![The Best Advent Calendars for Adults in 2025 [Tested and Reviewed]](/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-Best-Advent-Calendars-for-Adults_Taste-of-Home_01_YVedit.jpg?resize=72,72)
Children of all ages and interests will appreciate these fun kids' Advent calendar picks.
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The countdown to Christmas has officially begun. We found the best Advent calendars for everyone on your list, and kiddos are no exception. We spoke to Chris Byrne, better known as The Toy Guy, to find out what you should look for when shopping for an Advent calendar.
“Advent calendars are a big deal. They’ve become a way to get ready for the holidays and since they’re like opening a blind bag every day, they’re really fun for kids,” Byrne explains. “They can be pricey, but if you see one you want, get it. Quantities are often limited and you can miss out if you wait.”
According to Byrne, who stresses the importance of dimensional play, you can’t go wrong with LEGO. He also expects beloved characters like Bluey, Stitch, Barbie, Pokemon and Gabby’s Dollhouse to be popular this year.
With Byrne’s advice in mind, we’ve curated a list of Advent calendars for every kid on your nice list. From candy Advent calendars to Funko Pop! collectibles and even a beauty option, little ones (and adults) won’t be able to keep their hands off of them. They’re almost too tempting to open one day at a time!
for the snugglebug
Squishmallows Original 24-Day Micromallows Holiday Plush Advent Calendar
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for the chocolate lover
Lindt Holiday Chocolate Sweater Teddy Bear Advent Calendar
In our hunt for the best chocolate Advent calendars, our team was impressed by Lindt. Their Sweater Teddy Bear Advent calendar contains 32 delicious milk chocolate treats tucked away in an adorable teddy bear-shaped box.
You’ll find plenty of Lindt favorites, including mini bears, mini chocolate balls, mini snowmen and mini chocolate Napolitans. With so much chocolately goodness, there’s no way to become bored with the daily reveal. The calendar is also affordably priced, making it easier to stock up on multiples if you have more than one kiddo or plan on buying these as gifts.
for the crafter
DIY Ornament Advent Calendar
Here’s a gift for crafters, young and mature. This DIY ornament Advent calendar includes all the bells and whistles for designing their own felt Christmas tree ornaments.
Kids of all ages will craft 25 ornaments using felt and stickers—no sewing or glue required! And while each ornament has its own set of picture instructions, crafters can follow their heart and create something truly unique. The only thing to consider? They might need their own mini Christmas tree to show off their creations!
VIA MERCHANT
for the sweet tooth
Sugarfina Snoopy's House Advent Calendar
The countdown to Christmas has never tasted sweeter, thanks to this adorably delicious Advent calendar from Sugarfina. They’ll look forward to opening a new sweet treat every day, like gourmet gummies, caramels and chocolate biscuits. Deputy editor Katie Bandurski tested this Advent calendar and was instantly smitten.
“This calendar gets major points for its design even before you get into the good stuff,” she raves. “It’s shaped like the iconic red doghouse. It gets even better when you open the doors to the calendar and find a pop-up paper Snoopy that unfolds to assume his go-to position.”
Inside the calendar are 24 total drawers, each filled with four small pieces of candy. Katie appreciated that each little candy comes wrapped in its own cellophane bag to keep it fresh, and it includes a tear perforation so it’s easy to open. And while Sugarfina is more of an adult-focused candy brand, Katie’s calendar didn’t contain any candies that would be inappropriate for children. “There are no cocktail flavors featuring champagne or rosé, so it’s appropriate for all ages,” she says.
for the beauty queen
Kitsch North Pole Post 12-Day Advent Calendar
Tweens and teens will squeal with delight when they see this beauty-themed Advent calendar from Kitsch. Staff writer Marisa Hillman snagged one for her tween daughter as soon as it dropped.
“My daughter is at an age where she’s too cool for toys but too young for skincare and makeup. This Kitsch Advent calendar feels like the perfect solution,” raves Marisa. “It makes her feel like she’s ‘in’ with the beauty trend and I don’t have to worry about her damaging her young skin and hair.”
The Kitsch Advent calendar includes 12 full-size hair care essentials from bar shampoo and conditioner to cute hair clips and, my personal favorites, Kitsch towel scrunchies and silk pillowcases.
for the teen
The Woobles Toy to the World Advent Calendar
Crochet fanatics will love this adorable Woobles Toy Workshop Advent calendar. It arrives in a gorgeous, holiday-themed box that doubles as a playscape for the Woobles and includes an array of fun surprises like Woobles, crochet hooks, woobly bits and more.
“I didn’t think it was possible, but this year’s Woobles calendar is even cuter than last year’s,” raves product tester Emily Way. “My favorite part is that everything—from the boxes the surprises come in to the box itself—is totally reusable for playtime. The boxes are printed with toy workshop motifs, while the box itself unfolds into a reusable playscape. If I were a kid, this would be my dream Advent calendar. Even as an adult, I’m stunned by the detail.”
