When you think of an advent calendar you probably picture tiny chocolates or hard candies hidden behind flimsy cardboard doors. But these staples of the holiday season have come a long way. From gourmet foods to beauty treats to fun activities to keep the kids busy, advent calendars come a wide variety of styles these days.
Most calendars come with 24 or 25 items depending on whether Christmas Day itself is included while others count down the 12 days of Christmas (and no, you’re not getting a partridge in a pear tree). In the spirit of the season, we’ve put together a guide to 25 of our favorite advent calendars. Some can be reused year after year while others will give you something limited but exceptional to enjoy once a day this Christmas season. Read on for holiday inspiration and scoop up your favorites before they sell out!
Tastes of the Season
Edible advent calendars are still one of the top picks but beyond chocolates and other tiny treats, there’s a whole world of festive goodies to eat and drink your way to Christmas. These advent calendars make great gifts if you want to surprise someone on your list ahead of the holidays and make their entire season a little more special.
If you start every day with a hot cup of tea, the English Tea Shop Organic Tea Advent Calendar is the perfect one for them. It comes with 13 different types of tea including classics like Chai and Peppermint teas along with festively named varieties like Happy Holiday tea and Winter Warmer. Each tea is individually boxed and each box has three different designs in red, white, and green so the calendar can be rearranged to keep it looking fresh as the days go by or you can pick your favorite. $14.99 at World Market.
If coffee is more your speed, there’s a calendar for that too, of course. The Door County Coffee Advent Calendar includes 24 bags that make a full pot of coffee and each is a different flavor. There are some traditional ones like Colombian and Breakfast Blend plus flavorful concoctions like Bourbon Vanilla Cream and Cinnamon Hazelnut. $59.99 at Door County Coffee.
Countdown the days to Christmas by enjoying a new Bonne Maman mini spread each day for 24 days with this calendar. Or, if you can help yourself, unveil them as you go but save them up for a breakfast morning tasting to share with family and friends. Flavors include unique combinations like caramel with coffee and apricot with orange blossom. Some of the spreads are only available during the holiday season so this is far beyond your usual grape jelly for toast. $44.99 at Bonne Maman.
If you missed the boat to start your countdown on December 1 and you love spicy treats, this one’s for you. The 12 Days of Hot Sauce will put your taste buds to the test with a dozen hot sauces with varying degrees of spice. Some – like the Mild Mango – will go easy on you, while the Carolina Reaper Hot Sauce will make you prove your passion for heat. $24.99 at World Market.
A little pricier than some of the other options on our list, the Universal Yums Candy Advent Calendar comes with a bonus box of treats and there are enough sweets to share. Of course, this isn’t just filled with candy you see every day – they’re from all over the world. Each of the 24 compartments contains at least four candies so you and your family or friends can take this confectionary journey together. The calendar comes as part of a bundle so you’ll also get to choose a box of six to seven full-size goodies from South Korea, Italy, or Greece. $60-$65 at Universal Yums.
If you’re a cheese lover, you’re going to want to splurge on this one. 12 Days of Murray’s Cheeses counts down to Christmas with nine cheese selections from around the world, four jams, and crackers. Cheeses rom England, Italy, France, Spain, and Ireland are hidden behind the doors in three- to five-ounce servings for a sharable appetizing adventure. $78 at Murray’s Cheese.
Treat Yourself
Let’s be honest, the holidays can be stressful. Between planning and shopping and cooking you need to make time for self-care. These advent calendars are a daily reminder to give yourself a treat now and then.
Whether you use these in a foot bath or soak your seasonal stress away in the tub, this Bath Bomb Advent Calender is sure to bring you some Christmas cheer. It includes 12 addorted sents and a total of 25 bath bombs. They’re colorful and fragrant but without any additives like sulfates or dyes. $38.99 on Amazon.
The 12 Days of Beauty Advent Calendar by JoyBright will make the days leading up to Christmas a little more merry and bright. Plus you’ll have some new makeup to wear to all your holiday parties. The adorable design also includes a disco ball ornament in the middle. $22 at Ulta.
If you need a full 24 days of pampering leading up to X-mas, the Make My Heart Sparkle Advent Calendar has you covered. Each day you’ll unwrap a new cosmetic or tool including items like a mini red nail polish, a lip scrub pad, a metallic eyeshadow palette and much more. $49.99 at Ulta.
Unwinding by candlelight is a great way to decompress during the chaos of the holiday season. This Candle Advent Calendar will light your way with 25 small scented candles in a festive box. Scents include holiday-inspired fragrances like Candy Cane and Sugar Cookie along with wintery aromas like White Woods and Snow Day. $31.99 at Kohl’s.
If you want to splurge on yourself during the holiday season – because who else is going to? Lovery’s 12 Days of Joy Advent Calendar will treat you right. Items include spa-worthy surprises each day including a red rose bubble bath, a green tea hand mask, fuzzy socks, and more. $55 at Macy’s.
Christmas Joy for Girls and Boys
The excitement of Christmas can come and go so fast, it’s nice to extend the spirit of the season by having an advent calendar tradition with your kids. Here are some reasonably priced options including a few that can be used year after year!
