The countdown to Christmas is a special time for kids and families. Incorporating a unique advent calendar for kids into your Christmas routine–with a little surprise for each day of December–makes the holiday season even more enjoyable.
(Note: this post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through affiliate links may earn commission. Bookshop also supports independent booksellers.)
Here's a tip: if you love one of these unique advent calendars for kids, don't wait! The most popular advent calendars sell out quickly!
Table of contents
Build-It Advent Calendars
These advent calendars are so fun to build, but they sell out fast. Each day kids work to put together a village scene. The projects are excellent for encouraging kids to use their engineering skills, asd gives kids a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Plus, the completed project is very cute! There are five different calendars to choose from: Mechanical Ornaments, Winter Wonderland, Christmas Village, Santa's Railroad and Motorized Christmas Train.
Find all five: Kiwico Advent Calendars
Book-Themed Calendars
Children's book lovers rejoice! There are some great book-themed advent calendars. See more in our "surprise variety" advent calendar section.
'Tis the Season: A Lift-the-Flap Advent Calendar Full of Christmas Poems by Richard Jones
I was SO EXCITED when I saw this advent calendar. It combines two of my favorite loves: advent calendars and poetry. Could I be more enamored of it? The sturdy board book features a red ribbon closure and stands up in an accordion display style. Each day features a short poem (a mix of classic and contemporary poems) with a lift the flap that reveals an image relating to the poem. DELIGHTFUL!
Richard Scarry Pop-Out Advent Calendar
Adults will feel nostalgic as they watch their kids open this advent calendar featuring Richard Scarry's iconic illustrations! I love advent calendar's that serve a dual purpose (other than offering up a tiny chocolate every day, ha ha ha) and each day of the month, your kids will pop-out a sturdy ornament. Each ornament sports one or more of Scarry's animal friends enjoying the season. Fortunately for busy parents, the calendar includes the string needed to hang the ornaments so you don't have to run around trying to find some in your junk drawer.
The Yule Tomte and the Little Rabbits: A Christmas Story for Advent, by Ulf Stark and Eva Ericksson
What could be better than a calendar that is actually a book! This book is separated into 24 short chapters, with marvelous illustrations. One story is read on each day of advent. Grump the tomte is waiting for Yule (Christmas) when all of a sudden a wind blows his mittens and hat away and into the hands of a couple of rabbits. The rabbits are delighted with their strange gifts, but the tomte worries he won't be able to bring Christmas to the forest without his necessary garments. A wonderfully delightful story.
Books are Magic Advent Calendar
There are two versions of this advent calendar and I've tried both!. The trinkets included items like sticky notes, washi tape bookmarks, mini cards, magnets and the like. It's a fun surprise calendar (see the next category) and would be best for bookish tweens, teens and grown-ups like you and me!
MORE: See the second version: Amazon | Bookshop
Surprise Variety Calendars
Each of these marvelous surprise calendars features beloved characters and themes from popular movies. The calendars open like a book to reveal 24 envelopes. Inside each envelope is a small gift. The gifts are items such as ornaments, key chains, buttons, door hangers, booklets and more.
The Lord of the Rings
My youngest son is obsessed with all things Tolkein, so this is the perfect advent calendar to surprise him with this year. Like the other surprise variety calendars it includes items like key chains, badges, pencils and other small items.
MORE: Does your child love Dungeons and Dragons? There's a version for DnD fans!
Star Wars: The Galactic Advent Calendar
The recipe cards for Star Wars themed treats are quite the delightful addition. Plus, I love the lightsaber pencils. That should get any kid writing with the Force.
Elf: The Official Advent Calendar
Who doesn't love the family friendly classic Christmas movie, Elf? While it may be impractical to watch the movie every day for 24 days (although there's no harm in trying), your kids and you can have a giggle every morning opening an envelope to discover a small Elf-themed prize
Marvel: The Official Advent Calendar
Find it: Amazon
DC or Marvel? How does one choose which super-universe is superior? That is way above my pay grade. Only your child can tell you.
The Best Toy Advent Calendars
LEGO Advent Calendars
Find it: Marvel | Star Wars | CITY | Friends | Disney Princess
We absolutely adore the LEGO advent calendars, and I started buying one for each kid every year. My youngest always wanted Star Wars, and my oldest got the CITY set. Each door opens to reveal a minifigure or a mini-build. Some of the figures are exclusive to the set. The boxes fold out to create a scenic mat for pretend play. The best part of this set is that it keeps your kid busy for more than 30 seconds.
Playmobil Calendars
Find it: Playmobil Advent Calendar (ages 4+)
Playmobil has LOADS of advent calendar themes. I like this Christmas baking themed play set, but be sure to peruse all the options to find one that fits your child's interests.
Play-Doh Advent Calendar
Find it: Play Doh Advent Calendar
What tyke wouldn't want 24 days of different colored play doh and play doh tools? What I love about this advent calendar is that each day's surprise will build upon the next and that it gives little ones an activity that will keep them busy while enlisting their creative and imaginative skills!
