Advent Calendars for Kids

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Awesome toy advent calendars your kids will love

Kids love toys.

If your kids love toys and you want to get them an advent calendar that makes their face light up every day for 24 days, a toy advent calendar is a safe bet.

There’s almost an option for every favorite toy a kid has. Here’s a look at some of them.

2016's Awesome Toy Advent Calendars

Lego-Branded Advent Calendars

There are so many Advent Calendars for Lego-lovers. I kind of love these (a lot) because it forces kids to make something. They can be pricey, though, so shop early! Or maybe get them after the season for next year if there are any left. Let’s take a look at some of the more common types.

Lego City Town Advent Calendar Building Kit

This Lego City advent calendar is awesome on so many levels. It’s legos. It’s a holiday scene. It’s affordable. And it’s the one I opted to get for my son this year.

What’s included?

  • 2 Firefighters
  • 2 Ice Hockey Players
  • A Volcano Worker
  • A Volcano Adventurer
  • A dog
  • Santa
  • The rest are a combination of seasonal or city buildings, vehicles, and items (including a Christmas Tree!)

Love it? Buy the Lego City Town Advent Calendar (pictured above) on Amazon. You can also still purchase previous versions of this calendar that come with different scenes. Click here to view on Amazon.

Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar Building Set

OMG. Star Wars Legos are the best. So popular. So fun. If there’s one thing I know about Star Wars it is that kids who love the series never outgrow it. So this is something that has the possibility of being a true annual tradition. Now I’m kind of wishing I didn’t get the Lego City Town set and bought this one for my Star Wars-loving son.

What’s included?

  • 8 mini figures (including a Battle Droid and holiday-themed exclusive)
  • 10 vehicles (which are all Star Wars-related except for the sleigh)
  • 6 Star Wars-related weapons…

Love it? Buy the Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar Building Set (pictured above) on Amazon. You can also still purchase previous versions of this calendar that come with different scenes. Click here to view on Amazon.

Lego Friends Advent Calendar Building Set

So one set explores another galaxy, one set keeps you chilly outside, and this set helps you stay warm inside. The Lego Friends Advent Calendar set is all about what’s happening around the Christmas Tree in the living room. One feature this Lego set has that the other doesn’t is an interactive-online tool. Visit the Lego site each Sunday before Christmas and on Christmas Eve to get instructions on turning the pieces opened into another mini build. Cool.

What’s included?

  • 2 mini figures
  • The rest are buildable surprises including things like a Christmas Tree, musical instruments, DJ table, hamster, gifts, fireplace, snowman, and ice skates.

Love it? Buy the Lego Friends Advent Calendar Building Set (pictured above) on Amazon. You can also still purchase previous versions of this calendar that come with different scenes. Click here to view on Amazon.

Mega Bloks Advent Calendars

Like Lego, there are several options for Mega Blok fans.

**Please note that there have been several reviews stating how hard Mega Bloks are to put together. If you’re familiar with the brand and still enjoy them, then you may still want to purchase a Mega Blok Advent Calendar set. Otherwise, it’s probably best not to use this time (and 24 days) to find out if you like them.

Mega Bloks Minions Movie Advent Calendar

These little guys have so much personality. I love that they can possibly wreck havoc on your Advent Calendar Plans… ha ha. This cute set is sure to bring a smile to any kid’s face.

Mega Bloks Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Advent Calendar

The ninja turtles dare you to add a little ninja and turtle to your holiday season. I guess because I’m pretty sure that there is not a lot of either. But, that’s ok. Kids Love them.

Mega Bloks Monster High Advent Calendar

If you love Monster High nothing will stop you from making them part of your holiday celebration. Nothing.

What’s Included in Mega Bloks Advent Calendars

There is no specific breakdown of what is included. You can expect 24 themed and holiday-related Mega Bloks.

Ready to purchase? Click to purchase the Minions, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or Monster High on Amazon. 

Other Toy-based Advent Calendars for Kids

Disney Tsum Tsum Advent Calendar

I’m not sure when Tsum Tsums were first introduced, but – wow – my kids love them. These little creatures are stackable and the tsum tsums that come in this package can be stacked with plastic tsum tsums purchased separately.

What’s included?

  • 18 Tsum Tsum figures (6 each of small, medium, and large)
  • 6 holiday themed accessories
  • 6 seasonal headpieces

Love it? Buy the Tsum Tsum Advent Calendar (pictured above) or another version now on Amazon.

