Advent Calendar Choices

Get the Right Type for Your Kid

• What: Advent Calendar Choices
• When: 18 months and up
• Why: Avoid chocolate and candy, countdown to Christmas
• Where: Amazon

Looking for an advent calendar for your child? If you don’t want to go the standard chocolate route due to allergies or other dietary restrictions (or maybe your kids don’t need more sweets during the holiday season), check out these toy alternatives.

Playmobil 1.2.3.: If you have a child under three years old (or younger siblings who still like to explore with their mouths), Playmobil makes an Advent calendar as part of their popular 1.2.3. series. The pieces offer all the fun of the sets for older kids, but with no choking hazards. The figurines come in larger sizes, and some have limited mobility enabling them to sit and stand but not much more. The pieces can still combine for plenty of fun without the worry.

Hot Wheels: If you have a child obsessed with vehicles, you can grab a Hot Wheels Advent calendar. In case you don’t need or want 24 more small cars cluttering up your household, the set also includes accessory pieces like sleighs, snow plows, and reindeer. Our Hot Wheels calendar came with about 8 cars and the rest of the 24 items consisted of other accessories.

Lego: If your child loves Legos and building, you can’t go wrong with one of the many Lego themed sets. No matter what your child prefers, from Star Wars to Harry Potter and more, you can get an Advent calendar for that. Each day features a tiny illustration typical of Lego instruction manuals to assemble the random bits and pieces inside the compartment. Put the parts together to form mini figures as well as seasonal items like wreaths and sleighs and bigger stuff like sleighs or star ships. Play with it all on the folding mat that comes attached to the box. Once our kids finish with the calendar, we cut the playmat off and keep it for future fun.

Tsum Tsum: Disney also makes a Tsum Tsum calendar. Each day hides either a Tsum Tsum, a headpiece, or a stackable accessory. Kids can then combine the different pieces and figures. The calendar includes 6 Tsum Tsum in each of the three sizes – small, medium, and large.

Playmobil: Playmobil also makes Advent calendar sets in a variety of themes for older age ranges. We’ve gotten both the hockey and farm sets ourselves. You can also get a horse famr, a Christmas ball, a post office, police, construction site, or pirate treasure variety. No matter which theme you choose, expect to get a few figurines and lots of coordinating accessories, as well as a mat to finish off the scene.