24 doorsWhat’s inside →The Best 2026 Advent Calendars for Kids
Advent calendars for kids in 2026 are 94 new boxes and every one is rated. LEGO's five are the spine of the shelf, 34.99 to 44.99 USD for a build a day with every set printed; Mattel's Jurassic World, Frozen, Minecraft, Barbie and Hot Wheels are the toy boxes at 25 to 50; Playmobil, Schleich, Play-Doh and National Geographic's four science kits fill in the rest; and then there is chocolate: Kinder, Lindt's Teddy boxes, Milka, Hotel Chocolat's Milk calendar, all under 30. The question with toys is what the maker will tell you: LEGO prints every set, Pokémon names all nineteen figures, Barbie and Jurassic World say what is in the box and not which door, and the score follows that, because a calendar whose doors are a secret is a lottery you paid 30 for. Age is the other question, and the tags on each page carry it.
185 calendars, 94 new for 2026, from $15 to $198, most of them 24 doors. Full stats
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24 doorsWhich advent calendar for kids to get
One for each way of asking. Every row clears the same bar — rated 4 out of 5 or better by an editor, or where none has scored it, an editors’ pick or contents worth more than the box — and nothing older than last season.
For toysJurassic World Island Visitor 2026Our rating 4/5 · 24 doors$32.39
For foodLindt TEDDY Wimmelbild 2026Our rating 4/5 · 24 doors€27.99
For booksCarlsen Pixi Adventskalender 2026 LeporelloOur rating 4/5 · 24 doors€20Under $50Kosmos Experimentierkasten Adventskalender 2026Our rating 4/5 · 24 doors€30.96
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24 doorsCannot decide?
One for each way of asking, further down.
A first pick, the best value, under $50, the splurge — and a person to ask if yours is not there.
Make one insteadA calendar that travels in a link.
Photos, videos and notes behind each door. Free, no account.
Why trust the numbersWe opened 794 of these boxes.
Counted, priced and photographed by hand before any of it went up.
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24 doorsHow to choose an advent calendar for kids
- Step 01
Decide what kind, before what price
The shelf for kids is toys (55%), food (29%), art & hobbies (19%) and franchise (19%) — the same person gets a very different December from each. The picks below name the box to get in every kind; the kind's own page holds the rest. Every toys box
- Step 02
Then set the number
Of the 95 priced in dollars, 75 come in under $50 and 20 sit between $50 and $200; half are above $40. Under $50 buys chocolate, toys and drugstore beauty; the retailer boxes with the best value multiples sit in the middle band; over $200 is the department stores and the fragrance houses. Compare the price bands
- Step 03
Prefer the boxes that print what is inside
94 of this season's 94 come with the maker's own door list; the rest are bought on the brand's record. For a gift that matters, the list is the difference between a calendar and a lottery — every page says which it holds.
- Step 04
Match the size to the person
168 of the 185 are 24-door boxes; 4 are twelve-day calendars, which suit someone who will not open a door every morning. A 24-door box of minis is a month of small things; a twelve-door box is usually the bigger items.
- Step 05
Start from this season's, from the ones we have opened
94 of the 185 on this page are 2026 editions and every one carries a verdict from us; the earlier editions stay listed for the record and the prices. The grid puts this season first.
City is the cheapest and the one for a five-year-old, with a playmat and instructions in every door; Star Wars and Marvel carry the minifigures; Friends and Disney Princess are the same formula in their own worlds. All five print the set list and all five are on Amazon under LEGO's own price.
Under six
All calendars for preschoolers
A can of Play-Doh a day for 20 USD, a Little Golden Book a day for 30, Playmobil's two dinosaurs and a box that is the backdrop for under 30: these are the ones that get used rather than kept. Jurassic World's nineteen dinosaurs are the same idea one age up.
Toys with a play set in the box
All toy calendars
Schleich's Horse Club is a proper set, two horses, a rider and tack for under 35 USD; Barbie's is a full doll plus 24 outfit pieces; Hot Wheels is ten cars and fourteen doors of accessories. Check the page for which shops had them, because Mattel's own were out of stock when we looked.
Figures and collectibles
All collectible calendars
Pokémon's nineteen figures in a finish sold nowhere else is the best of these, and Amazon names every one. The Funko Pocket Pops keep twenty of 24 doors secret; Schleich's Harry Potter minis and the Marauder's Map box are for the child who already has the shelf.
Chocolate for children
All chocolate calendars
Kinder Bueno at 10 GBP with a full bar on the last day, Lindt's teddies at 26 to 30 USD, Hotel Chocolat's Milk box at 13.95: all milk, all small pieces, all what a child actually wants behind a door.
For teenagers
All calendars for teenagers
Past twelve the toy shelf turns into the collector's shelf: the Funko Pops, the Marauder's Map, Schleich's Harry Potter minis, and Essence's makeup tree for the teenager who has moved past toys altogether. Pokémon, above, is the one that works at eight and at fifteen.
