40 Best Toy Advent Calendars for Kids in 2024

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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+

An advent calendar that's sure to be popular, this comes with Wicked-themed trinkets like patches, magnets, coasters, washi tape and laptop stickers. They're not exactly toys, but fun collectibles for tweens and teens (or any other Wicked fans in your life). More people to buy for on your list? You can find an Insight Editions' advent calendar to fit their fandom, including ones themed around Beetlejuice, Star Wars, Batman, Marvel, Harry Potter, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Elf, Home Alone or Dragon Ball Z, among others.

RELATED: Wicked Fans: Mattel Wicked Dolls Are Available for Pre-order Now

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+

RELATED: Gifts for 10-Year-Olds That Are Both Cool and Useful

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+

RELATED: Best Gifts for Toddlers, Since 1- and 2-Year-Olds Get the Most Fun Toys

Their art supplies probably need a refresh anyway. In addition to markers, crayons, paint pots and craft supplies like eyes and glitter glue, this also comes with activities to do each day. It's great for keeping them busy, so you can get other holiday-related chores done! Ages 3+

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+

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+

RELATED: The Best 'Star Wars' Gifts for Kids and Adults

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 smiling tree. There are even a few glow-in-the-dark items. Ages 3+

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+

RELATED: The Best Advent Calendars for Tweens and Teens

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+

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+

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+

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+

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

Funko's "Pocket Pops" are the perfect size for an advent-calendar treat, and the brand obliges by putting out so many of them. In addition to The Nightmare Before Christmas, you can get advent calendars for The Office, Stranger Things, Pixar, Hasbro toys, Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, DC Super Heroes, and Five Nights at Freddy's. Ages 6+

RELATED: Cool Marvel Gifts for Kids and Adults

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

RELATED: The Best Dungeons & Dragons Gifts to Celebrate the Game's 50th Anniversary

For real little ones, this one offers 24 wooden farm animals, so they can practice their "baas" and "moos." The pieces are almost block-like, so toddlers can set them up themselves and use them for imaginative play. Ages 2+

Each day, kids will get a teeny canister of Play-Doh and a little tool that will give them inspiration for new ways to play. Which is good, because it's been shown that working with Play-Doh helps kids strengthen their hand muscles. Ages 3+

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+

Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; she previously wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found dominating the audio round at her local bar trivia night or tweeting about movies.

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