The 23 Best Advent Calendars for Kids of 2023
Fa la la la all through December with a kid-friendly advent calendar. Packed with special surprises and treats to unwrap each day, this tradition is a popular way to make holiday magic last all through December.
Whether you’re looking to invest in a reusable calendar so you can use it over and over again, or want to surprise the kids with some special treats or toys, we found some of the most in-demand advent calendars for the young ones in your life.
Keep reading to discover the best advent calendars for kids that will surely spread holiday cheer.
HABA Bear Cave Advent Calendar
This advent calendar is part game and part calendar. Each day, your child gets a new piece that they can use for telling stories, making observations, and counting. The calendar features the Bear family as they get ready to celebrate the holidays. There are helpful hints for parents each day to help you make the most of the educational activities disguised as play and bonding. It is best for elementary-aged kids who can follow along with the games and can keep track of the small pieces.
Price at time of publish: $31.99 (orig. $39.99)
Make fun creations with a Play-Doh advent calendar. Each day has a new jar of dough or tool that your child can use to create figures, scenes, and anything else that they dream up. These work with Play-Doh tools or sets that you already have. Plus, your child can also use household items or their hands to mold the dough into shapes. With some special holiday-specific jars, including glitter Play-Doh, this is a special way to celebrate holidays with open-ended play.
Price at time of publish: $21.99
Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar
You can’t go wrong with this Lego Star Wars advent calendar, or any Lego advent calendar, for that matter. It includes nine characters including Princess Leia, Omega, and Emperor Palpatine, as well as 15 other vehicles and other mini-builds. It also includes a fold-out play mat where kids can create their own festive world.
Price at time of publish: $33.99 (orig. $44.99)
Disney 100 15 Days of Socks Advent Calendar
Gifting an essential like socks doesn’t have to be boring. This retro-inspired Disney sock advent calendar features some of our favorite characters ranging from The Little Mermaid’s Ariel to Aladdin’s Princess Jasmine and Minnie Mouse. It comes with 15 days worth of adorable designs.
Price at time of publish: $10.50 (orig. $15)
Ulta Beauty 6 Days of Bath Fizzers
Calling all little beauty lovers: This is an easy yet adorable advent calendar that makes bath time even more fun. It comes with six days of fun shapes and scents including two glistening snows, two sugar cookies, one polar berry, and one winter vanilla bath fizzer.
Price at time of publish: $12 (orig. $20)
Pottery Barn Santa Advent Calendar
This fillable advent calendar lets you customize the special surprises to focus on your child’s interests and passions. The top has a cheery Santa face and the long body of the calendar includes 25 small pockets where you can put little treasures.
Price at time of publish: $29 (orig. $59.50)
National Geographic Rock Collection Advent Calendar
Each day of this advent calendar opens to reveal a new rock. While this may sound dangerously close to lumps of coal to some, for kids who love rocks (which is most), it is just perfect. The rocks, gems, and fossils come from all over the world and include some information about their origin and formation. This is a great way for kids to explore the natural world and learn about scientific specimens during the holiday season.
Price at time of publish: $24.99
Barbie Dreamtopia Fairytale Surprise Box
This is the perfect doll set because it includes a Barbie and many accessories. On the first day, your child will unwrap a classic Barbie doll. Each day after that opens to reveal a mermaid tail, magic wand, fairy wings, or other accessories that will spark your child’s imagination. If your child already has a collection of Barbies, these items can be used on their other dolls as well.
Price at time of publish: $33.99
CardFun Kids Advent Calendar for Boys
Have a little engineer in the family? This advent calendar comes packed with a variety of construction vehicles like dump trucks, sports cars, helicopters, tower cranes, and even road signs.
Price at time of publish: $39.99
Meri Meri Winter Ballerina Charm Bracelet Advent Calendar Suitcase
Every aspiring little dancer will love this ballerina-inspired charm bracelet that comes in a beautiful suitcase. It opens up to showcase three dancing ballerinas and numbered trays that hold a gold-tone charm bracelet and charms to place on it.
Price at time of publish: $46.80 (orig. $52)
American Girl Advent Calendar
If your little one is already obsessed with American Girl, this advent calendar should be a no-brainer. It comes with a variety of adorable baking necessities, pretend sweet treats, seasonal sips, and dishware and decor.