Under 30
All calendars under $30
Play-Doh, LEGO City, Playmobil, Jurassic World, Frozen, Hot Wheels and every chocolate box here come in under 30 in their own currency. The one rule at this price: buy the box that says what is in it.
Still looking?
If you cannot decide, get Jurassic World Island Visitor 2026
The best value among the calendars here that we have rated this season, rated 4/5, $32.39, 24 doors. Nineteen dinosaurs, a fence and a Visitor Center to put them behind, for under 30 GBP, and the box is the scene. Mattel doesn't name the species, and these are Jurassic Park Minis: small collectibles rather than the larger figures.
24 doorsCalendars for kids, by the numbers
How each one is countedEvery figure is computed from the records at build time and says how many it is drawn from. Door price is the price on the box over its doors; the value multiple is what the contents come to at retail over that price; full size is the retailer’s own marking. Dollar figures use rough rates and are for ranking only. Where a record cannot support a figure, it is left out rather than guessed.The definitions, one by one →94 calendars for kids for 2026, a median of $1.39 a door, 35 brands we had never listed before.
| Pick | Calendar | Stock | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| toys | Jurassic World Island Visitor 2026 | £29.99 | 24 | £1.25 | 1 | — | 4/5 | Sold out |
| food | Lindt TEDDY Wimmelbild 2026 | €27.99 | 24 | €1.17 | 1 | — | 4/5 | — |
| books | Carlsen Pixi Adventskalender 2026 Leporello | €20 | 24 | €0.83 | 1 | — | 4/5 | — |
| Under $50 | Kosmos Experimentierkasten Adventskalender 2026 | €30.96 | 24 | €1.29 | 1 | — | 4/5 | — |
| — | LEGO City 2026 | $34.99 | 24 | $1.46 | — | — | 4/5 | — |
| — | LEGO Disney Princess 2026 | $44.99 | 24 | $1.87 | — | — | 4/5 | — |
| — | LEGO Friends 2026 | $34.99 | 24 | $1.46 | 1 | — | 4/5 | — |
| — | LEGO Marvel 2026 | $44.99 | 24 | $1.87 | 1 | — | 4/5 | — |
| — | LEGO Star Wars 2026 | $44.99 | 24 | $1.87 | — | — | 4/5 | — |
| — | Little Golden Books Countdown to Christmas 2026 | $29.99 | 24 | $1.25 | 1 | — | 4/5 | — |
Median price $33 across the 94 priced; door price across 94. Rough dollar rates, for ranking only.
What is behind the doors — 367 items across 31 boxesChocolate40Candy32Build27Accessory25Battle figure24Bath bomb18Not yet typed13
How big the boxes are — all 18524 doors16825 doors1112 doors4Other sizes2
Launches we saw — 7 of 94
- Cinereplicas Marauder's Map 2026 17 September
- Fuggler 2026 17 September
- Jelly Belly Harry Potter Hogwarts Trivia 2026 17 September
- Montezuma's Milk Chocolate 2026 17 September
- Schleich Harry Potter Mini Figures Series 2 2026 17 September
- Schleich Horse Club Winter Wonderland Ride 2026 17 September
- Squishmallows x TONYMOLY 10-Day 2026 17 September
Frequently asked questions
Are there advent calendars for kids in 2026/2027?
Yes. 94 of the 185 advent calendars for kids we list are 2026 editions. The other 91 are 2025 and 2024 boxes, which some retailers still stock.
How much do advent calendars for kids cost?
Advent calendars for kids run from $15 to $198, with the middle of the range at $40. That is across the 95 of the 185 we list that carry a US price.
How many doors do advent calendars for kids have?
Most advent calendars for kids have 24 doors, 168 of the 185 we list. The rest run 10, 12, 25 and 31.
Which brands make advent calendars for kids?
83 brands make the 185 advent calendars for kids we list. LEGO has the most with 16, then Lindt with 11 and Funko with 9. The other 80 have up to 7 each.
What kind of advent calendar should I get for kids?
The shelf for kids is toys (54%), food (30%) and franchise (19%). The shortlist at the top of this page names the box to get in each kind, and the picks under How to choose give three per kind; the kind's own archive holds the rest.
How much should I spend on an advent calendar for kids?
Of the 95 priced in dollars, 75 cost under $50, 20 between $50 and $200 and 0 over $200. Under $50 buys chocolate, toys and drugstore beauty; the retailer beauty boxes with the best value multiples sit between $50 and $200; over $200 is the department stores and the fragrance houses.
Which advent calendars for kids say what is inside?
30 of this season's 94 come with the maker's full door list — LEGO Disney Princess 2026, LEGO Friends 2026 and LEGO Marvel 2026 among them. The rest are bought on the brand's record, and each page says which it is.
Advent calendars for