Advent calendars have really come on in leaps and bounds.
While they tended to be mainly chocolate-filled back in my day (big up the Cadbury Dairy Milk classic), nowadays you can get them stuffed with all manner of things – from toy cars to Lego sets to books, magnetic tiles, collectible characters and even fidget gifts. Whatever your child’s interest, chances are there’s an advent calendar out there for them.
Given that there are so many out there nowadays, I decided to road test some of the newest releases with the help of two children under the age of six.
We staggered it out over a period of three weeks to save my fingers from the ordeal of opening each cardboard door get an idea of which ones stood the test of time (aka, which ones my kids returned to again and again).
Here are some of the best we opened.
The best toy advent calendars
Any Disney princess fan will be delighted with this calendar, which comes with various princess Lego figures – Cinderella, Mulan, Moana and Ariel – and sidekicks, accessories, mini buildings or Christmas-themed builds to go with them. The advent calendar itself also doubles up as a board game so once all the doors have been opened, you can use it to play with (provided it’s not been ripped to shreds in excitement).
The only gripe my five-year-old had was that she would’ve liked more princesses to be included (as she had to share the four princesses with her sister). We also realised there were fewer Lego characters in this one than the Marvel Lego calendar, which is the same price.
Recommended age: 5+
HuffPost loves: You get a range of things to build to compliment the princess characters and you can turn it into a game at the end.
HuffPost wishes: There should be more princesses included for the price.
7/10
This toy calendar went down a storm with both kids thanks to the customisable elements hidden behind some of the windows. Expect die-cast toy cars, trucks, emergency service vehicles, even a helicopter, as well as festive-themed accessories like clip-on skis, reindeer antlers, stickers and even a Santa hat.
The calendar also has a fold down flap which can be used as a snowy road so they can enter imaginative play mode straight away. If your kid loves cars, cars and more cars, this one’s undoubtedly for you.
Recommended age: 3+ (does contain small-ish parts)
HuffPost loves: The festive accessories which are behind some of the windows and can be added to the vehicles.
HuffPost wishes: There was a bigger vehicle included like a bus or a fire engine.
7.5/10
This educational (yet fun!) advent calendar brings the characters from Numberblocks (specifically One to Five) to life in the form of MathLink cubes, which your kids can put together and then add stickers to in order to give them faces and festive accessories (like scarves).
Behind each door there are colourful MathLink cubes, 3D accessories for the cubes (like festive hats and skis), and plenty of stickers. There’s also a board game on the calendar box itself so once you’ve opened all the doors, you can use the spinner to race each other to the finish line – a great way to hone those counting skills.
Recommended age: 3+
HuffPost loves: That it’s fun and educational – and there’s a board game, too.
HuffPost wishes: The cubes were easier to connect for small hands.
8/10
Now this was a fun calendar to open – both my kids love Spider-Man and are aware of some of the other Marvel characters, too. (Obviously now X-Men is part of the Marvel universe as well, all interests are catered for.)
This one features six Marvel Lego characters including: Spider-Man, Ghost Spider, Iron Man, Dr Doom, Captain America and Wolverine, as well as accessories and vehicles so the kids can build the characters and their accompaniments and then enter imaginative play mode. Some of the builds are quite tricky so if your children are younger, they might need a bit of help. But the good news is you can obviously stagger it out across the month of December (and let’s face it, we need no excuse to get involved building Lego).
Recommended age: 6+
HuffPost loves: A great mix of characters across the Marvel universe as well as fun vehicles and festive accessories to build like a little cupcake stand and a superhero-themed snowman. Even Dr Doom is getting in the festive spirit with some form of green ice cream.
HuffPost wishes: There were more female Marvel characters included.
8.5/10
Brio is one of those legacy toy brands that I remember fondly from my own childhood, so it was not only exciting for my kids to open this, but I was pretty jazzed, too! We’ve already got a wooden train track so the kids were very interested to see what would be behind the doors of this beautiful calendar (one of the best looking ones, IMO).
The treats behind each door certainly didn’t disappoint – with festive trains, Mr + Mrs Claus, colourful suitcases, a white horse and other wooden and plastic accessories (signs, railings, trees, a bench) as well as a short bit of track. The kids had endless fun using these pieces with their existing set, pretending to be Father Christmas delivering gifts to their other toys.
