The countdown to Christmas is a special time for kids and families. Our family has made DIY advent calendars which encourage sibling kindness and reading advent poetry, but we also love more traditional choices. 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.
I have a history of being cheap frugal but one year I finally broke down and spent money on an advent calendar for the kids and it was so much fun that I've never looked back. This year I even bought myself my very own advent calendar! Alternatively, you can invest in a reusable advent calendar so you don't have to buy one every year.
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!
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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 four different calendars to choose from: Winter Wonderland, Christmas Countdown Train, Santa's Railroad and Christmas Village.
Find all four: Kiwico Advent Calendars
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.
Family Games Advent Calendar
Find it: Amazon
I do understand this isn't "arts and crafts" but it is 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!
EXIT: The Game - Advent Calendar - The Missing Hollywood Star
Find it: Amazon
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.
Book-Themed Calendars
Children's book lovers rejoice! There are some great book-themed advent calendars.
Harry Potter Pop-Up Advent Calendar
This amazing Harry Potter Pop-Up Advent Calendar is new this year and my kids were so excited when Insight sent us one to try out! A large, sturdy book opens and up pops a huge Christmas tree. 24 doors open to reveal ornaments to hang on the tree each day. The final door reveals a large star for the top. There is also an unnumbered door that conceals a booklet filled with interesting facts about Harry Potter and the Harry Potter films.
MORE: With more than one child, the companion Hedwig Pop-Up Advent Calendar means the kids won't fight over who gets to open a door every morning!
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
This is the newest version of a book-lovers advent calendar I treated myself to last year. The trinkets included items like sticky notes, washi tape bookmarks, mini cards, magnets and the like. It's a fun surprise calendar (like the next category) and would be best for bookish tweens and teens.
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.
These advent calendars will turn the countdown to Christmas quite magical for a fan of any of the themes.
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
MORE: Other movie themed surprise envelope calendars include Wicked for your musical loving family members and The Nightmare on Elm Street for classic animation fans.
Harry Potter Holiday Magic: Creatures of the Wizarding World
When your Harry Potter fan is hard at work studying for their O.W.L.S., they will love opening an envelope each day to find one of the magical creature-themed holiday surprises.
MORE: With the Harry Potter Festive Sweaters edition or the original Harry Potter Holiday Magic Advent Calendar, your kids won't fight over who gets to open a door every morning!
The Official Batman™ Advent Calendar
Find it: Amazon
The kids in my house are bit comic book fans. If yours are too, they will love these advent calendar surprises inspired by Gotham City and its superheroes and villains.
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: Amazon
We absolutely adore the LEGO advent calendars, and I started buying one for each kid every year. My youngest always wants 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. This year there is also a new LEGO Marvel advent calendar (which my husband may be getting this year).
LEGO also has a new Harry Potter advent calendar. I may have bought one for myself. (Okay, I did.)
Jigsaw Puzzle Calendar
Find it: Amazon
Families who love jigsaw puzzles can find a variety of jigsaw puzzle advent calendars suitable for all ages. I like the old-fashioned illustration on this one. Each day a numbered box contains part of the puzzle so that by the time Christmas arrives, the entire puzzle will be finished! Just remember, Santa doesn't come until the puzzle is done, so no slacking!
Playmobile Calendars
Find it: Amazon
Playmobil has LOADS of advent calendar themes. I like this Christmas baking themed play set.
Daily Advent Crafting 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 an art themed calendar is a great choice.
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
Find it: Amazon
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!