Hot Wheels, American Girl, LEGO: The Best Advent Calendars for Kids (So Far)
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your account’s‘Saved for Later’section.
In this article
Even inthiseconomy, theAdvent calendarindustrial complex is thriving. Sure, it’s early days, but some of this year’s most popular Advent calendars for kids — particularly fromNeeDohand various other squishy brands,LEGO,Pokémon,Fuggler, andCrazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty— have either started to sell out or are going fast. So it’s definitely worth planning ahead.
If you know a child with their heart set on a NeeDoh Advent calendar this year, your best bet is to stop in at your local independent toy store to inquire about availability and restocks. You can alsoenter a lottery at Amazonfor a merechanceto buy one there.
Otherwise, to help you choose from all theotheramazing Advent calendars available for kids this year, I’ve pulled together a list of favorites for all ages, filled with building toys, stuffed animals, crafts, collectibles, and everything in between.
The kids’ Advent calendars I’m most excited about
New! You can now save this product for later.
A great Advent calendar for number-obsessed toddlers.
New! You can now save this product for later.
This calendar lets kids build a New York City Ballet charm bracelet and doubles as a jewelry box.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Twenty-four days of magic tricks to dazzle friends and family.
4 years old and under
New! You can now save this product for later.
Designed for toddlers, Haba’s Advent calendar is filled with 24 wooden animal figures and comes with an accompanying storybook. The book tells a new story each day based on that day’s animal. Plus the box folds out to reveal an illustrated play area for the animals.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Kids who love exploring Busytown will enjoy popping out a new scene each day to create Christmas ornaments for a tree, wreath, or garland. The calendar comes with gold thread for stringing each ornament.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Strategist senior editor Winnie Yang and her number-obsessed 3.5-year-old son have been making their way through the Numberblocks Advent calendar early to help with preschool motivation and good behavior.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Fresh pots of Play-Doh are always useful, and this calendar has 24 of them, plus a new tool every day to go with each new color.
New! You can now save this product for later.
If you’d rather add your own gifts and treats to an Advent calendar, this capacious Step2 gingerbread house is a great option for little kids. Each drawer is big enough for a small stuffy, an action figure, or a toy car.
New! You can now save this product for later.
My car-fiend preschool kid would love this Hot Wheels holiday-themed Advent calendar. Each compartment is filled with either a 1:64-scale toy car or a festive accessory, such as reindeer antlers or a Santa hat.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Rather than opening a new toy or treat each day, Melissa & Doug’s countdown advent calendar lets children add a new wooden ornament to their tree. Each one has a poem on the back that parents can read aloud.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Gund’s Advent calendar has just 12 doors, but each one houses a different adorable stuffed animal.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Nostalgic parents like me who read the Little Miss and Mr. Men books as kids will love watching their kids open a new wacky figurine or accessory each day.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Here’s one that’s perfect for Disney Princess–obsessed kids. The box transforms into a wintery castle with a cozy fireplace and foldout furniture, and you get three princesses: Tiana, Belle, and Rapunzel, plus accessories and animal friends for each.
5-to-10-year-olds
New! You can now save this product for later.
And here’s an Advent calendar for your kid’s American Girl doll to open each day. It comes with 24 doll-size surprises, including sunglasses, hair accessories, a toy cell phone, snacks, and a purple beanie.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Cozy Countdown: An Advent Coloring Book Bundle
I like the idea of activity-based Advent calendars that won’t add toy clutter to a kid’s room. This one comes with 24 mini kawaii coloring books, all of which elementary-school kids will love.
New! You can now save this product for later.
ThisWhere’s Waldocalendar is also filled with mini-books, but instead of coloring, each one provides a different search-and-find challenge.
Each year, LEGO releases a handful of highly anticipatedAdvent calendars, all of which sell out remarkably fast. My favorites of this year’s cohort are the LEGO Friends calendar set in a snowy ski chalet and the LEGO City calendar depicting Santa’s workshop.
New! You can now save this product for later.