Each Wooble comes with everything needed for construction. The instructional QR code and photo of the finished project come in a dossier-style envelope, along with any eyes any additional bits. “I think the ‘North Pole Employment File’ is the cutest thing ever,” Emily gushes. “It even has a little blurb with their ‘naughty or nice’ status. Adorable!”
for the snugglebug
Squishmallows Original 24-Day Micromallows Holiday Plush Advent Calendar
Getting your hands on a Squishmallow Advent calendar might be just as hard as catching a glimpse of the big guy himself on Christmas Eve. And for good reason. This calendar comes with 24 adorably festive Micromallows like Brooke the Polar Bear, Manny the Snowman and more. You’ll even find Mr. and Mrs. Claus! Each plush stands 2.5 inches and is as cuddly and soft as their larger cousins.
“I saw this calendar at Target exactly one time last year, and one of my daughters fell in love. I went back for it the next day, and they were all gone,” says Marisa Hillman. “I wasn’t able to find it again anywhere until after Christmas. I nabbed it and have been hanging onto it ever since then.” In short, don’t hesitate to pre-order this calendar as it’s almost certain to sell out.
for the minecraft obsessed
LEGO Minecraft Advent Calendar
The big day can’t come soon enough for Minecraft fans, who will love unpacking this LEGO Minecraft Advent calendar. They’ll unpack eight LEGO minifigures, including Alex, Steve, a Creeper and a Santa villager, along with other festive pieces to create a winter village. There are 300 pieces in total, and the box includes a fold-out, cardboard playmat that provides the perfect backdrop for dimensional play.
The LEGO Minecraft Advent calendar gifts are compatible with other LEGO Minecraft building sets, including this 5-in-1 LEGO Minecraft gift set. Other building sets are sold separately.
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for the Potterhead
Harry Potter Advent Calendar with Mini Figurines
Calling all muggles! Inside this Harry Potter Advent calendar, fans of the iconic franchise will find 24 miniature versions of beloved characters from Harry, Hermione and Dumbledore to Luna Lovegood, Hagrid and Dobby. They’ll also encounter an assortment of magical creatures like Fang, Fawkes and Buckbeak.
“One of my children received this Advent calendar for Christmas last year and they felt like they had hit the jackpot,” says staff writer Marisa Hillman. “They were thrilled to receive a different character every day as opposed to a few characters and a baggie full of extras that inevitably get lost or thrown away.”
for the tinkerer
Motorized Christmas Train Advent Calendar
Here’s a DIY Advent calendar to inspire kids’ play-based learning. KiwiCo makes one of our favorite cooking kits for kids, and their motorized Christmas train Advent calendar is the perfect activity to keep little ones entertained. Every day, they’ll open an instruction card laying out the blueprints and materials to build a piece of their holiday train set.
Once all 12 crafts are completed, they’ll have their own working train complete with a locomotive, two passenger cars and two cargo cars. It also includes a hinged track that can be set up in an oval, circle or line so they can see their creation in action. They’ll be so proud of their craftsmanship that it’ll live on as a holiday decoration for years.
for the pack leader
Paw Patrol Advent Calendar
Happy holidays from Adventure Bay! This Paw Patrol Advent calendar is perfect for kids aged three and older. It features 24 days of gifts, including seven festive pups, three animal friends and 14 holiday-themed accessories.
Kids will find Santa Chase and Rudolph Marshall, along with Skye, Rubble, Everest, Rocky and Zuma, dressed up for the holidays. They’ll even find Chickaletta! There’s also an adorable penguin, snowman and horse-drawn carriage. It also comes with cute accessories like snowboards, gingerbread dog presents, a fire pit and a storefront that they can set up for endless adventures and pretend rescue missions.
for the baker
American Girl Baking Spirits Bright Advent Calendar
Holiday baking will be even sweeter with this American Girl Advent calendar. It comes with 24 days of baking accessories for her favorite doll. We’re talking the most adorable pretend gingerbread cookies, cups of cocoa and baking ingredients you’ve ever seen.
Sweeten the deal even more by purchasing all of the ingredients you’ll need to bake some gingerbread cookies of your own. And don’t worry about looking up a recipe online (although we do happen to love this gingerbread cookie recipe). This Advent calendar includes a recipe card with a real recipe for gingerbread cookies. Yum!
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for the toddler
Step 2 My First Advent Calendar
Let the youngest have in on the fun with this refillable Advent calendar. It’s made of durable plastic and can be used year after year. But what we really love about this calendar is the large, refillable bins that you can fill with whatever you want. From candies and crafts to small toys and books, the possibilities are endless!
Just note that no gifts are included with this Advent calendar. Not sure what to get? Here are a few small gift ideas to help get the wheels turning.
for the car guy
Hot Wheels Advent Calendar
Drive the holiday spirit with a Hot Wheels Advent calendar. Car enthusiasts will find 10 toy cars and 23 festive accessories hidden behind each of the 24 doors. The box doubles as a playscape so they can drive through a colorful winter wonderland. And when kids aren’t playing, they can use the included ornament clips to hang the cars on their tree.
After the holidays, the 1:64 scale Hot Wheels toy cars can be used with any existing Hot Wheels tracks and playsets for year round fun. Just note that additional tracks, playsets and cars are sold separately. We recommend asking Santa to put this Hot Wheels Racing Formula 1 Grand Prix Circuit under the tree.