Recommended age: 3+
HuffPost loves: The nostalgia element, the fact these are quality toys which will last eons, and that it encourages endless festive fun and imaginative play.
HuffPost wishes: There were a few more wooden track pieces.
9/10
This adorable storybook advent calendar is without a doubt the most exciting visually. It arrives flat-packed and then you slot the bits of card together to create an impressive 3D Christmas tree adorned with pictures of their favourite Disney characters.
Behind each door is an exciting mini Disney storybook – and even though the reading age for these books is 4-6 years old, I’d say this calendar is perfect for toddlers too as they still enjoy listening to the stories. My two-year-old certainly does, and she loves to carry the little books about (I often find her sitting quietly, flicking through the pages and making up her own stories to go with the pictures).
Recommended age: 2+
HuffPost loves: The wide array of books on offer – from Lilo and Stitch to Frozen – and the fact they’re pocket-sized. The price is also very reasonable.
HuffPost wishes: The books were for a mix of reading ages (but that’s if we’re being very picky).
9/10
I’m yet to meet a child who doesn’t love Magna-Tiles, so we were especially excited to try out this year’s advent calendar. It’s definitely one of the best looking of the bunch and feels premium (which is a good thing because it’s also one of the most expensive options at almost £40).
Behind each door is either a character (Santa and a train conductor), festive tiles, or some microChassis parts so they can build a festive train (or whatever creation their heart desires really, which is the beauty of these tiles!).
This was a firm favourite for both kids and it’s one they keep coming back to. The tiles are also quite small which is handy as you can take them with you when you’re out and about.
Recommended age: 3+
HuffPost loves: You get the classic magnetic tiles as well as characters and a train chassis so you can really expand imaginative play time.
HuffPost wishes: It was a bit cheaper.
9.5/10
Funko knew what they were doing when they created this advent calendar, complete with dozens of teeny Pokemon characters in their own special display boxes. Admittedly this is a collectible calendar with very small parts, so it’s definitely not for younger children.
Behind some of the doors there are green plastic frames which you can build up to create your own Bitty Pop Christmas tree-shaped display cabinet. My eldest wasn’t really interested in this part but adores playing with the tiny characters. You can also turn some of them into keyrings (with the attachments provided behind some of the doors), which has gone down extremely well and the acrylic cases “clack” away as she walks home from school. The keyring attachments are also cool as you can easily swap the Pokemon characters out from day to day.
The Bitty Pop! Hello Kitty calendar is very similar (albeit with Hello Kitty characters, instead) and both calendars have been declared my five-year-old’s “favourites”.
Recommended age: 3+
HuffPost loves: You get loads of different Pokemon as well as some fun attachments (like the keyrings).
HuffPost wishes: There were more Pokemon and fewer ‘display case’ pieces.
9.5/10
This one elicited the biggest squeal from my five-year-old and is another calendar she’s come back to time and time again since shredding open the 24 windows. If you’ve not yet come across Clickeez, they’re basically little keyboard-style keys which click and clack as you press them.
This adorable calendar contains bright-eyed collectible characters (including four exclusive festive Clickeez) in various pastel colours, as well as some stickers and keyring attachments behind some of the other doors. The fun part is you can also connect them to each other and then clack away like you’re typing on a computer keyboard. It’s good sensory fun and my kids have adored turning them into keyrings to stick on their backpacks.
A pack of five Clickeez is a tenner from Argos and this includes 20 of them so it feels good value, too.
Recommended age: 6+
HuffPost loves: The cute pastel characters and the incredibly satisfying sound they make as you click them.
HuffPost wishes: No notes. Another great advent calendar that both kids are still playing with weeks later.
10/10
Forget the kids for second, this was my favourite Lego calendar by far. I love that behind each window you get either festive characters – think Santa, Mrs Clause, elves, a snowman – or things to build, like a Christmas tree, toys for Santa’s workshop or a festive drink-making station.
Every day in the run up to 25 December you get a pack of dismantled Lego to assemble and there are definitely some more tricky builds in there to truly stretch the older kids (and grown-ups!). This, IMO, is the perfect way to count down to the big day – it’s a sprinkling of festive magic in a visually-beautiful box.
Recommended age: 5+ (contains very small parts)
HuffPost loves: The Christmassy characters and builds which make it the perfect festive treat and add a ton of excitement to the build-up.
HuffPost wishes: No notes, this was a great calendar that the whole family could enjoy.
10/10
