Words: Jodie Keith, @jodetopia on instagram
Advent calendars are stereotypically a little daily chocolate treat leading up to Christmas. Year upon year, however, we see companies being more experimental in advent calendars – now, you can pretty much get an advent calendar for whatever it truly is your heart desires. From candles, socks, beauty and beer: the choice is huge. What you might not realise, however, is that there are also a lot of choice of children and toddler advent calendars – goodbye daily sugar rush and hello 5 minutes of peace and quiet for mum or dad to enjoy a hot cuppa!
1.Top Pick – Thomas the Tank Engine, £20 via Amazon
If your toddler is a fan of Thomas the Tank Engine, or trains in general, they’ll love the Fisher-Price Thomas & Friends MINIS Advent Calendar. There’s a whopping 24 mini trains, meaning your child gets a brand new standalone mini toy every single day. I was so impressed with this one that I’ve bought it for my son this Christmas, and I’m so truly excited to see his face when he opens the first little door on 1st December!
2.The best toddler advent calendar for parents who like Wooden toys – Wooden Woodland Advent Calendar by Meri Meri, £34 via Kidly
We’re definitely fans of wooden toys over plastic toys in my household, so when I stumbled across this unique advent calendar I instantly fell in love. There’s 24 little wooden woodland figures behind numbered doors, all beautifully housed within a reusable suitcase for storing away ready for the next year. At £34 it is slightly more expensive than the other advent calendars on offer, but Meri Meri is known for good quality, unique products, so I’m fairly certain this one would live up to the price tag.
3.The best advent calendar for kids that love colouring – The Colour in Christmas Advent Calendar, via Not on The High Street, £28
If your little human likes to colour, then this advent calendar will be the one for them. Made from jersey fabric, your child uses the 8 fabric pens included to colour in (or scribble on!) this beautifully illustrated Christmas countdown wall hanging. It can even be personalised, so that your child’s name appears throughout the illustration. Once you’re finished, the pens clip together to form a rod to hang your wall hanging, and you’ll be able to get it out year upon year as a beautiful family keepsake.
4.The best toddler advent calendar for Montessori families – (AD – PR Sample) Christmas playCALENDAR by playHOORAY, £12.50
Struggling for ideas to keep the children entertained in the lead up to Christmas? 2020 has thrown many curveballs at us, but you’ll no longer have to fret about how to keep them busy – the Christmas playCALENDAR by playHOORAY has 24 festive themed activities under each window. Each activity is quick and realistic to set up, using items you’ll most likely already own around the house – there’s even a resource list to double check you have everything you need before December 1st. They’re simple, they’re fun and it’s guaranteed to make your lives easier this Christmas.
5.The best toddler advent calendar for crafty kids – Play-Doh, £13.99 via Amazon
Play-Doh is a bit like marmite… you either love it or you hate it! If you’re in the ‘love it’ category then this advent calendar for toddlers will sure fire guarantee your toddler some fun and you a hot cuppa. There’s lots of different Christmas themed cutters and stampers, as well as 5 cans of Play-Doh, including two sparkle colours!
6.The best advent calendar to learn about Elves and the North Pole! – Elf Advent Letters, £12.95 via Elf for Christmas
If this is the year you are introducing the true magic of Christmas – think Santa, elves and the mysterious North Pole – then what better than a daily letter from your very own cheeky elf?! Within 24 numbered envelopes, daily letters from Pip McJingles give you a glimpse into the top secret goings on in the North Pole. Whether you pair these letters with your very own elf toy to keep an eye on your child at home or not is up to you!
7.The best toddler advent calendar for car lovers – Hot Wheels , £24.99 via Amazon
If you have a slightly older toddler, or your child is into cars, the Hot Wheels toddler advent calendar might be for you! It does have some smaller parts, so I would be sure to follow the 3+ age reference on this one, or if your child still likes to put things in their mouth then this probably isn’t the advent calendar for you. If your child will get excited over race cars and Christmas themed wagons, though, this will make their morning every single day!
8.The best toddler advent calendar for animal lovers – KreativeKraft, £12.99 via Amazon
If your child is animal obsessed, and would rather collect toys that can be used all year round as opposed to seasonal Christmas themed toys, then the KreativeKraft advent calendars are going to be great for your toddler this Christmas. Behind each door is an animal figurine, and you can choose from themes such as Zoo, Farm and Dinosaurs. These figurines are sure to be a
9…or you could do it yourself with a Personalised Advent Calendar House by My 1st Years, £36
If these toddler advent calendars haven’t hit the spot, or you prefer the idea of going at it alone, you can always invest in a reusable, empty advent calendar to fill up yourself each year. This one from My 1st Years is beautifully crafted to create a wooden house, with drawers to fill of surprises. As you get closer to Christmas, the surprises can be hidden in the flaps in the roof! The best thing about this DIY advent calendar is that it can be personalised with your child’s name on the top of the roof, so makes a lovely keepsake for every year.
10. The best toddler advent calendar for snackers – Organix, £8.99
If your child loves to snack (let’s face it, most do!) then the Organix advent calendar will be perfect for them this Christmas. With 24 individually wrapped treats, it’ll keep your little snacker happy whilst also taking a bit of pressure of your shoulders, as you won’t need to worry about what snack to make each day. With a selection of organic raspberry and apple mini oaty bites, organic jammie monster biscuits, and organic apple and orange mini oaty bites, as well as a fun little finger puppet to cut out on the box, your December just got a whole lot easier!
11. Acts of Kindness Advent Calendar-I Do Handmade
Welcome in the festive season with this thoughtful advent calendar craft kit.
Switch off from the world by getting your craft on with your little one, creating 24 mini paper envelopes and decorating them all individually with the festive stationery provided.
Fill your handmade envelopes with daily acts of kindness. Included in this kit are 48 ideas to choose from, helping you spread some festive cheer to your community and loved ones this season. Ideas are suitable for all ages. Also thrown in, are 24 additional daily ideas to treat yourself too!
Once made, use the mini wooden pegs and rustic string provided to hang your envelopes up in your home. Hang them across your fireplace, or curtain pole or make several strings of bunting and tie across your windows.
Wow, these are all great!