Santa has a good reason to downsize his bag this year — fewer toys gives kids a better quality of playtime, a new study claims.

Toddlers with just a few toys were more creative and focus than tots with more choices, according to the study, published in an upcoming edition of the journal Infant Behavior and Development.

For the study, University of Toledo researchers gave kids under age 3 either four toys or 16 toys and recorded their playing habits, according to the report.

“When provided with fewer toys in the environment, toddlers engage in longer periods of play with a single toy, allowing better focus to explore and play more creatively,” researchers said.

Fewer toys “promotes development and healthy play,” they concluded.

The bah humbug-boosting findings may be one reason to skimp on the stocking stuffers — but parents have another option.

Simply keep more toys in storage also helps rein in the attention of scatterbrained toddlers, researchers said.

“One recommendation may be to opt for having fewer toys available in a play environment for any one play session,” the study notes.

“When there is an abundance of toys, small collections can be rotated into play while the majority is stored away, providing opportunities for novelty without creating the distraction posed by having too many toys available.”

But ultimately less is more when it comes to the “creativity, imagination, and skill development” of toddlers, the study notes.