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Why yes, we are aware that Halloween has just ended, and yes, we’re here to discuss all the best advent calendars of 2023. Surprise! While it’s true that for some of us, the holiday season starts the day after Halloween (you wake up, and your next-door neighbor has somehow put up all their Christmas lights, is blasting Christmas carols through a loudspeaker and has a 12-foot inflatable Rudolph twerking on their front lawn), for others the holiday season starts slowly. Maybe a snow globe appears on the mantel, a wreath appears on the door. And then there’s a third category of people: The most Christmas-obsessed of us — yep, this definitely includes us — who started tuning in to the new toys and the advent calendar launches right abouuuuut … August.
Because believe it or not, the year’s options for advent calendars are already well underway. Toy brands are just as nuts about Christmas as we are! And regardless of your holiday decorating style, there are so many better ways to count down to the big day than those flimsy cardboard kids advent calendars with gross, rock-hard chocolate inside. You thought that was the only option, didn’t you? It’s OK. Your kids will forgive you for being totally in the dark when it comes to actually cute advent calendars that are pre-filled with toys and treats.
We’ve rounded up the best advent calendars for kids, featuring the characters they’re obsessed with. Your kids will love these so much, they might actually be sad when Christmas arrives — because their awesome advent is over. But hey, at least then, there will only be 365 days ’til next Christmas.
Ahead, check out our picks for all the best kids’ advent calendars of 2023.
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A version of this story was originally published in November 2018.
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Fisher-Price Little People Advent Calendar
How cute is this Christmas-themed Little People advent calendar? It comes with Santa, his sleigh, a reindeer, toys, and more that are perfect for children as young as 1.
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Mattel Disney Pixar Cars Minis Advent Calendar
This Cars-themed advent calendar comes with a mini Lightning McQueen, Mater, and other cars as well as cones, obstacles, and a little playset. It’s dailyn entertainment for kids 3 and up.
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Barbie Cutie Reveal Advent Calendar & Doll
This adorable Barbie Cutie Reveal calendar includes a Barbie, cozy outfits, and tons of precious accessories that your kid will love.
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Jurassic World 30th Anniversary Holiday Advent Calendar
Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Jurassic Park with this unique advent calendar. This Target exclusive calendar comes with tons of toy dinos, a gate, and other accessories that make playtime fun.
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Barbie Dreamtopia Doll and Advent Calendar
Image Credit: Amazon This is the year of Barbie, and if your kids are obsessed as we are, then they will love the Barbie Dreamtopia Doll and advent calendar! It comes with one doll, and tons of accessories (including a mermaid tail!) over 24 days.
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Thomas & Friends MINIS Advent Calendar 2023
Twenty-four (!!) tiny trains are included in this Thomas & Friends advent calendar, and any locomotive-obsessed kid will be so excited to open one every day.
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American Girl Advent Calendar
Image Credit: Amazon The high price tag on the American Girl Advent Calendar is well worth it. The calendar comes with 24 of the cutest doll accessories, including snowman cookies, hot cocoa, reindeer, a rolling pin, a snowglobe, and so much more. It’s so cute!
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Mattel Minecraft Toys Mob Head Minis Advent Calendar
Steve, mobs, and Christmas accessories are included in this Minecraft advent calendar, perfect for your video game-loving child.
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Polly Pocket Dolls Advent Calendar, Gingerbread House Playset
Polly Pocket fans will love this advent calendar that doubles as a playset! It comes with two dolls and 27 accessories. There are so many opportunities for play each day.
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Hot Wheels Toy Car Set 2023 Advent Calendar
This Hot Wheels advent calender comes with eight Hot Wheels cars and tons of winter accessories and toys that make waiting for Christmas easy. The box even folds down to create a mini driving track that will make playtime even more fun.
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Super Mario Advent Calendar 2023 Limited Christmas Edition
Image Credit: SUPER MARIO Whether your kid fell in love with Mario, Luigi and the gang years ago or have just discovered them via The Super Mario Bros. Movie, they’ll adore this Christmas countdown calendar that includes 24 of Super Mario’s most popular characters (plus accessories!) and features debut releases of a special Santa Mario, Snowman Mario, Snowman Luigi, and more fun surprises.
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Disney Princess Advent Calendar
Image Credit: Mattel In this Amazon-exclusive calendar, kids will find four small princess dolls — Ariel, Tiana, Cinderella, and Belle — along with five friends and sixteen awesome accessories. Additionally, the packaging is an entire playable winter scene with extra pop-out play pieces such as a snowman and a holiday tree.
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LEGO City Advent Calendar
Image Credit: LEGO If your kid is a LEGO-lover, gift them with the best advent calendar — which includes fun and festive characters and accessories to make every day a holiday! They’ll have a blast playing with Santa and Mrs. Claus, an ice sculptor, a snowman, and many more … and it includes a fold-out mat for even more imaginative play.
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Barbie Advent Calendar
Bring some Barbie to your holiday season with this advent calendar that features an actual 12-inch Barbie doll! Each day, kids can open a door to reveal a trendy accessory or fashion and deck the included Barbie out in style.