Crayola Christmas Countdown Activity Advent Calendar

I love getting crafty around the holidays and that is why I love this set. Crayola just knows what they’re doing.

What’s included?

  • 17 Coloring projects that include special holiday-themed activities.
  • 2 Model Magic Ornaments
  • 3 Finger Puppets
  • 3 Paper Ornaments
  • Gingerbread House
  • Christmas Tree

Love it? Buy the Crayola Christmas Countdown Activity Center (pictured above) on Amazon.

Fisher Price Little People Advent Calendar

Little kids love little people, so what better way to get the little loves in your life interested in the advent season than the Little People Advent Calendar?

What’s Included?

  • 7 Little People including Santa & Mrs. Claus and a snowman
  • 3 Little Animals
  • The remaining are Little Accessories (including some holiday-themed ones)

Ready to buy it? Go to Amazon and put it in your cart.

Thomas the Train Minis Advent Calendar

Kids love Thomas the Tank Engine. These minis are just as cute as the larger sizes. And all 24 doors open to a mini-train. No other fillers!

What’s Included?

  • 6 Exclusive Holiday-themed minis
  • 18 Thomas & Friends minis

Want to make a Thomas fan happy? Buy this advent calendar on Amazon.

Playmobil Advent Calendars

Oh, wow. Playmobil has a lot of options for Advent Calendars. I’m just going to list them here. There aren’t any lists of what’s included, but Playmobil knows how to do awesome.

Whew!

Barbie Advent Calendar

Barbie Advent Calendars don’t come with 24 Barbies, or even one barbie. Instead, they come with 24 accessories. One dress for your barbie, one or two accessories for the child opening the gifts, and the rest are accessories like shoes and handbags.  There are several options available, so take a look at the accessories to get one you prefer. Here are the options based on the color of the accessories. Click on the link to visit Amazon and see the different options.

Angry Birds Advent Calendar Game

If your kids have the patience of an angry bird, it may be better to skip this particular Advent Calendar. Why? Because the ultimate goal is to build a game. So, if they love to play games this could be a great fit. Since Angry Birds is, basically, knocking pigs off their ledges, expect several days of ledge opening. Still, this could be an Advent Calendar that continues to bring fun after the holiday season is over.

What’s Included?

  • 1 Launcher
  • 2 Angry Birds
  • 2 Pigs
  • Mission Cards
  • The rest are blocks to build the the game with

Ready to bring the app to life? Get it on Amazon.

So many options! Did you find one you know your kids will love?

Toy Advent Calendars kids will love

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Fun ways to incorporate advent calendars into your holiday plans

One thing I learned while living in Germany is that you can never have enough advent calendars. And with all the fun options out there, I imagine it would be hard to stop at just one… or two… so, here’s my suggestions of when to advent calendar, and what to advent calendar with.

***Please note: these are aimed at kids, but can be adjusted for anyone.

Advent Calendar wake-up

You’ll have 24 opportunities to wake up your favorite celebrators until Christmas Day. At which point, they’ll be waking you up! Use this time to try your different ring-tones, horns, or sing a different song. Every day it’s something different and they won’t know what to expect.

Advent Calendar Breakfast

Remember that scene in Forrest Gump with all the shrimp? Maybe you can become the Bubba Gump of eggs. Or french toast. Or cereal. Or any combination of that.

A million breakfast ideas on Pinterest.

Advent Calendar Inspirational Quote

Nothing like starting the day with a nice, inspiring quote.

Here are some quotes to get you started.

Advent Calendar Toy (ie. the getting ready bribe)

Ok, maybe this one is more serious. Maybe you start the day with a lego or playmobile toy. The promise of opening up this advent calendar may be just what you need to get  your kids to get ready for the day.

I wrote a post about toy advent calendars.

Advent Calendar Lunch Box Joke and Messages of Love

I’m assuming that there’s a lot of going to school going on this month. Kids have to eat lunch and since their lunch this month coincides with your need to live an Advent Calendar life – it only makes sense that they get something funny in their lunch box. (And only because the inspirational quote was earlier in the day.)

Your go-to resource for lunch box notes for Christmas.

Advent Calendar Chocolates

So easy. Pick a traditional chocolate advent calendar or one from their favorite brand. They’ll be glad to be home to eat it all.

