If Christmas is one of your favorite holidays, then you’re going to love these advent calendar ideas for kids! It’s the perfect way to get even more excited about the big day and such a great way to turn one occasion into an entire month of fun and excitement. There are also so many different options, so you can opt for fun little toys that you know they’ll be obsessed with, or alternative ideas like kind acts for neighbors or different Christmas books to read.
No matter what you choose, you’ll be so glad you made the most of the holiday season! Enjoy.
Some links on this page may contain affiliate links. For more information, see our disclosure policy.
DIY Advent Calendars
DIY Advent calendars are one of my favorite options for kids (and the choice I always go with) because you can pick what they get each day, which means it doesn’t always have to be a “thing.” You can mix in experiences like decorating the tree, watching a family movie, or fun activities like building a gingerbread house. (If you’re stuck on ideas, here’s a great list of Advent Calendar fillers for kids).
One of the other great things about a DIY Advent calendar for kids is that once you’ve built or purchased it, you can use it again and again every single year!
Here are some of my favorite options for DIY Advent calendars that you can either purchase OR create yourself:
- Personalized Cloth Advent Calendar (your family name or children’s names can be added!)
- Personalized Wooden Advent Calendar (this one actually lights up!)
- Family Cloth Advent Calendar Pattern (this is a pdf pattern that you can use to create your own)
Related post: 25+ Advent Calendar Filler Ideas for Kids
LEGO Advent Calendar
This LEGO Advent Calendar is a classic Christmas idea for kids and provides a mini LEGO set every single day for your child.
They’ll definitely look forward to this each morning, but what’s even better is that you can actually use the LEGOs as Christmas decorations to add even more holiday cheer to your home!
Fabric Nativity Calendar
This fabric Nativity Advent Calendar is the perfect idea if you want to avoid a consumerist approach and is also a great way to teach your kids about the Christian origins of Christmas.
Each piece comes with velcro on the back so it can stick onto the calendar to create a classic Nativity scene. You can either start with the full scene and add one to the pocket on each day, or reverse and start with each piece inside a pocket and “open” one each day to build your scene.
And, of course, if your kids can’t get enough of it…you can just let them play with it during the day and set it up each night!
Christmas Book Tree Advent Calendar
A Christmas Book Advent Calendar is one of my all-time favorite Advent calendar ideas and one that we do alongside our DIY Calendar (we just can’t get enough Christmas!).
One of the best parts of this idea is that it can be used year after year with the exact same books, or even just a few new ones.
So how does it work? You find your favorite 25 Christmas books (this sounds like a lot, but I bet you already have some favorites at home!). Take each of them and wrap them up…then stack them on top of each other just like a tree! Each day, your kids can open one book and you all read it together.
This is such a fun tradition and a great way to get into the Christmas spirit!
Brain Teaser Advent Calendar
For older kids or those who love a challenge, this Brain Teaser Advent Calendar is such a fun idea!
Every morning, they’ll get a little brain teaser puzzle that they’ll have to solve. It comes with directions, so you can help them out if need be…and also set it back up to do again and again.
This is a fun twist on classic Advent calendars that gives your kids a little mental challenge each day.
Little People Nativity Advent Calendar
If you have a toddler or young kids on your hands, this Little People Nativity Advent Calendar is an amazing choice!
Each day comes with a new Little People character that is part of a full nativity set.
They can play with this set as it grows and have it for the rest of the year, long after Christmas passes.
Little People are amazing toys for toddlers because they can basically go anywhere – inside, outside, bath time…even the beach! So having a Nativity Set is a great addition.
Melissa & Doug Advent Calendar
This Melissa & Doug Advent Calendar is another great choice for something discreet that doesn’t involve gifts or treats, but is still really fun and festive.
Each ornament on the tree is magnetic, so as the days pass, your tree fills with ornaments!
This is especially fun for toddlers and is another option that they can continue to play with all year long.
Thomas the Train Advent Calendar
If you have a Thomas the Train lover on your hands, then there’s no question – this Thomas Advent Calendar needs to be your choice this year!
Every single morning, they’ll get a new mini train…and if you haven’t been introduced to these yet, get ready to have some fun!
You can collect the characters just as you do with the standard trains, but these also have some fun variations, so you will get your favorite trains, but dressed a little differently!
We used this Advent Calendar during our Thomas obsession and it was an absolute hit.
Precious Moments Nativity Advent Calendar
If this Precious Moments Advent Calendar brings back memories from your childhood, then maybe it’s time to pass it along to the kids!
This nostalgic calendar creates the perfect Christmas decoration and is a joy for kids to play with (it’s breakable, so only suitable for some kids!).
This choice is definitely a keepsake that you’ll want to pull out every year, regardless of your kids’ age!
I hope this list of Advent Calendars for kids helps with your decision! Have a great holiday season and a merry Christmas!
You may also be interested in:
- The Best Advent Calendar Filler Ideas for Kids
- The Best Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Toddlers
- Amazing LEGO-Inspired Stocking Stuffers for LEGO-Obsessed Families
- The Best Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Preschool Boys