Game Advent Calendars
These fun advent calendars challenge families to play a 24 day game! They are great family bonding activities. Use them with our sibling kindness advent calendars for extra fun.
Clue Advent Calendar
Find it: Clue Advent Calendar: Secrets Under Snowfall
Based on the classic board game, Clue, this advent calendar is a mystery that unfolds over 24 days. Each day you need to solve a puzzle to get the clue to find out which door to open the next day! Doors also reveal tokens, cards and other surprises. The calendar opens up to reveal a map of a Tudor Mansion. Honestly, it looks awesome.
EXIT: The Game - Advent Calendar - The Missing Hollywood Star (and other variations)
Find it: The Missing Hollywood Star | The Intergalactic Race | The Silent Storm
This game themed advent calendar is great for families who enjoy escape room puzzles, or for those who've always wanted to try them. The daily door contains a puzzle that must be solved in order to figure out which door to open next. An overarching mystery surrounding a missing actor keeps the storyline moving.
Family Games Advent Calendar
Find it: Amazon
Screen-free family fun! What could be better that using an advent calendar to encourage family bonding. I love the choice of games. Some will be familiar like Yahtzee and Farkle, but most will be new to you like Frog Race and Candle in a Bottle. Some are going to be your kids' new favorite, like balloon volleyball.
Professor Charlie's World Tour - Advent Calendar
FInd it: Amazon
This creative advent idea is a game that you play in 24 episodes. The objective is to find out where Professor Charlie disappeared to. Each day's puzzle offers up a clue. Clues are encased in separate envelopes and take less than 15 minutes to solve. Also included is a map, so you can follow Charlie's trail!
Daily Advent Activity Fun!
You can probably tell that I am super into advent calendar ideas that provide an activity. I bet you are always looking for easy ways to keep your kids busy and so am I!
Christmas Is Coming: An Advent Book
This advent book offers families a wide variety of easy (and very doable!) activities for every day leading up to Christmas. The cover of the book is an collection of flaps. Lift a flap every day to reveal a clue to that day's activity, which is detailed on the inside of the book. Activities include singing carols, baking cookies (recipe included!), writing a letter to Santa, playing a game, reading a story and more.
National Geographic Advent Calendars
Find it: Science and Rocks | Glow in the Dark
National Geographic is a trusted name in all things science and nature, so it is natural to turn to them for a great science-activity themed advent calendar. Choose a kit based on your child's interest and watch them say "Wow!" every day for 24 days.
The Crazy Scientist Advent Calendar
Find it: Amazon
A science advent calendar is such a great idea. Inside 24 paper gift boxes is a different science experiment. It also includes a substantially sized book with detailed instructions on how to conduct each experiment.
Also available: Purple Cow Cool Science Tricks Advent Calendar
Purple Cow Arts & Crafts Countdown
Find it: Amazon
This groovy artsy calendar is from the same company that created the science advent boxes above. Each day a different and festive project, is hidden inside a paper gift box. Also includes a how-to book. A great way to keep kids busy while the cookies are in the oven.
Also available: Purple Cow Amazing Magic Tricks Advent Calendar
Reusable Advent Calendars
No need to buy a new calendar each year. These cute choices will last for a lifetime.
Magnetic Wooden Christmas Tree
Leave it to Melissa and Doug to come up with a charming reusable wooden advent calendar. This tree is so adorable I can hardly stand it. There is currently a Santa ornament version and an angel ornament version.
Felt Nativity Advent Calendar
Find it: Amazon
For those of you who want a nativity scene, this adorable felt nativity advent calendar will provide joy year after year. The felt figures sit in numbered pockets and stick to the scene with velcro.
See more nativity advent calendars here.
Enjoy the season!
Andrea says
I started making our own advent calendar when we lived in Pakistan where getting our hands on ready made ones was not an option, and we've stuck with it. The kids get second hand book shop books, activities (including a lot of family activities that have become tradition), and on occasion a candy or chocolate. They've already started guessing what will be in this year's calendar and counting down the days until mummy hangs it up!
Erica says
What a fun idea!
Cheryl D says
I buy LEGO sets and then give each kid the parts for a page or two along with photos on a tablet of those instructions. I make sure they don’t get to see anything that will give away what they are making. That is the surprise as they sometimes don’t figure it out for quite a while. They like this better than the LEGO advent calendars.
Erica says
What a fun idea!
Sarah says
Now that my kids are a bit older (one tween, one early teen) I’ve moved on to tea advent calendars- I’ve tried a couple but the caffeine free one from David’s Tea is amazing. It’s pricey but I can get 3 servings of tea out of one day’s tea allotment so we all can enjoy it. It’s a nice cozy after school/evening ritual for us and the flavors are very kid friendly in my opinion- there’s things like “Unicorn Dream” and “Cotton Candy” but I really think we enjoyed them all. (I saw “TEA” listed in one of your gratitude post ideas so I thought I’d mention it 😉)
Erica says
Hi Sarah,
I was eyeing a tea advent calendar for myself! I am very picky about my tea choices, so it's good to know that the David's Tea one is good!