So many options on Amazon.

Advent Calendar Activity

This is when the visits to Santa, or the cookie baking, or ornament making happens. Make it quick, folks, we have more things to advent calendar.

I’ve written some posts on activity-based Advent Calendars for kids.

Advent Calendar TV Show or Movie

There are a million TV episodes and movies that are available for families to watch. Pick your 24 favorites and have at it.

Here are some movies from Amazon.

Advent Calendar Books

Most schools require 30 minutes or so of reading each night. Finish the night with a story from your favorite Christmas book.

There’s at least one post about Advent Calendar Books for kids on this site, with more to come.

Advent Calendar Pajamas

Except, don’t really end the night. Have you seen how many cute pajama options are out there for kids in the holidays? One is not enough. Three is not a crowd. Twenty-four. Twenty-four pajama jammy jams to brighten your holiday season.

I’m a fan of the classics by Hanna Andersson.

Simple Advent Calendar Activity

Do the holidays seem too commercial and overdone? Do you feel exhausted with the need to keep up and make this season magical? No fear, this simple advent calendar opposes those things and fills one of your dozen or so activities with something meaningful. But, seriously, hurry it up… it’s getting late and we have to do this all again tomorrow.

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Awesome classics for a Christmas book advent calendar

24 Books suggestions for a book-based Advent Calendar

The Christmas book advent calendar is one of my favorite traditions. I haven’t always used 24 books because that gets expensive fast. Instead, I just did what I could until I finished out the collection last year. My plan moving forward is to replace some of the baby board books with story books, remove some of the lamer books, and just adjust each year as needed.

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I created this Free Download of a Christmas Book Inventory. Now you can put your books away between January and November and still know what you own/want.

Recommendations for a Christmas Book Advent Calendar

If you’re looking to start or enhance your collection, here are some recommendations.

Oh, and in the spirit of giving here’s another free printable. It’s a tracking/planning thing for your book advent calendar. Why? Because I like to know what book I’m reading that night, and I think you will, too! (click on the image to download).

advent-calendar-planning-1

Please note: These links take you to Amazon.

Classic board books for the Christmas Advent Calendar

From personal experience, I say keep your supply of board books for the book advent calendar low. There are a ton out there and a post dedicated to just board books is coming soon. In the meantime, here are some classics that will make your kids happy year after year.

  • Baby Touch and Feel Christmas by DK. I don’t know about you, but to this day it takes great restraint to pass up touching a touch and feel book. And it really doesn’t get much better than a touch and feel Christmas. Right?

  • My First Christmas by Tomie dePaula. I always wondered what my kids thought of the holidays when they were babies. This book introduces them to the sites and sounds of the season, and, will be fun for them to look back on as they get older.

  • I Spy Little Christmas by Jean Marzollo. Normally for these types of things, I highly suggest sticking to a story. Something to read. But the I Spy series is just too fun and is another way to spend quality time before bed doing something fun.

Classic storybooks for the Christmas Advent Calendar

As kids grow, their focus grows and we can move away from the board books and into story books. These are my top picks.

  • ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Another classic that should always fill the 24th day slot in a Book-based Advent Calendar. The particular one I selected here is a recordable Advent Calendar. My husband’s grandfather recorded it for us several years ago. It is such a treasure to hear his voice every year.

  • Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffman. There are many versions of this story in different forms. This one was illustrated by Maurice Sendak (of Where the Wild Things are fame). The story has vast appeal to kids – whether they want to see the ballet performance or not.

Christmas chapter books for the Christmas Advent Calendar

I’m keeping this selection of stories short because chapter books often mean more than one night of reading. These are just a sampling of classics, but you can change it up every year. My suggestion is to pick one chapter book, read it the first night, and read it along with one of the shorter options every night until it’s done.

  • Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I wasn’t introduced to Little Women until my 20s, but I swore I would make sure my kids knew about it earlier. I love this book. It’s one of the only books I’ll buy multiple versions of, but my favorite is from my old hometown favorite illustrator Rifle Paper Co.

New classics for the Christmas Advent Calendar

I don’t really have a rhyme or reason for the following selections. The classic options below are, I feel, books we could’ve come across in our own childhood. These books are just newer. I stayed away from books that feature popular characters or series (so no Mickey Mouse or Llama Llamas), but those will appear in a list soon. No worries. And now for the new classics.

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