These Advent Calendars Keep The Holiday Cheer Going All Month Long — And Kids Are Obsessed

Now that the holiday season is gearing up, advent calendars appear to be everywhere, with options for beauty, home, food and other categories available to shop. And for holiday shoppers with children or grandchildren, advent calendars with treats or toys for kids are also gaining traction.
Kids’ advent calendars can be a fun way for the whole family to keep the holiday cheer going throughout the month of December, with a bunch of little presents rolled into one. From the educational to the fun or delicious, we’ve tracked down some of the best advent calendars children and families can enjoy this year. Not all of them are strictly kid-specific (after all, chocolate candy is an all-ages favorite), but these are sure to make little ones smile.
Below, check out our picks for the best kids’ advent calendars of 2024, and don’t wait to order them — December 1 is sooner than you think it is.
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Ages: 8+
We found a surprise October Prime Day bestseller in this National Geographic gemstone advent calendar. Interactive and educational, it lets kids discover new gemstones each of the 24 days, with the grand finale of excavating their final stone themselves out of a dig brick. The stones come with a collector’s pouch to keep them safe, plus five jewelry settings so they can wear their gems around afterward.
Ages: 8-12
Another fun option for kids by National Geographic is this advent calendar that offers science experiments. Ideal for kids ages eight to 12, it still has 11 gemstones similar to the gemstone calendar, but the other 13 days are reserved for experiments with test tubes, floating coins, secret messages and more.
Heads up: Clip the 10% off coupon to get a discount applied at checkout.
Promising review: “I’m 40yr old. I don’t have children. I have been a chemist for over 20yr – I go to work and talk about and do science all day, every workday. My husband bought this advent calendar for me this year. It has been fun to do. The experiments are well planned, instructions are clear and they work well. The equipment provided is good quality for the number of times you will use them. I would recommend doing the experiments over a plate or baking sheet for easier clean up, especially if the researcher is someone who is still developing their fine motor skills. The gem and fossil and stone specimens are also of good size and quality. Overall, well worth the $1.67 per day ($40/24 days), and way better than some crappy chocolate.” — JM
Ages: 6+
Since Lego is often a reliably top-selling toy brand, you can likely expect this Lego advent calendar to be sold out soon — so don’t miss your chance to grab it for the “Star Wars” or Lego enthusiast kid in your life. The advent calendar comes with 18 collectible, buildable mini toys and six figures modeled after iconic “Star Wars” characters. (P.S. It looks like Target has the best deal right now at $36, but that may not last.)
Promising Amazon review: “Lego Advent Calendars are a fun way to create life long memories and get the kids into the Christmas spirit. The Lego Advent Calendar’s have been a staple in my families Christmas celebrations since my son has been a little boy. Each day you get to open up a little door that has a Christmas themed build or minifigure. It brings me such joy to watch my son wake up everyday and run right to his calendar, open the door and complete his build. In fact I like it a little to much our Lego Advent Calendar fun starts the day after Halloween. We buy a few different themes and start the count down on November 1st.” — Robert Reilly
Ages: All
Kids who love chocolate (which I imagine is most of them) can enjoy some fair trade holiday chocolates in 10 delicious flavors with this 24-day offering from Tony’s Chocolonely. Whether they prefer milk, dark or white chocolate, there’s something for everyone here, and the festive colors will more than likely get little ones in a jolly mood.
Ages: 3-7
This wooden countdown calendar comes in the shape of a Christmas tree with an ornament for each of the 24 days leading up to the holiday, plus a star to go on top. The ornaments are magnetic, allowing children to place one on each day. The remaining ornaments can be kept in the box at the tree’s base for mess-free storage. This has a near-perfect 4.8-star rating across almost 7,000 reviews, so it’s safe to say it’s a hit among reviewers.
Ages: 8+
Advent calendars for kids often contain toys or sweets, but if you want something a little different, this charm bracelet advent calendar by Meri Meri and Ladurée can make older kids (it’s meant for ages eight and up) very happy. Each of the doors reveals a new charm or tassel to attach to the provided chain bracelet, creating a cute piece of children’s jewelry over the course of the month.
Ages: All
If you’re shopping for a kid who’s into collecting stuffed animals, this 24-day calendar is a fun way to gift them a bunch at once. Featuring everything from a pig to a giraffe, duck, panda and more, the calendar hides miniature stuffed animals that also have loops to be used as ornaments. Since 24 plushies is a lot for one kid, this could also be a good option for siblings.
Promising review: “I purchased these for my two granddaughters, they loved them. Good quality mini stuffed animals for the price. I did rearrange the toys according to how I wanted them to be opened in the countdown box, which was very easy to do from the side opening of the box, & kids were still able to open them from perforated windows. Probably best for elementary school age child.” — Kevin davis
Age: All
As a child, getting to eat Godiva chocolate was such a treat (and hey, it still is as an adult). For a slightly different chocolate roundup than the Tony’s Chocolonely option, there’s this Godiva snowglobe calendar with 24 days of delicious chocolates that can make for a nice once-a-day indulgence for a kid’s sweet tooth. The doors reveal a variety of milk, dark and white chocolate flavors, and the front displays a fun scene with ice-skating penguins.
