Kids don’t always process time the way adults do, so waiting for something as exciting as Christmas Day can be hard. It’s especially true if they don’t exactly understand how many days there are to go. That’s why Advent calendars can be so fun for kids. Not only do they get to unwrap a treat or toy each day starting December 1, but the calendars also serve as a very effective visual tool for understanding when exactly Christmas is coming.
These child-friendly Advent calendars will delight kids of all ages. There are fun food ones, cute collectible toy calendars, and countdowns that encourage creativity.
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Sugarfina Candy Advent Calendar
Sugarfina is a gourmet candy brand offering elevated and delicious treats. This year’s Advent calendar comes in a collectible gingerbread-themed box and features 24 candies for kiddos to enjoy through the month of December. Parents may also want a box for themselves.
Lego Marvel Advent Calendar
Combine a child’s love of Lego and superheroes with this Marvel-themed Lego Advent calendar. Each day, kids can unwrap pieces to create small holiday builds. The calendar also comes with some seasonal minifigures such as snow Spider-Ham and a festive sweater-wearing Miles Morales.
'Star Wars' Funko Advent Calendar
For children who love Star Wars and collectible Funko Pop figures, this Advent calendar is basically the best of both worlds. It contains 24 festive figures, including a candy cane0carrying Luke, snowman Storm Trooper, and red and green Darth Vader.
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Barbie Advent Calendar
This countdown calendar comes with a Barbie doll and 24 clothing and accessories to dress her in. Kids will have fun seeing which new item they get each day leading up to Christmas, as well as deciding how to mix and match the outfits.
Pokemon Cards Advent Calendar
Add to or jump-start a child’s Pokemon card collection with this exciting Advent calendar. It comes with 25 total surprises, including five booster packs, seven fun packs, eight collective foil cards, two themed coins, sticker sheets, and more.
Coloring Book Advent Calendar
For parents who want to encourage their child’s creative side, try this coloring page Advent calendar. It comes with colored pencils and 24 small coloring sheets to help kids count the days to Christmas. It also has a wooden display stand for them to feature their art when they’re done.
Gemstone Advent Calendar
For the child who loves collecting rocks, this National Geographic Advent calendar comes with 24 gems including tiger’s eye, blue calcite, and agate. Additionally, to celebrate the end of the countdown, there’s a special rose quartz included for kids to unearth like a geologist.
Super Mario Advent Calendar
Super Mario fans can open 24 doors throughout December to reveal cute little seasonal characters and accessories like Santa Mario and Snowman Luigi, as well as others, in this countdown calendar. “This exceeded expectations! The pieces were good quality and it offered god variety,” one buyer raved on Amazon.
Harry Potter Advent Calendar
Older kids may enjoy this Harry Potter Advent calendar that comes with 25 exciting surprises. According to one of the reviews, buyers can expect fun stationary items like pins, pencils, stickers, and bookmarks themed around the Harry Potter series.
Magic Trick Advent Calendar
Kids will have a blast unwrapping and performing the magic tricks included in this Advent calendar. It comes with the tools to conduct 15 classic magic tricks as well as nine fun science experiments like making square bubbles, floating coins on water, and others.
Melissa & Doug Wooden Advent Calendar
Each day kids can count down to Christmas by adding a new wooden ornament to this magnetic wooden tree. It also comes with a star for the final day. It’s a perfect idea for younger children who want to participate but may choke on smaller Advent calendar toys or can’t eat candy or chocolate.
'Paw Patrol' Advent Calendar
Paw Patrol fans will enjoy this Advent calendar that includes 24 surprise toys as well as accessories. It also comes with festive characters like Santa Chase and Rudolph Marshall. As one customer raved on Amazon, “If you have a young Paw Patrol fan this is the gift that keeps giving … they were excited every day to get the next figure or critter.”
Disney Doorables Advent Calendar
Disney’s Doorables line of collectible figures takes classic characters and shrinks them down to their most adorable, big-eyed selves. This calendar comes with 20 small figurines and four festive stickers for young Disney fans to collect.
'Jurassic World: Chaos Theory' Advent Calendar
Jurassic World: Chaos Theory debuted on Netflix earlier in 2024, making this Advent calendar trendy as well as fun. Kids can unwrap 24 days of Jurassic World surprises, including mini toy dinosaurs and characters as well as accessories from the show.
'Cars' Advent Calendar
Fans of Cars will adore this countdown calendar that comes with 24 small toys, including seasonal figures such as a snowman car and red and green Lightning McQueen as well as snow plow Mater, and others. It also comes with track pieces for kids to race the cars around.
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Mini Brands Advent Calendar
Mini Brands are tiny, realistic-looking toy versions of popular store products, and kids go crazy for them. This Advent calendar allows children to unwrap 24 mini items throughout the holiday season. Additionally, “none are duplicates, which is great!” as one happy buyer shared on Amazon.
Lindt Chocolate Advent Calendar
Chocolate Advent calendars have been popular for decades, so parents can lean into that trend by getting their kids this festive Lindt teddy bear chocolate countdown. There’s a fun new chocolate treat in each of the 24 sections, as well as two bear-shaped candies.
Advent Calendar Activity Cards
For a DIY take on the Advent calendar craze, parents can get this digital download of 40 holiday activity cards. Simply choose the 24 or 25 activities you want to do throughout the season, and then put them in a homemade Advent calendar (or even just a series of envelopes).
Not only will kids will love seeing which activity they’ll be doing each day, but the whole family also will get to make fun memories.
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