35 Best Toy Advent Calendars for Kids Who Just Can't Wait for Christmas
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Christmas is only one day a year, and all the way at the end of the year?! Nah-uh. Who can wait that long for gifts?
If you have an antsy kid in your life — or maybe you even want to treat yourself — you can stave off the Christmas crankies with one of the best advent calendars. Even more, you can get advent calendars specifically for kids, which offer somewhere between 12 and 24 gift for kids in the countdown to the big day. Unlike a candy advent calendar, these are designed to keep kids entertained for more than a minute after they open it.
Even narrowing it down to toy advent calendars, kids are spoiled for choice: There are advent calendars for everything from LEGO and Barbie to squishies, fidgets and even STEM experiments.
Here, some of the best toy advent calendars for kids in 2o24. And maybe you should pick up an advent calendar for yourself, too? Check out Good Housekeeping's guides to other (more adult) advent calendars, including options for fans of beauty products, new wines, fun socks, chocolate and cheese.
Fill their days leading up to Christmas with palatial, princessy thoughts. This calendar comes with four small princesses dolls in their finest dresses, plus plenty of friends (like Flounder or Jaq) and other accessories. Ages 3+
Fisher-Price Little People Advent Calendar
For those looking for a good first-ever advent calendar, this one comes with seven holiday Little People figurines and 17 festive play accessories, which are perfectly chunky for little hands. Figures include a snowman and a Santa Claus and a reindeer. Fisher-Price also makes a Little People Barbie Advent Calendar or a Little People Nativity Set. Ages 1+
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For kids who love Hot Wheels, this advent calendar will add eight cool cars to their collections. In addition, it'll also get them into the festive spirit, with a play mat and festive touches like a car being pulled by reindeer or towing a Christmas tree. Ages 3+
In my house, the unveiling of the LEGO advent calendar slate is a highly anticipated event every year. This time around, there are six LEGO advent calendar sets: LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Spider-Man, LEGO Disney, LEGO Harry Potter, LEGO City and LEGO Friends. Each one comes with a mix of minifigures and small builds that fit the theme, and also have some seasonal touches. Ages 6+
Disney 5-in-1 Storybook Advent Calendar
Disney fans can delight in reading a new story that features their favorite Disney and Pixar characters every day. Then, they can take part in an activity, like a quiz, maze, "odd one out" or spot-the-difference. In addition to Disney, you can get the 5-in-1 advent calendars for Disney Princesses or Marvel Spider-Man. They come out on October 1, but they're available for pre-order now (and are hot sellers every year). Ages 3+
EXIT: The Game Advent Calendar - The Missing Hollywood Star
If they love working out puzzles or trying escape rooms, they'll dig this brain-teasing advent calendar. The mystery centers on a movie star who goes missing while filming a Christmas flick. In order to get out, they must solve a riddle or a puzzle every day, each of which brings them closer to escape. For younger kids, Thames & Kosmos also has a science advent calendar. Ages 10+
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On Day 1, kids will reveal a new Barbie doll — off to a good start. For the rest of the days, they'll get accessories and other items that'll help Barbie change up her look, including fairy wings and a mermaid tail that make her more magical. Ages 3+
Say what you will about the squishies trend, it's sticks around. By the end of the 24 days, they'll have a menagerie of adorable squishy animals, along with some seasonal squishies like a snowman or a Santa. There are even a few glow-in-the-dark items. Ages 3+
With this set, kids can help the Heeler family celebrate Christmas by putting up a tree, wearing holiday crowns and even going for a Christmas swim! Bluey and Socks figures come wearing their bathing suits, plus there are other fun characters and accessories to uncover. Ages 3+
If the kids are into at-home science experiments, this will give them a different science-themed activity or trick to do each day. The Purple Cow also has an advent calendar for non-shocking science, or, if they're not into STEM, they have ones for magic tricks, arts and crafts and Mr. Men or Little Miss. Ages 8+
For kids who just can't get enough cute plush, this advent calendar comes with 25 stuffed mini characters ready to be squeezed for emotional support. Some of the shapes repeat, but each one comes decked out for the holidays and wearing a different expression. Ages 0+
Bring the Overworld to the real world with this calendar, which holds three pixelated characters — including Santa, a Jolly Llama and a Snow Golem — along with accessories and only fun extras. Ages 6+
Rocks, minerals, fossils and gemstones — this advent calendar has them all! They'll get geodes, pyrites, agate, urchin and more, and on the last day they'll reveal a special rose quartz. It even comes with a magnifying glass. National Geographic has other advent calendars for STEM fans, including a mega science set, a dinosaur advent calendar and even a magic advent calendar. Ages 6+
When they open all 24 doors of this advent calendar, they can say they caught them all! This calendar features some of their favorite Pokémon characters, including Pikachu, Eevee, Charmander (in a winter hat!), Rockruff, Rowlet and others, along with some holiday accessories. Ages 4+
RELATED: The Best Pokémon Gifts for Kids
Fidget toys and sensory toys are more popular than ever, and this toy advent calendar delivers 24 days of hands-on fun, including pop fidget toys, cubes to spin, marbles to roll and toys to keep their hands busy. It'll give them some anxiety-free stimulation when they need it the most, during the busy holiday season. Ages 3+
This one gives kids interlocking Plus Plus pieces every day that they can use to make elves, woodland animals, a reindeer, a sleigh and Santa Claus, among others. Then, when the holidays are over, kids can disassemble them and use the pieces for open-ended play, since every piece fits with every other piece, and they can be used however kids like. Ages 5+
For tabletop players, there's something so satisfying about collecting dice. When they're done opening the drawers of this one, they'll have one set of holiday dice, two full sets of assorted dice (D4 to D20), a mini set, a metal D20 and a dice bag to carry it all in. No age recommendation given
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Horse kids will love adding animals and accessories to their stables each day. Or, if they want to widen their scope to animals other than horses, Schleich also has a Farm World advent calendar. Ages 7+
Melissa & Doug Wooden Advent Calendar
Each day, add one magnetic ornament to this tree, and, by Christmas, it'll be full! Then, pack it away and bring it out again next year. Ages 3+
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Worldwide Buddies Around the World Advent Calendar
Travel the countries of the world without leaving your home with this calendar from Worldwide Buddies. Each day, kids get a new activity, recipe or challenge inspired by traditions from around the world. They also get a paper ornament each day with pictures of different "buddies" from each country. Ages 4+
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
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