Charlie Brown Official Christmas Advent Calendar celebrates all the magic of the Peanuts Gang and “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” The reusable calendar includes 25 windows to open and reveal a treasure each day. Items include pull-out ornaments to add to your tree, sound buttons that play five songs from the iconic movie, classic quotes and images, and more. Unveiling the day’s prize each day with your kiddos will build up the anticipation for the big day without cluttering up your home with extra stuff. $21.63 at Walmart and $21.53 at Amazon.
If you have younger kids, the Play-Doh Advent Calender is great way to celebrate the season and spark creativity. Each day for 24 days your little one will open a door to a new one-ounce Play-Doh can and other surprises like molds, tools, and creation cards to guide their play. The box includes two tear-off playmats featuring a snowman scene and a gingerbread scene. The dough and tools revealed will help you complete each scene. But the real joy of Play-Doh is creating whatever your imagination comes up with. $21.99 on Amazon.
Lego has several advent calendars which include mini builds and minifigures for 24 days of fun. Some of their calendar themes include Spider-Man and Harry Potter. Our favorite though, is the Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar. Parents will revel in the nostalgia of the iconic series while kids will have an interactive item to play with each day. The calendar is set up so mini build versions of Lego Star Wars models are revealed in chronological order from when they were introduced by Lego in 1999 to the most recent 2024 models. There are also five minifigures waiting to be unboxed including Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia in holiday outfits. $44.99 at Lego.
This calendar will inspire curiosity and keep kids busy with 24 experiments! The Experiment a Day Science Advent Calender contains equipment or material each day for experiments that cover topics from chemistry to physics. Adding an educational component to your nightly tradition will keep kids engaged and excited to see what comes next. $40 at Uncommon Goods.
If you’ve got kiddos with busy hands you probably know the power of fidget toys. This Fidget Advent Calendar comes with a variety of popular fidget toys like spinners, an infinity cube, pop fidgets, stretchy figures and more. Several of the fidgets are also festively designed to look like stockings, Christmas bells, and other seasonal items. $15.99 on Amazon.
A pricier option, the Step2 My First Advent Calendar is a durable item that you can personalize to your kids’ interests and age level. The 25 small bins can be filled with small trinkets like toy cars, ornaments, and snacks. If you want to celebrate without buying more items you could put special notes in each day or include instructions for a seasonal activity. The adorable snowy cottage design also makes this a piece that can fit your holiday decor. $69.99 at Step2.
Pamper Your Pets
Why should humans get all the holiday fun? Here are a few options to get your four-legged family members involved in the merriment.
Trader Joe’s brings out a yearly Advent Calendar for Dogs and an Advent Calendar for Cats. This year the dog version features an adorable drawing of a good boy named Stewart with 25 salmon and sweet potato treats waiting inside. The cat variation is adorned with some playful pussy cats and holiday lights with 25 salmon and dried seaweed treats for your feline family members. $7.99 each at Trader Joe’s.
Another options for your furry friends are Petco’s Merry Makings 12-Day Dog Toy Advent Calendar and the Merry Makings 12-Day Cat Toy Advent Calender. The canine version has adorable soft items in festive designs like a reindeer and candy cane. It also comes in different sizes based on your pup’s weight so they don’t get tiny treats that could be swallowed. The version for the kitties comes with purr-fect trinkets like jingling balls and catnip toys. $14.99 for cat version and $34.99 for medium dog version at Petco.
Curious and Creative
“Wicked” is one of the most anticipated films of the year and will certainly garner audiences all winter long after it premieres November 22. The Welcome To Oz Advent Calendar celebrates the film with 12 days of bewitching and bejeweled accessories. Items include hair accessories, a charm bracelet, and more. $75 at Aldo.
This one promises to keep you busy throughout December as you try to solve a 24-day-long puzzle gathering clues day by day. The Exit: The Game Advent Calendar includes card-based riddles each day that will lead you to each door to open next. Keep playing detective until you solve the games and find a missing Hollywood actress set to star in a Christmas blockbuster. $45.67 on Amazon.
If you you’ve got a tech-savvy teen or adult in your house, the Retro Games Coding Advent Calendar is a unique find that will keep them in the spirit. Each day brings a new challenge as you learn the basics of building circuit boards and use new elements to create games you can actually play. The game-building increases in difficulty as the days go on and you can always go back to re-build your favorites. Games include code cracker, a wire maze, roulette, and more. $30 at Uncommon Goods.
Dads can be hard to shop for but you can get a head start if you’ve got a fisherman in the family. This Fishing Advent Calendar includes 24 different fishing lures for the angler in your household to add to their collection. Lures include poppers, spinners, silver spoons, and more in an array of colors. This would be a great build up if you’re presenting papa with a new fishing pole or tacklebox on Christmas Day. $20.99 on Amazon.
Whether you’re indulging in a daily treat, surprising loved ones, or savoring cozy moments with your pets, there’s an advent calendar that perfectly captures the magic of December. From playful countdowns for kids to luxurious moments of self-care, these selections ensure every day feels a little more festive. So, let the unwrapping begin, and may your countdown to Christmas be merry and memorable!
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