Christmas is a special time of year when little eyes light up at the wonder and excitement of the season. Anticipation builds as each day passes and sometimes it can help to have a visual countdown. Advent calendars can make the countdown to Christmas fun by providing special treats, surprises, or family activities.

For our advent calendar, we have a variety of ways to celebrate the countdown. I’ll often try to simplify things by including activities we keep as a tradition such as driving around to look at Christmas lights, baking cookies, or having hot chocolate while watching our favorite Christmas movie. My little ones also look forward to finding a special surprise every now and then which may include a small toy or candy.

Whether you’re looking for a simple paper calendar, a felt advent with pockets, or a wooden calendar with drawers to hide special treats, we’ve found some of the very best that should fit your needs and add some fun to this holiday season. Be sure to order early though, as many sell out fast!

Advent Calendars

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Advent Calendars with Toys or Stickers

Fisher-Price Little People Advent Calendar
This calendar is perfect for the littlest hands. There are 24 fun surprises leading up to Christmas to discover and play with.

Disney Tsum Tsum Advent Calendar
Open a different door each day leading up to Christmas to reveal a Disney Tsum Tsum figure. Create a fun gingerbread house scene with some of your favorite characters!

Barbie Advent Calendar

This fun advent calendar has 23 surprise accessories and fashions to dress up your own Barbie doll (Barbie not included). The 24th and final piece is a hair accessory of your very own!

Lego City Town Advent Calendar Building Kit
Create a wintry holiday scene with each new Lego piece that awaits behind each door. From hockey players to Santa and his sleigh, there’s sure to be lots of new friends to play with.

Mega Bloks Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Advent Calendar
A new surprise awaits each day from down in the sewers. An interchangeable TMNT and a variety of accessories and villains are sure to inspire lots of play!

Crayola Christmas Countdown Activity Advent Calendar
This advent calendar is perfect for your little artist at heart. With 24 art supplies and activities, the wait for Christmas will be filled with fun. A letter to Santa, Model Magic clay ornaments, paint, and gift tags to decorate are just a few of the projects to keep your little ones busy!

Fisher-Price Thomas the Train Minis Advent Calendar
Calling all train lovers! Open a door each day to discover a new Thomas & Friends miniature train. The trains can attach to each other and can chug along the tracks in the wintry scene.

Hot Wheels Advent Calendar
This calendar will excite your Hot Wheels fans as they get to open a new window for the 24 days leading up to Christmas to find a fun surprise. From Santa’s sleigh to reindeer and snow plows, there’s so much to look forward to each day.

PLAYMOBIL Unicorn Fairyland Advent Calendar

This set includes an enchanting backdrop for unicorns, fairies, and all their friends to play. Discover all 24 surprises each day of the advent.

PLAYMOBIL Advent Calendar Christmas on the Farm Playset
Explore Christmas down on Santa’s farm with this PLAYMOBIL farm play set.

Gingerbread House Sticker Advent Calendar
Your kids will love getting to decorate their very own gingerbread house with this countdown to Christmas advent. Peel off a new piece of candy or decor to make a colorful gingerbread house that will surely add some festive decor to your home!

Fabric Calendars

Christmas Tree Fabric Advent Calendar
Make this Christmas tree shiny and bright as you decorate it with beautiful felt ornaments. By Christmas Eve, it will be full of beautiful ornaments.

Santa’s Workshop Fabric Advent Calendar
Take a new workshop helper out of the pocket each day and hang it with velcro to create a Santa’s workshop scene.

Wooden Calendars

Melissa & Doug Countdown to Christmas Wooden Advent Calendar
Countdown to Christmas as you decorate this wooden Christmas tree. Each ornament is magnetic and easily stored beneath the tree.
Gingerbread House Advent Calendar
This hand crafted gingerbread house has 24 interchangeable drawers where you can hide a special activity note, candy, or other small treasures inside. It also makes for a beautiful decoration!

Nativity Scenes

Advent Calendar – Starlit Stable Sticker
This calendar is simple and fun for little ones who love stickers. Peel off a new sticker each day to complete the nativity scene.

Kubla Crafts Nativity Fabric Calendar
Add a new piece to the nativity scene as you countdown the advent with these 24 velcro figures.

Kurt Adler Wooden Nativity Advent Calendar
This beautifully hand painted nativity calendar has a door to open each day that reveals a new magnetic piece to add to the nativity scene.

Spread Christmas Kindness

The Kindness Elves™ are magical friends who love nothing more than to sprinkle kindness and joy wherever they go! They love to visit your home and spread this happiness with children, encouraging them to do small acts of kindness in their daily lives.