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for anyone in your ohana
Bitty POP! Stitch Holiday Advent Calendar
Count down to the holidays with Experiment 626. This Stitch Advent calendar is loaded with Funko Bitty POP! gifts. Kids will find 10 Stitch Bitty POP! collectibles, seven stackable display pieces, three holiday accessories, two keychain cases, and two pin cases so they can take their favorite alien on the go.
Funko’s Bitty POP! collection is best suited for kids over the age of three due to its tiny nature. Each collectible stands just 7/8-inches tall. They come packaged in hard acrylic cases with detachable bottom lids. Each figure is adhered to the bottom lid, which doubles as an acrylic base for easy display.
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for the Star Wars fandom
LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar
The force is strong with this Star Wars Advent calendar! Star Wars fans will find 24 galactic gifts that, when put together, help create a droidsmith workshop. Like all LEGO sets, you’ll find a quality selection of buildable toys.
The set includes LEGO Star Wars characters C-3PO, a holiday Jawa, Babu Frik and five droid figures. It also comes with eight buildable LEGO droids. Once they’ve got their characters, kids will open nine mini build toys for their workshop, including a workbench, chair, tool rack, buildable vehicle and more. There’s even a LEGO Christmas tree!
for the Bluey fan
Bluey Advent Calendar
Kids will love waiting for their own Veranda Santa with this Bluey Advent calendar. This Disney Store exclusive arrives in a festive box filled with 24 gifts. Every day, Bluey fans will find a different member of the Heeler family. They’ll find Bluey, Bingo, Mum and Dad, along with an array of colorful accessories like musical instruments and matching scooters. There’s even a Christmas tree and a happy snowman for hours of imaginative play.
Each plastic figure is fully sculpted and stands up to 1 2/3-inches tall. They’ll make a great addition to one of this year’s hottest toys, the Bluey Supermarket Playset.
On Sale
for the Pokémon trainer
Funko Pocket POP! Pokémon Advent Calendar
Pokémon trainers really can catch them all thanks to this Advent calendar. It includes 24 Funko Pocket POP! Pokémon figures that fans will adore. According to staff writer Marisa Hillman, that makes this calendar well worth the price.
“My kids found a different Pokémon figure every day, which was super exciting,” she says. “I also appreciate that the figures are high quality. My kids still play with them a year later, and they’ve held up really well.” Each Funko Pocket POP! figure measures around two inches tall and is made of durable vinyl.
for the Barbie girl
Barbie Fashion Doll Holiday Advent Calendar
Every day is a new fashion adventure with this Barbie Advent calendar. It comes with one Barbie doll in a molded pink bodysuit and her sweet little puppy. It also includes two skirts, two tops, three pairs of shoes, and 23 accessories like sunglasses, necklaces and headbands.
Mix and match clothing to create a variety of glam looks for Barbie’s holiday excursions in her new Dream Camper Van. The possibilities are endless!
for the stuffy lover
Build-A-Bear Advent Calendar
A trip to Build-A-Bear is always a special treat. Now, thanks to this Build-A-Bear Advent calendar, kids can open their new furry friends at home. This Advent calendar comes with six plush friends. Each stuffy stands between four and five inches tall and has adorable, embroidered features.
This calendar also includes 19 festive clothing and accessory items so kids can dress up their cuddly buddies for the holidays. And for more holiday fun, the box opens up to reveal an activity pad complete with a drawing activity and word search.
FAQ
How does an Advent calendar work for kids?
Advent calendars are designed to mark the days until the Christmas holiday, starting on the first of December and ending on the 24th. Each day, your kiddo can open a single door (in the order they are numbered) to find a little treat or toy inside. Traditional Advent calendars also often include a bible verse or image behind the door in conjunction with the toy or treat, but today’s Advent calendars mostly focus on the treats.
Do you start at 24 or 1 on an Advent calendar?
This will depend largely on the Advent calendar itself. Traditional ones start at 1 and end at 24, but modern ones sometimes are positioned as a Christmas countdown, in which case they will start at 24 and end at 1. That said, you can really open them in either order as long as you just stick to the process of opening a single door a day until Christmas. Even if you open them out of order, it’s no big deal—there isn’t typically a defined order.
What to put in the Advent calendar for kids?
Traditional Advent calendars include sweet treats—usually little chocolates or other candies. However, modern ones can vary widely in what they contain, as you can see from our collection above. Some still feature treats, whereas others might have toys, puzzles or project pieces, ornaments, etc. Most of them have themes, as well, including pop culture figures.
Why You Should Trust Us
At Taste of Home, we know how important it is to add a little extra magic to the holiday season. Whether you need help finding small stocking stuffers or rounding up the best Christmas cookie recipes, we’re here to help. To create this list of the best Advent calendars for kids, we spoke to Chris Byrne, aka The Toy Guy, in order to find out this year’s biggest trends. From there, we researched various options and even tested several calendars. The end result? We found 20 of the best Advent calendars you can buy in 2025.
