We love a good countdown! Whether it’s Christmas, Hanukkah or a birthday, marking off days to the big day can be as joyous and memory-filled as the occasion itself. Here are advent calendars that help count down to the holidays.
Count Down to Christmas
The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus or “coming.” To Christians, Advent is (in part) in anticipation of Christ’s birth. The tradition of counting down the four Sundays leading to the Advent of Christmas began in the fourth century, but paper Advent calendars with windows for 24 days prior to Christmas emerged in Germany in the early part of the 20th century.
8 Nights of Light
In the Jewish faith, Hanukkah is not as important as many other holidays, but due to its proximity to Christmas, some modern Jewish families have adopted December gift giving. The focus is the nightly lighting of the menorah—a memorial to the rededication of the second temple, where a small amount of oil miraculously lasted eight nights. The modern Hanukkah menorah is a candelabra of nine candles. The tallest candle at the center is referred to as the servant candle, as it is used to light the other candles. One candle is lit, starting from the left side, on the first evening. Another is lit each evening for eight nights.
Fun Advent Calendars for Families with Kids of All Ages
The Sweet Treats Advent Calendar
$49.99; Amazon.com
A playful, Gen Z pick. 21 fruit-themed pieces in fun, juicy colors, plus a compact detangler brush with a hanging charm that actually smooths knots. This is the one for the teen who wants her hair clips to match her mood.
Where's Waldo? Advent Calendar 24-Book Collection
$29.99; https://www.candlewick.com/9781536251999/wheres-waldo-advent-calendar-24-book-collection/
Celebrate the buildup to Christmas with the ultimate festive present for Where’s Waldo? fans age six and up. With twenty-four pockets filled with themed minibooks packed with search-and-find activities, jokes, and facts based on iconic Where’s Waldo? artwork, there’s something new to discover every day. And for extra excitement on Christmas Eve, press out and assemble a figure of Waldo to hide and surprise your friends and family with. This brilliant, boredom-busting advent calendar is perfect for screen-free fun, imaginative play, and festive family moments—year after year.
The Thames & Kosmos Science Advent Calendar Vol. 4
$3995; 8+
www.ThamesAndKosmos.com
Tis the season for science. Christmas time is experimentation time. Discover something new and amazing every day leading up to the holiday. With this advent calendar, children open a new box each day to find new equipment or materials and the instructions for a science experiment. The experiments can be done quickly and only require additional items that are commonly found in every household. Each of the 24 beautifully designed boxes includes unique experiment materials and expertly written and illustrated instructions.
The Jewelled Joy Advent Calendar
$49.99; Amazon.com
The polished, elevated pick for the true accessories lover. 24 gorgeous jeweled pieces, claw clips, ponytailers, and pins, plus a mini slick-back brush that doubles as a travel brush. This is the one for someone who treats hair accessories like jewelry.
Around the World Advent Calendar
$17.99; https://worldwidebuddies.com
A global holiday countdown calendar featuring daily cultural activities and buddy figurines from around the world. Every countdown window includes a card with an activity or craft inspired from Christmas in a different country, as well as a buddy figurine from that culture that kids can put up as a tree decoration.
EXIT: The Game - Advent Calendar - The Magic of Christmas from Thames & Kosmos
$49.95; 10+
www.ThamesAndKosmos.com
Peace, the scent of pine, not a soul in sight – a long hike through the unspoilt forest is just what you need. You’re happy to have escaped the hustle and bustle of the pre-Christmas season. You’re just resting in a picturesque clearing when you hear a loud bang and everything goes black. When you wake up, the forest around you is enchanted and you are surrounded by snow! Red baubles hang in the trees; lights twinkle in the undergrowth. Then, shock hits you: Your hands! They’re completely covered with green fur… This Advent calendar is both an EXIT game and an adventure story: To find out what has happened to you and the forest, you open a door of the calendar every day. Behind each door, you’ll find an exciting new riddle, the solution to which will take you to the next day’s room. Only if you follow the clues and solve all 24 riddles, will you be able to uncover the secret of the forest.