Promising review (Amazon): “I ordered two. Not sure they were worth $50 but they are cute and the box does not appear cheap. It’s a little smaller than I thought however, I think they are good for younger and older kids and even kids who are now adults! Everyone needs an Advent Calendar! It’s a little present every day!!!” — Marie
Promising review (Godiva): “I have been ordering from Godiva for a few years. My grandchildren love the Advent Calendars.” — Kathy Tellier
Ages: 3+
Kids with a car obsession can appreciate this advent calendar, which lets them open 24 doors to collect different toy vehicles. The toys run the gamut from a helicopter to a firetruck and everything in between. The cars are non-toxic and tested for safety, and can keep little ones occupied and looking forward to the next day’s surprise.
Promising review: “Great moving vehicles advent calendar. Each day brings a new vehicle. It helps to see all the engineering parts, size and the way the wheels move while carrying the good heavy weight of each vehicle. The first ones are more industrial which is great to teach kids about the building & maintenance of their communities. The later days are small, fast & super cool looking, like our fathers are saying after you know the build, stability & safety, you can have fun in one of these lighter, smaller, faster and more fun vehicles, but stability & safety first. It’s a great day by day reminder of the luxury it is to operate large transportation devices & for kids to build an awareness of space, materials & 3-D spatial understanding of how all types of vehicles move & their uses.” — Anna Koo
Ages: 6+
This advent calendar appears to have it all. Pens, hair clips, jewelry, fidget toys… you name it (one image on the product page shows all 24 items with a key so you can see them). There’s even a “top-secret” guide for parents included with the calendar so you can get further information about the gifts ahead, as well as some tips. The doors to each box also contain a fun, festive joke on the back for extra cheer.
Clip the 20% off coupon to get a discount applied at checkout.
Promising review: “I must admit I don’t normally write reviews like I should-especially since I value them so much when making a purchase. I have to make an exception here however as I feel compelled to share my thoughts. I bought this advent calendar for my 6 year old on a whim thinking it might be something interesting and novel. I never dreamed it would bring such joy and surprise to her and me………we are only into day 10 and she is all consumed with this calendar. It’s the last thing we look at and discuss before bed and of course the very first thing out of her mouth in the morning when she wakes. I can barely get her to eat breakfast she is so excited to “pop” open a box. The treats are cute and good quality and the riddles are fun. I take videos each day and my friends and family start asking “where is today’s “pop” if I haven’t uploaded to social media by noon. We have made so many memories, it helps with counting and teaches patience and the ability to wait for something when you want it anyway. So glad i made this purchase and worth every penny!!!!! thank you” — Karen M. Howard Vanhoy
Ages: None specified. Use discretion.
Chocolate may be the traditional choice for a candy advent calendar, but for kids with a serious sweet tooth, it might be fun to mix it up a bit. This Sugarfina advent calendar contains gummies, caramels, cookies and other sweet treats across 24 days, with flavors ranging from fruit to chocolate to holiday-appropriate gingerbread.
Ages: None specified. Use discretion.
Though on the pricier side, this Sugoi Mart Japan-inspired calendar is colorful, fun and more jam-packed than your average advent calendar with a full month of surprises. It includes Japanese snacks (that won’t expire until 2025), toys, mini figurines and even some home products.
If you’d prefer to know in advance what’s inside, there’s a virtual version of the calendar on the Sugoi Mart website that lets you click each window to discover the gift. This is a truly versatile calendar, great for families who love snacks and classic animated icons like Kirby or the Sanrio characters.
Heads up: To get this by December 1, you have to order by November 14.
Promising reviews: “Decided to get just one Advent calendar for the whole family this year, so this was a perfect option. It has enough variety to suit all of our tastes.” — Erin Y.
Ages: 6+
Over the course of six days, this advent calendar reveals the blocks to build one Christmas-themed set (making four in total over the 24 days leading up to the holiday). This can be a fun building activity for the whole family, with a Christmas tree, Santa, train and Christmas house as the end results. Instructions include visual aids and numbered guides to make it as simple as possible for kids, and the finished products can be displayed as kid-friendly decor.
Clip the on-page coupon for an extra 10% off at checkout.
Ages: 8-12
If the National Geographic calendar isn’t quite festive enough for you, try this GobiDex advent calendar, which lets kids perform experiments with festive touches like reindeer molding and a Christmas candle. This calendar can help children become familiar with basic science while keeping things fun. Parents and children can work together using the clear instructions to do some fun learning — even over winter break.