Price at time of publish: $50
Amigurumi Advent Calendar Crochet Pattern Book
Deck the halls and Christmas tree with these crafted Amigurumi figures in Christmas themes. From a crocheted Santa to his herd of reindeer, there are 24 fun patterns in this book to try out. Your child will need their own needles, yarn, and other materials since the calendar only includes the patterns. Each one is estimated to take around 2 to 3 hours to complete.
Price at time of publish: $29.77
Paw Patrol 2023 Advent Calendar
Paw Patrol, Paw Patrol, we’ll be there on the double! This amazing advent calendar features your kiddo’s favorite characters from the hit TV show. It comes with a total of 24 surprise toys including their favorite pups and accessories. They can dress them up for the holidays, too!
Price at time of publish: $21.23 (orig. $24.99)
Funko Pop! Advent Calendar: Marvel
This Marvel advent calendar has all of your favorite superheroes in one jam-packed present. You can play with 24 of the most collectible Funko Pop figurines like Spider-Man, Hulk, Iron Man, and more. Some of them are also dressed in festive outfits, too.
Price at time of publish: $49.19
Roblox Action Collection Advent Calendar
There’s probably a high chance that a child in your life is obsessed with Roblox. Behind each door, they will find holiday-themed Roblox characters with matching accessories. They will get to build a total of six exclusive characters that come with a collector’s checklist and two virtual item codes.
Price at time of publish: $52.50
Gabby’s Dollhouse Advent Calendar 2023
Build an entire dollhouse world of imagination with this advent calendar. You’ll find so many adorable Gabby’s Dollhouse stuffed animals, dolls, toy figures, and play sets. It’s a perfect gift for those who want to encourage their kids to play pretend.
Price at time of publish: $29.99 (orig. $32.99)
Jazwares Pokemon Holiday Advent Calendar
Gotta catch ‘em all! This Pokemon advent calendar lets your child do just that. It has Christmas-specific pop-ups, including a tree, ornament stickers, and presents that can be used to build a holiday scene. Pokemon gather under the tree to celebrate as your child opens each day to reveal another holiday detail or Pokemon figure.
Price at time of publish: $69.47
Squishville by The Original Squishmallows Holiday Calendar
This Squishmallows holiday calendar is sure to be a hit this season. Each day, you can surprise your child with a two-inch Squishmallow as well as some exclusive accessories for them to dress up. It doesn’t hurt that they’re super soft and cuddly, too.
Price at time of publish: $164.97
Educational Insights Playfoam Snowy Friends Party 25-Day Preschool Advent Calendar 2023
This advent calendar is perfect to get the creative juices flowing. You’ll find a total of 13 bricks of squishy Playfoam and 12 Snowy Friends Pals. The non-toxic Playfoam won’t dry out so they can create new toys every day.
Price at time of publish: $24.99
Pottery Barn Kids Classic Santa Felt Christmas Advent Calendar
If you want a traditional Santa Claus-themed advent calendar, this one made from felt fits the bill just right. It’s handcrafted from wool and it comes with a festive pom-pom fringe as well as a Merry Christmas message written along the top. You can also customize it with your name.
Price at time of publish: $59 (orig. $99.50)
National Geographic Science Advent Calendar 2023
This advent calendar is perfect for kids who look forward to experimenting and who want to try something new each day and every day. There are 13 cool experiments they can do and it also includes 11 fossils and gemstones they can learn about and collect.
Price at time of publish: $39.46
Hello Kitty Advent Calendar
This adorable Hello Kitty advent calendar is a colorful way to add both color and sweets into the mix. It’s stocked with 24 treats in Hello Kitty’s signature color: pink. You’ll get to try a variety of goodies including chewy caramels and the cutest butterfly-shaped gummies.
Price at time of publish: $39.95
Smoko Friends Plush Advent Calendar
This may be the cutest advent calendar yet thanks to its cast of soft, plushy friends. The Smoko Friends Plush Advent Calendar comes with all of your favorite festive characters that can also be hung on the Christmas tree each day.
Price at time of publish: $50
Katie Melynn, a freelance writer who covers all of the best products for your home, originally wrote this article. It was recently updated by Nikita Charuza who is a freelance beauty and fashion editor and the founder of the “happy headcare” Ayurvedic beauty line Squigs Beauty. She’s the mom of a two-year-old who loves to play and test out every toy under the sun. For this story, she took a look at multiple major retailers and reviews to determine the best products included in this roundup.
