15 Fun New Advent Calendars for Kids and Families

Gifts showing up unexpectedly might be every child's dream, but in the case of this suitable-for-2-years-and-older set, a rescue-ready raven and a bunch of barn animals need to figure out where they came from and who might be missing them. Each day, your littles will find out what Theo (the raven) needs to do to "Save Christmas," and with the help of some friendly faces — a new wooden animal behind every daily door — your kiddos might just hop on the bandwagon. Once the holidays are over, you can add the animals to your toddler or preschooler's playroom and await all the shenanigans bound to happen.

What's black and white and not red (and green) all over? This adorable screen-printed woodland-style organic cotton twill wall calendar, complete with a pocket for each of the 24 days leading up to Christmas. Fill the pockets with anything you think will light up your kids' eyes — from trinkets and toys to other bits and baubles (including special notes from mom and dad, grandparents, maybe even Santa himself). It's especially great if you have a newborn or infant at home, as the high-contrast creatures provide a much more engaging visual muse for babies to unpack and explore.

Movie theaters are certainly springing back to life these days, but if you're still concerned about family movie nights out, then have one IN! This tree is trimmed with 24 days of fun for the whole family. Behind each door is an ingredient for the most epic popcorn party ever. From popcorn kernels and assorted glazes to sprinkles, seeds, and sanding sugars, the toppings are seriously delicious! Just pop in a family classic, ready up your gourmet popcorn concession stand, and settle in for a comfy night at home.

Even superheroes get time off for the holidays. Make the lead up to Christmas more adventurous with this advent calendar featuring all of your minis' favorite Marvel characters. There are 7 minifigures — Iron Man, Spider-Man, Black Widow, Thor, Captain Marvel, Thanos, and Nick Fury. Plus, a variety of accessories from the Marvel Universe, including a Quinjet, Helicarrier, Spider-Man drone, the Avengers Tower, and more! Best part? These 298 building pieces don't have to peace out by New Years. They can keep on being played with well into 2022 and beyond.

Any parents out there with littles who bail on tree decorating as soon as they get bored (for us, it's about 10 minutes in)? This one's for you. This sweet magnetic tree comes with artful ornaments that can be "hung up" each day in December — without the risk of those wirey metallic hooks pricking their little fingers. The tray at the bottom keeps everything nice and tidy, so even if your littles want to switch things up, they can do their ornament swap safely. Save the sparkling star for Christmas morning, so that once you place it on top — as a family — the present-opening can officially commence.

Our way of helping with those 4 a.m. Christmas morning wakeup calls!

We're probably not the only ones who look at this enchanting train station and immediately start humming Josh Groban's "Believe" from "The Polar Express," right? It's just too cute. This one features pieces of a train set, wooden tracks, characters, signs, and a rail car, to collect and assemble, one by one, over 24 days. Once Christmas Eve arrives and the set is complete, the front of the calendar folds out to reveal an image of a bustling train station decked out in holiday decorations.

Straight out the gate, I cannot wait for my house to be rife with merry Magna-Tiles thematic tidings in just a few months. Buhbye ceramic Christmas villages, hello beloved magnetic block structures. This play set makes for even more holiday cheer, reversing between multiple gingerbread floors, roofs and walls, and allowing children to build infinite dimensions. Count down to Christmas while helping introduce calendar concepts through play. Oh, and these are compatible with Original Magna-Tiles sets, too, so your kiddos can weave these seasonal designs into their already existing creative worlds!

We're already placing bets on how quickly our dino-loving LOs (little ones in parent-talk 😉) will erupt with excitement over this Jurassic timetable. Featuring gifts that range from fossil excavation to egg hatching and volcano creatio, each prehistoric prize is an experiment that will fascinate your child and grow their interest in science, history, and archaeology. Everything takes time, too, which can help stave off those "Is it Christmas yet?" questions!

Each door in this scrumptiously curated calendar reveals a delicious cookie from Sweet Girl's Bakery in Florida, where founder Nicosia Jones makes every batch from scratch. From the reindeer and stockings to the snowflakes and trees, Jones embellishes each one with vibrant vanilla royal icing.

Show up with a glass of milk and your work here is done!

Stickers = life with kids, truly. So, with 24 unique, unnumbered removable stickers, children will have a blast picking a new one for their calendar each day of the month. There isn't any candy or junk food to spoil appetites, induce sugar-spikes, or leave sticky messes behind, just cute pictures of them (a gingerbread house, a cup of cocoa, a candy cane, etc.).

The best part about this calendar and puzzle pairing, though, is the awesome diversity consideration. Featuring beautifully illustrated, happy, and recognizable scenes, the mom-founded brand Little Likes Kids makes it easy for all parents and caregivers to buy high-quality toys that celebrate their unique kids.

No holiday season is complete without the PAW Patrol pups in their Blitzen-rivaling bests. With 24 exclusive gifts to find, kids will have a new surprise waiting behind each door — from their favorite pup squad dressed for winter fun and their fearless leader, a snowboarding Ryder, to friends like Wally the Walrus and a plucky Chickaletta. Once all 24 gifts have been opened, kids can use their imaginations to dreamscape an Adventure Bay winter scene and send the pups on exciting missions that the scheme-master Mayor Hundinger couldn't possibly undermine.

Christmas countdown, but make it beautiful. If the phrase ended up on Urban Dictionary, because #millennial, this would be the visual next to it. The calendar has such a cozy, whimsical look with small printed figures including a drum, a nutcracker, a wrapped present, and an angel. Hang it in your living room or your foyer and, as the Danish design brand that created it (OYOY) says, "Let the Christmas peace settle."

If your teen has been watching ALL the makeup tutorials on TikTok as of late, something like this makeup advent calendar might be right up their alley. The pink lip-shaped box with gold lettering is striking and sassy, making each new day feel like a total influencer unboxing moment. With 24 different products, ranging from hair ties and nail files to nail decals and lip glosses, the kit is great to launch any growing kaboodle, without being too mature.

KiwiCo has plenty of DIY advent calendar activities, like the Coin Wrapper Advent Tree and the Character Advent Calendar, but rolling out new this 2021 season is the shoppable Christmas Village project. Starting on December 1st, your little tinker-tons can open a new envelope each day and make the projects inside. They'll build a cozy house, a reindeer, an evergreen tree, and more, with the display growing as the month carries on. By Christmas Eve, they'll have made a whole festive village to celebrate with!

We weren't lying when we said that the candy-filled confections on this list had extra sparkle. This limited-edition candy-tasting collection is the perfect way to count down to December 25th. Each delectable drawer is filled with four pieces of candy to surprise and delight each and every member of your family. From sweet and sour bears and slices to sea salt chocolate and birthday cake caramels, whether you've got fans of gummies or classic chocolate gourmands in your group, you'll all find something to savor.