
Soft toys have obvious gift appeal and work across a wide range of Christmas settings.
Small Christmas plush toys can make excellent stocking fillers and impulse gifts, while larger designs can be used as presents, raffle prizes and higher-value Christmas fair prizes.
Festive characters such as:
- Reindeer
- Snowmen
- Elves
- Penguins
- Gingerbread characters
- Christmas bears
- Santa
can instantly add a seasonal feel to a display.
4. Christmas Crafts & Activities
Christmas isn't only about toys.
Craft kits and creative activities are particularly useful during the festive season because they combine a gift with something for children to do.
Colouring sets, make-your-own decorations, painting activities, clay kits and other Christmas crafts can be used for:
- Stocking fillers
- Christmas Eve boxes
- School activities
- Christmas parties
- Children's gifts
- Festive activity tables
- Wet-weather entertainment during the holidays
They can also appeal to parents looking for something that provides more than a few minutes of entertainment.
Our Christmas Crafts & Activities collection brings together a wide selection of creative festive products.
5. Pocket Money Toys
Some of the best Christmas sellers aren't specifically Christmas products at all.
Popular pocket money toys can make excellent stocking fillers because they're inexpensive, familiar and easy to add alongside a child's main presents.
Think about the toys children are already buying throughout the year:
- Fidgets
- Mini figures
- Balls
- Putty and slime
- Novelty toys
- Small games
- Stationery
- Collectables
- Keyrings
If a product is already popular with children, there is a good chance it can work as a stocking filler too.
For retailers, this also has an advantage: unsold stock isn't necessarily restricted to Christmas.
6. Small Games & Puzzles
Christmas is one of the few times of year when entire families are likely to be gathered together, which makes games and puzzles another useful festive category.
Small card games, puzzles, travel games and novelty games work particularly well because they're affordable enough for stockings while still providing genuine play value.
They're also useful as table presents, Christmas Eve gifts and small presents for extended family.
7. Toys For School Christmas Fairs
Christmas fairs present a slightly different buying challenge.
Rather than choosing gifts for one particular child, PTAs need products that can work across games, stalls and fundraising activities.
Useful products include:
- Lucky dip prizes
- Tombola prizes
- Pocket money toys
- Christmas novelties
- Small plush toys
- Crafts
- Glow and light-up toys
- Stationery
- Small games
Offering a mixture of inexpensive prizes and a smaller number of higher-value items can help PTAs create different games and price points throughout the fair.
8. Santa's Grotto Gifts
For schools, charities, visitor attractions and event organisers, choosing grotto gifts can become a sizeable job.
The products need to be age appropriate, affordable and – when hundreds of children are expected – easy to organise.
Ready-wrapped grotto gifts can remove much of that work.
At Risus Wholesale, our Wrapped Santa's Grotto Toys are organised by age group, helping organisers select suitable presents for younger and older children. With gifts already wrapped, they're ready for Father Christmas and his elves to hand out at the event.
9. Christmas Fair & Event Giveaways
Not every Christmas product needs to be sold.
Schools, grottos, charities, shopping centres and Christmas events often need inexpensive giveaways that can be handed to large numbers of children.
Stickers, small novelties and inexpensive toys can be ideal for this purpose.
A low unit cost becomes particularly important when an event expects hundreds – or even thousands – of visitors.
Choosing Different Price Points
One of the simplest ways to build a strong Christmas range is to avoid putting everything into the same price bracket.
Instead, think in terms of different buying occasions.
Low-cost items
Ideal for giveaways, lucky dips, small stocking fillers and impulse purchases.
Mid-priced gifts
Useful for larger stocking fillers, Christmas Eve boxes, school gifts and everyday retail.
Higher-value products
Better suited to main gifts, premium grotto presents, raffles and larger Christmas fair prizes.
A varied selection gives customers more reasons to buy and makes it easier to cater for different Christmas budgets.
When Should Retailers Order Christmas Toys?
Christmas buying often starts much earlier than consumers realise.
Businesses need time to receive stock, merchandise it, photograph products, create listings and start promoting their Christmas ranges before shoppers begin buying in earnest.
Schools and PTAs also benefit from planning ahead, particularly when they need larger quantities of the same products for fairs, grottos and Christmas events.
Ordering earlier in the season generally provides a wider choice. As Christmas approaches, popular designs and price points can sell through quickly and may not always be available again before December.
Don't Forget Non-Christmas Toys
This is one of the most important tips when buying Christmas stock.
Children want toys for Christmas – not necessarily Christmas toys.
A dinosaur squishy, mini football, fidget toy or novelty game can be every bit as successful inside a stocking as something featuring Santa.
For retailers especially, combining seasonal Christmas products with proven everyday toy lines can reduce the risk of being left with stock that becomes difficult to sell after 25 December.
Christmas Buying Checklist
Before placing your Christmas order, ask:
- ✓ Do I have products at several price points?
- ✓ Do I have inexpensive stocking fillers?
- ✓ Have I included current toy trends as well as traditional favourites?
- ✓ Do I have products for different age groups?
- ✓ Have I included both Christmas-themed and everyday toys?
- ✓ Do I need prizes or giveaways as well as gifts?
- ✓ Have I allowed enough stock for my busiest weeks?
- ✓ Have I ordered early enough to restock if something sells faster than expected?
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best selling Christmas toys?
Popular Christmas toy categories include squishies, fidget toys, plush toys, small games, crafts, sensory toys, novelty toys and pocket money toys. Smaller affordable products are particularly useful as stocking fillers and additional gifts.
What toys make good stocking fillers?
Small games, puzzles, squishies, fidgets, novelty stationery, keyrings, mini toys and craft kits all make good children's stocking fillers. Look for products that offer plenty of fun without taking up too much room in the stocking.
Do stocking fillers have to be Christmas themed?
No. Some of the best stocking fillers are everyday toys children already enjoy. Combining Christmas novelties with popular year-round toys can provide a much wider choice.
Where can I buy Christmas toys in bulk?
Risus Wholesale supplies wholesale Christmas toys, stocking fillers, gifts and novelties in bulk to retailers, schools, PTAs, charities, visitor attractions and event organisers throughout the UK.
What are good toys for a school Christmas fair?
Pocket money toys, squishies, small plush toys, novelty stationery, crafts, games and inexpensive festive novelties can all work well for lucky dips, tombolas, prize stalls and other Christmas fair activities.
Can I buy ready-wrapped toys for a Santa's grotto?
Yes. Risus Wholesale has a dedicated range of Wrapped Santa's Grotto Toys, with gifts organised into different age groups to make planning a grotto easier.
Find This Year's Christmas Best Sellers
Whether you're filling shop shelves, planning a school Christmas fair, organising a Santa's grotto or simply looking for popular festive stock, choosing the right mix of products can make Christmas buying much easier.
Our Christmas Best Sellers collection brings together popular toys, gifts, stocking fillers and festive favourites in one place, helping you quickly discover the products proving popular with our customers.
Browse Christmas Best Sellers
You can also explore our Christmas Toys & Stocking Fillers, Christmas Crafts & Activities, Christmas Soft Toys and Wrapped Santa's Grotto Toys ranges for even more festive ideas.
