Traditional Advent calendars hand kids one piece of mediocre chocolate a day and call it magic. By December 9th, half the little doors have been pried open early, the rest are empty, and someone is crying about it.
This year, we’re swapping the sugar for surprises. These candy-free calendars are packed with slime, dinosaurs, tiny books, science experiments, and more, so the countdown to Christmas is something kids can build, squish, read, and play with. Parents get calmer mornings, and kids get something far better than a chalky Santa-shaped disappointment.
#1 Each Door On The My World Calendar Opens To An Arts And Crafts Project From Somewhere Else On The Planet, So Your Kid Can Be Making Something Inspired By Japan Before Even Finding Their Shoes
Review: “I bought this for my 11yo son as an advent calendar. Each day is a craft project about a foreign country. So far he’s done 8 days and each project has been interesting and creative. An accompanying booklet provides educational info about each days project and there’s also a QR code for each project to access video instructions.” – Nejeya
Image source: amazon.com, Tracey Bruce
#2 Squeeze Season Has Arrived With The Squishee Calendar, Giving Stressed Out Small Humans A New Squishy Thing To Pinch Every Day Until Christmas
Review: “Very very squishy and satisfying. Much softer that other squishys” – Catherine Kline
Image source: amazon.com
#3 Kids Finally Learn Why Their Stomach Growls Thanks To The Einstein Human Body Science Advent Calendar, Whose Original Stem Experiments Make Every Morning Feel Like Biology Class With Better Snacks
Review: “This is a fun take on an advent calendar, that definitely sets itself apart from the usual.
It’s especially good, as you’d expect, for inquisitively-minded kids that like science and anatomy.” – Slippery Jim
Image source: amazon.com, IchibanVox
#4 Your Tree Gets Decorated By Someone Under Four Feet Tall With The Christmas Craft Advent Calendar, Which Has Kids Making A New DIY Ornament Daily And Proudly Hanging Every Wobbly Result
Review: “I highly recommend!!! I ordered this for my granddaughter who is turning 8 this month! It is so fun! We are only on day 9 & already impressed! They are simple crafts with easy to” – Tamerasn
Image source: amazon.com, Tamerasn
#5 Under The Sea Comes Straight To The Living Room With The Ocean Animals Calendar, Delivering A Fresh Sea Creature Each Day For Anyone With Strong Feelings About Sharks
Review: “Overall I would say this was a good purchase. I bought this for my elementary school class, each child got to open a door with a few left-over. All kids loved them and has all of them on their backpack.” – Nicole
Image source: amazon.com, Nicoleamazon.com
#6 By December 25th, A Full Bracelet Is Ready To Wear Thanks To The Charm Bracelet Calendar, Which Hands Over One Tiny Charm A Day And Teaches Patience Better Than Any Parent Lecture
Review: “14 days in and the bracelet is full! Good quality. Looks adorable on my 7 year old on the tightest clasp!” – charellelynn
Image source: amazon.com, charellelynn
#7 Tiny Wooden Animals Move Into Your House One Day At A Time Thanks To My First Advent Calendar Farmyard, Building A Little Farm Where Nobody Complains About The Smell
Review: “This calendar is amazingly cute and well thought out. The box stands and the fold out front makes for an engaging play mat for all of the animals. The wooden figures are sanded smooth and painted beautifully. ” – My Old KY Home
Image source: amazon.com, My Old KY Home
#8 Little Rock Collectors Get A Fresh Gemstone Every Morning, And Suddenly Your Windowsill Looks Like A Museum Exhibit With Zero Security
Review: “So exciting and fun! I bought these for my 8 year old son. He had so much fun opening them up each day. He loved all of the items and used them this whole summer.” – Rudeana J Fredrickson
Image source: amazon.com, out west
#9 Mystery Eggs Drop From The Vending Machine’s Surprise Egg Calendar Each Morning, Giving Kids The Thrill Of A Claw Machine Win With None Of The Quarters
Review: “My kids had so much fun with this. 3D printed everything is all the rage and these little creatures were adorable. ” – Whitney Doneen
Image source: amazon.com
#10 Brace Your Countertops For The Slime Advent Calendar, Where Every Door Hides A New Color Of Goo For Kids To Stretch Across The Kitchen Table
Review: “This is a great advent calendar! I much prefer my daughter getting slime or toys from an advent calendar rather than a bunch of unhealthy candy and sugar! ” – Shannon
Image source: amazon.com, Shannon
#11 Mr. Tickle And Mr. Grumpy Both Get A Spot On The Shelf Once The Mr. Men Figurine Calendar Starts Opening, And By Christmas, Your Kid Has A Tiny Cast Of Characters That Each Look Suspiciously Like A Relative Who Will Be At Dinner
Review: “Love this so much! My 6 year old loves the series and when I saw this I thought it was so random and unique and she has loved every single day of opening her surprise!” – Anymous
Image source: amazon.com, Gigi2007
#12 Bath Time Gets A Whole Flock Of New Residents With The Rubber Duck Calendar, Since One Duck Is Never Enough And Twenty Four Is A Respectable Start
Review: “Gave this to my son who is 5 years old. Its was such a great advent calender for his age. He loved all the different ducks. Since he has had them lined up on my TV stand and has been played eith them in the tub. Highly recommend!” – Pure Evil
Image source: amazon.com, Jordan
#13 By Christmas Eve, The Tree Will Be Fully Grinched Thanks To These Grinch Tree Ornaments, Each One Adding A Little More Smug Green Energy To The Branches
Review: “My Granddaughter loves this!!! It is absolutely amazing!!!!” – Aben Williams
Image source: amazon.com, Aben Williams
#14 Assembly Is Half The Fun With The Mini Building Block Creature Calendar, Since Every Door Hides A Tiny Beast Waiting To Be Snapped Together And Left Somewhere You Will Step On It Later
Review: “I think this kind of advent calendar is much more interesting than just a simple candy filled calendar. It’s especially suitable for children who enjoy hands on assembly and are interested in small animals. Opening a new little surprise each day and seeing what they’ll create is exciting and makes the wait for Christmas much more fun.” – WMLS
Image source: amazon.com, We Are MD
#15 Bedtime Stories Are Sorted Until Christmas Thanks To The Bluey Book Collection, Letting Parents Read About Heelers Instead Of Negotiating For One More Episode
Review: “This is a great advent calendar for bluey fans. It will be a lot of fun for bedtime stories. The colorful design makes it very fun for the kiddos.” – V.Cl
Image source: amazon.com, V.Cl
#16 Future Scientists Can Start Their Lab Careers Early With Einstein’s Science Adventures, Where Daily Stem Activities Give Curious Kids An Excuse To Ask “But Why?” Even More Than Usual
Review: “This is our second advent calendar from this brand (we purchased the around the world one for last christmas). I have really enjoyed this brand of advent calendar. Each experiment is in a small box that is included in this kit. It’s clearly labeled and colorful. Each box has some of the necessary materials you need. It also comes with a booklet that explains the experiment that links to a QR code that has an instructional video. I appreciated that the QR code links to all this stuff.” – Hillary
Image source: amazon.com, Madsci
#17 Paleontologists Aged Six Will Dig Into The Dinosaur Calendar Each Morning, Roaring At Breakfast With A Fresh Prehistoric Friend Clutched In Their Fist
Review: “Great Advent calendar with dinosaurs! The figures are high-quality and safe for small children. A perfect way to make December brighter and more fun.” – Max
Image source: amazon.com, Max
#18 Finding Waldo Becomes A Daily Tradition With The Where’s Waldo Mini Book Collection, Giving Kids Something To Search For Besides Your Last Nerve
Image source: amazon.com
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