Holiday Dice Advent Calendar by FanRoll
$59.99; 14+
www.FanRollDice.com
Get ready to take the arctic plunge with FanRoll's Holiday advent calendar. This year the brand brings a polar bear theme to the 25 days of Christmas with joy in every die. Inclusions include polar bears and Santa, while we round out the dice with red and green mini dice, holiday metal dice and some brand-new surprises. The perfect gift to make any dice goblin smile.
PLAYMOBIL Advent Calendar: The North Pole
$49.99; Ages: 4+
www.playmobil.com/en-us
Every day you open a little door and dive deeper into the magical Christmas world! Today, the child happily races down the snowy slope to deliver the wish list to the mailbox. In the post office, the elves are already sorting letters. In the stable next door, the reindeer is preparing for the big journey. The sleigh is already packed and Santa is ready to deliver gifts all over the world. Best of all, the magic starts the moment you write your wish list with the Santa topper pen.
EXIT: The Game - Advent Calendar - The Intergalactic Race from Thames & Kosmos
$49.95; 10+
www.ThamesAndKosmos.com
For months, the main topic of conversation in the cosmos has been the huge 24-day Le Mond race — and you get to be part of it! How lucky that quirky guy at the space bar hired you to join his team. In addition to fame and honor, the winner of this amazing race will, from now on, host the extremely lucrative Christmas party! No wonder there are more teams competing than ever before. Everyone wants to win … everyone wants Christmas. The Advent calendar is an EXIT game and an adventure story in one: To take part in the intergalactic race, you must open a little calendar door every day. Behind each, you will find a new exciting riddle, the solution to which will help you move on to the next room. Only if you follow the clues, and solve all 24 riddles, will you make it onto the winner’s podium.
D&D Red Robes & Winter Woes Advent Calendar by FanRoll
$64.99; 14+
www.FanRollDice.com
Celebrate the season with FanRoll's newest Dungeons and Dragons holiday themed advent calendar: Red Robes & Winter Woes. Inspired by the Szass Tam and the Red Wizards of Thay, this advent includes inclusion dice, a dice tray and a dice bag, all with incredible artwork. Will you have the fortitude to open the final day and uncover a hand-polished sharp-edge die featuring an exclusive Demilich inclusion?
PLAYMOBIL Advent Calendar: Dino Expedition
$49.99; Ages: 4+
www.playmobil.com/en-us
Every day leading up to Christmas brings a new adventure with the Advent Calendar for true dino fans. The researcher sets up his camp deep in the jungle to discover dinosaurs. Equipped with his gear and a vine, he explores the surroundings and encounters a Velociraptor and a Stygimoloch. Two mysterious dino eggs with a baby dinosaur and fossil add extra excitement. Behind each door awaits a new highlight – welcome to the Dino Expedition!
EXIT: The Game – Advent Calendar – The Missing Hollywood Star by Thames & Kosmos
$49.95; 10+
www.ThamesAndKosmos.com
Your part-time job as a pizza delivery driver was pretty boring — until today! You are about to deliver pizza to one of the most famous film studios in the world. Shooting of the new Christmas blockbuster should be in full swing, but when you arrive, the set is dark and deserted. Something is very wrong here. Where’s the film crew? Oh, and where is the Hollywood star you were desperate to get an autograph from? All you find are spooky footprints in the fake snow that lead straight to a gaping hole in the studio wall. Do you have the courage to follow the trail and go deep behind the scenes of the film studio? This advent calendar is an EXIT game and an adventure story in one: To find the missing star, you must open a little calendar door every day. Behind each, you will find an exciting new riddle, the solution to which will help you to move onto the next day. Only if you follow the clues and solve all 24 riddles, will you uncover the secret and save the Christmas blockbuster.
Updated: October 2026