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Play-Doh Advent Calendar
Image Credit: Hasbro Behind each surprise door of this bestselling Play-Doh advent calendar is a daily can of Play-Doh and a fun activity to do! By the end of day 12, kids can complete a snowman scene, and by Christmas, they can complete a gingerbread scene too.
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CoComelon Advent Calendar
Image Credit: Jazwares The littlest members of the family (or CoComelon fans of any age!) can create some holiday magic with this advent calendar featuring nine figurines of their favorite characters — including JJ, YoYo, Cody, TomTom, Nina, CeCe, Bingo, Grandma and Grandpa — plus all the festive accessories they need.
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National Geographic Rock, Mineral & Fossil Advent Calendar
Image Credit: National Geographic This should go without saying, but … this advent calendar rocks! Geology buffs will love the 24 genuine specimens including geodes, pyrite, agate, and more from around the world — with a very special crystal to unearth on the last day!
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Disney100 Storybook Advent Calendar
Image Credit: Igloo Books In celebration of Disney’s 100th anniversary this year comes a special storybook library advent calendar that fans of Disney and Pixar will adore. Each day, the recipient can unwrap a small paperback storybook for 24 days of snuggly storytimes featuring their favorite characters.
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LEGO Marvel Avengers Advent Calendar
Image Credit: LEGO Immerse yourself in the Marvel Universe every day leading up to Christmas with this LEGO Marvel advent calendar filled with mini-figures, mini-builds, and accessories. Plus, they’re compatible with other LEGO sets to bring a festive touch to any play.
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Sesame Street Storybook Advent Calendar
Join the Sesame Street gang for a holiday countdown in story form with this advent calendar! Every day there’s a different (Christmas-themed!) mini storybook featuring Elmo, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby, and other iconic Sesame Street characters.
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Matchbox Advent Calendar
Image Credit: Mattel Matchbox cars have been entertaining kids for decades, and this Matchbox advent calendar brings a little something special to every December day. It contains officially-licensed Matchbox vehicles and wintery-themed accessories, plus a holiday play mat for extra fun.
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Pokémon TCG Advent Calendar
Image Credit: Pokémon Whether your kiddo plays the trading card game or is just a collector, this Pokémon TCG Advent Calendar is sure to be a hit. It contains eight foil Pokémon TCG cards with a festive stamp, five Pokémon TCG booster packs, and seven Pokémon TCG 3-card fun packs. They’ll also get two Pokémon coins, two Pokémon sticker sheets, and one sidekick dangler featuring Pikachu and Glaceon for a grand total of 25 holiday surprises!
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Funko Harry Potter Advent Calendar
Image Credit: Funko Beloved brand Funko has soooo many cute advent calendars we didn’t know where to start — so we started at Hogwarts! This Harry Potter Funko advent calendar contains 24 adorable, collectible Pocket Pop! figurines of beloved characters from the Harry Potter series: Harry himself, Hermoine, Ron, Hagrid, and more.
If you love Funko’s Pocket Pop! figurines, there are also Funko advent calendars featuring Disney, Pokemon, Star Wars, WWE, ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’, and more!
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Roblox Advent Calendar
Image Credit: Jazwares If your kids are on a computer at all, you’ve definitely heard of Roblox — and now you can bring it off the screen and into the holiday season for a fun, festive countdown. This Roblox advent calendar contains 24 surprises including six exclusive Roblox figurines, 18 accessories, two redeemable codes, and more!
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Peppa Pig Advent Calendar
Image Credit: Peppa Pig Oink! Countdown to Christmas with Peppa Pig and her family with this super-cute advent calendar. Preschoolers will love the surprises hidden behind 24 doors, including figurines of Peppa’s family, accessories, stickers, and more!
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Blue’s Clues Advent Calendar
Image Credit: Just Play If getting mail makes you wanna wag your tail, imagine what 24 days of Blue’s Clues surprises will do! This Blue’s Clues advent calendar includes 16 figurines of favorite characters and 8 fun stickers.
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Disney Junior Advent Calendar
Disney Junior fans will be delighted with the surprises in this festive advent calendar. It contains figurines, stickers, and cards featuring favorite Disney Junior characters from T.O.T.S., Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Adventures, and Puppy Dog Pals.
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My Little Pony: A New Generation Advent Calendar
Image Credit: My Little Pony Kids will love opening a gem-shaped door each day to reveal one of 25 daily surprises! This My Little Pony: A New Generation advent calendar contains 16 miniature pony figurines (including Sunny Starscout and the Mane 5!), stickers, pets, and more in a winter-themed package.
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Beauty Blast Advent Calendar
Image Credit: W7 Older kids will revel in the high-quality and colorful beauty surprises hidden behind each door of this Beauty Blast advent calendar from W7. You can find both mini and full-sized products, all nontoxic and suitable for all skin tones and types. From hair accessories to lip masks to mascara, this advent calendar makes every day beautiful. Plus, it’s all cruelty-free and PETA-approved!
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Amazing Magic Advent Calendar
Kids ages 8+ will be dazzled by the magical surprises in each separate box of this Amazing Magic advent calendar — there are 24 in all for the perfect holiday countdown! Every day there’s a new, easy-to-learn magic trick full of wow-factor. The calendar also contains a picture and video guide so kids can execute each trick with ease.
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