Best kids advent calendars 2024: Chocolate or toy calendars little ones will love

As a child, there are few things more exciting than receiving your very own advent calendar, to help you count down the days to Christmas. If you are reading this round-up, it is likely that you now have your own children, or that you have kids in your life in some capacity - maybe as a parental guardian, as their fun aunt or uncle, or even their babysitter.

Whatever your reason for wanting to find the best advent calendars for the littles ones in your life will love, we have got you covered with our pick of the best kids advent calendars. We have even divided up our featured products into separate categories, so that you can use the links below to jump straight to the section that is most relevant to you. The obvious choice would be to buy your little munchkin a chocolate advent calendar, so that they can wake up with glee every morning and start their day off with a delicious (if not exactly nutritious) square of chocolate.

While a small piece of chocolate once a day during advent will hardly make your children’s teeth fall out, we also understand that some parents may prefer not to give out chocolate advent calendars, especially when the festive season is already so full of sugary treats. If that is the case for you, there is no need to worry, as there are tonnes of toy advent calendars to choose from too, which feature miniature action figures, stickers or buildable toys that can help your child to develop their creativity and design skills. We have even included an entire section of our round-up dedicated solely to Lego, one of the most enduringly popular activities for children (and some grown-ups too)!

Read below to discover our pick of the best kids advent calendars you can buy online in 2024.

• Chocolate Kids Advent Calendars
• Toy Kids Advent Calendars
• Lego Kids Advent Calendars

Chocolate Kids Advent Calendars

We’d argue that you never really tire of the excitement that an advent calendar brings (even as a grown-up), but this is especially true for kids. The chocolate advent calendars below offer up fun designs and recognisable brand names, so are sure to be embraced by little ones this festive season.

Hotel Chocolat ‘Up To Snow Good’ Advent Calendar

What: Advent calendars don’t come much cuter than this one! The calendar features 24 chocolate ‘sculptures’ and if you’re wondering about the need for that fancy name, it’s because these aren't your usual plain chocolate squares. Instead, they are mini chocolate slabs depicting festive figures like penguins and Father Christmas.
How much: £8.50
Buy it: Hotel Chocolat

Cadbury Heroes Advent Calendar

What: Are you the type of parent who doesn’t let the family crack open the Heroes sharing tub until Christmas Eve? Well, why not treat your little ones to a little early festive fun by buying a Heroes advent calendar? There are 24 chocolates to try, including favourites such as Twirl, Fudge and Creme Egg Twisted.
How much: £7.19
Buy it: Cadbury

Dairy Milk Advent Calendar

What: It doesn’t get much more classic than Dairy Milk. The chocolate brand’s advent calendar for 2024 will delight youngsters with its festive cartoon packaging, and you can even write the name of the recipient on the calendar, so that there’s no squabbling with siblings over whose is whose.
How much: £2.19
Buy it: Cadbury

Toy Kids Advent Calendars

If you don’t love the idea of your child eating a square of chocolate first thing in the morning, why not try a toy advent calendar instead? These Christmas countdowns are filled with action figures, stickers and similar fun objects, with plenty of them modelled after some of the most popular children’s TV shows and video games too.

FUNKO Harry Potter Advent Calendar

What: If your children can’t get enough of J.K. Rowling’s tales of the wizarding world of Hogwarts, then this Harry Potter Advent Calendar is a must. In place of sweet treats, you will instead discover a series of miniature action figures inside, depicting your favourite characters - think Hermoine, Hagrid, Dumbledore and many more.
How much: £55
Buy it: Selfridges

Hot Wheels Advent Calendar

What: Do you have a future racing driver on your hands? Fuel their ambition with this Hot Wheels calendar, which allows kiddies to build their own North Pole inspired ‘test track’. The calendar also includes a handful of Hot Wheels cars to keep them entertained for hours on end.
How much: £19.99
Buy it: Smyths Toys

Pokemon Advent Calendar

What: Whether your kids love the Pokemon franchise or you’re a die-hard fan who wants to introduce them to it, they are bound to fall in love with this Pokemon advent calendar. Behind each door, you will find either one of 16 Pokémon battle figures or one of eight holiday-themed accessories. You gotta catch ‘em all!
How much: £45
Buy it: Selfridges

Minecraft Advent Calendar

What: You might not understand the ins and outs of Minecraft, but your little ones are probably far more knowledgeable about this wildly popular game. The calendar features 12 mini figures of Steve and his favourite mobs and accessories.
How much: £24.99
Buy it: Mattel

Lego Kids Advent Calendars

Yes, that’s right, Lego advent calendars are so popular that they are deserving of their very own section. Below, you will find a handful of calendars which feature Lego versions of your child’s favourite books, TV shows and films, so they can really get creative this Christmas.

Lego Friends Advent Calendar

What: Lego lovers will be thrilled with this interactive advent calendar, which allows juniors to get their creative juices flowing. Inside, there are five Lego Friends as well as various festive-themed buildable toys, including a Christmas tree and a stocking.
How much: £19.99
Buy it: Smyths Toys

Lego City Advent Calendar

What: Another Lego option for 2024 is the Lego City Advent Calendar, which depicts an urban landscape during the winter. There are 24 compartments to open, with each one featuring either a miniature figurine or a buildable toy, such as ice hockey players, Christmas carolers and even Father Christmas himself.
How much: £20
Buy it: Smyths Toys

Lego Harry Potter Advent Calendar

What: Combining two childhood favourites - Lego and Harry Potter - is always going to be a winning combination. Behind the doors of this advent calendar, you will find miniature action figures and buildable toys, all of which will keep young wizards and witches entertained throughout the festive season.
How much: £29.99
Buy it: Smyths Toys

Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar

What: In a galaxy far far away, Lego’s most creative minds have been busy designing a Star Wars advent calendar and this is the fantastic end result. Aspiring Jedi Warriors will be able to discover 24 buildable surprises behind the calendar’s various numbered doors, including the much-loved Baby Yoda.
How much: £29.99
Buy it: Smyths Toys

Lego The Avengers Advent Calendar

What: Budding superheroes can count down to Christmas with this fun Avengers-themed calendar. Behind each door lies a miniature action figure or a buildable toy - look out for famous faces such as Iron Man and Spider-Man.
How much: £29.99
Buy it: Smyths Toys

Now that you’ve got the kids sorted, treat yourself to our pick of the best food and drink advent calendars for 2022.