While it’s not explicitly billed as an Advent calendar, this elaborate LEGO Christmas tree set comes with 24 bags of bricks inside the box, so families can chip away at the build as they count down to Christmas Day. Strategist senior editor Jen Trolio and her family will be doing just that this year. Just be aware this set will likely sell out fast, so if you want to buy one, don’t wait.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Each section of this 25-day countdown to Christmas includes a holiday-themed mini-build with illustrated instructions.
New! You can now save this product for later.
This calendar has everything you need to build a Christmas train out of microMags. And the box folds out into a play set with train tracks.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Similarly, the PicassoTiles Advent calendar lets you build a festive gingerbread house.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Bluey fans will delight in opening a new figurine or accessory each day, including Bluey, Bingo, and Bartlebee as well as a buildable Christmas tree.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Or you could get this Bluey jewelry Advent calendar with charms to build a bracelet and a necklace.
New! You can now save this product for later.
This New York City Ballet–themed keepsake box is my favorite of all the kids’ Advent calendars so far. Inside, you’ll find five paper characters fromThe Nutcrackerto pose as you like. On top of that, the 24 compartments hold a gold-tone charm bracelet andNutcrackercharms to go on it.
New! You can now save this product for later.
I also like this DIY-beaded-bracelet Advent calendar that’s much more affordable.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Here’s a putty-filled Advent calendar for anyone who can’t get their hands on the one from Aaron’s Crazy Thinking Putty.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Magic is a hobby that lends itself well to the Advent-calendar format. This National Geographic calendar comes with 24 magic tricks for kids to learn and the tools they need to pull them off.
New! You can now save this product for later.
KiwiCo has multiple project-based Advent calendars, but this battery-powered winter wonderland for kids 9 and older is by far my favorite. It has a conveyor belt that helps sledders climb up a snowy hill, real working string lights, and an ice rink that shows skaters’ tracks.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Crafty kids get to make a dozen different cross-stitch ornaments with this Advent calendar.
New! You can now save this product for later.
And this Squishmallows Advent calendar comes with 24 holiday Squish-a-longs that can each be worn as a ring.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Inside this calendar, you’ll find ten Pokémon-themed Bitty Pop vinyl figures, plus stackable cases and accessories to build your own Christmas-tree-shaped display.
Tweens and teens
New! You can now save this product for later.
Artsy tweens will appreciate the paint markers, mini-watercolors, travel paintbrush, and other arts and crafts in this city-shaped 24-day Advent calendar.
New! You can now save this product for later.
This slim Advent calendar comes with 12 days of adorable Miffy sticker sheets.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Transport your kid to Tokyo with this extra-large 30-day Japan-themed Advent calendar featuring snacks, accessories, toys, stationery, and home goods.
New! You can now save this product for later.
A Strategist favorite, the Bonne Maman Advent calendar is packed with 24 limited-edition spreads and jams to share and discuss each morning with family.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Except for the first one, the doors on this Advent calendar aren’t numbered. Instead, each day, you must solve an new exciting riddle, the solution to which will tell you which door to open next in an intergalactic race to celebrate Christmas.
New! You can now save this product for later.
Like the above, to solve the mystery at the end of thisClue-themed Advent calendar — and move on to the following day — you must solve riddles and crack codes behind each door. This is an excellent collaborative Advent calendar for families who love murder mysteries.
New! You can now save this product for later.
But ifDungeons & Dragonsand other role-playing games are more your kid’s speed, this polar-bear-themed Advent calendar is full of festive dice that’ll make any gamer smile.
New! You can now save this product for later.
For tween and teen baking enthusiasts, this calendar is full of cookie cutters, spatulas, piping bags, and more tools to make professional-grade holiday cookies.
New! You can now save this product for later.
This six-day calendar is a great intro to makeup for tweens and teens who love Snoopy. It comes with a freckle pen, highlighter stick, scented lip mask, scrunchie, compact mirror, and Snoopy plush keychain.
More From The Strategist
- Hark, the Advent Calendars Arrived (Very) Early This Year
- 63 Things You Should Never Buy Full Price
- The Strategist Fall 100
- The Best Things Strategist Editors Have Bought This Year (So Far)
The Strategistis designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read abouthere. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
