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Advent calendars have become big business! When I was a kid you moved a little doodad on a calendar and called it a day. Kids now have a plethora of options to celebrate each and every day counting down to Christmas and many of the biggest toy franchises have thrown their hat into the ring. What you choose for your family is going to be based on quite a few factors: age of your children, interests, whether you want one that can be used year after year or one that is consumable with toys etc. I will continue to update this post as more Advent Calendars are released. Also, join my Daily Deal Detectives Group on Facebook for in stock alerts and updates.
Popular Characters
Every year it seems like more and more franchises get in on the advent calendar action. These are some of the ones I think will be most popular this year. The Thomas Minis one already keeps selling out! The L.O.L. Surprise one is supposed to be released today but it hasn’t loaded yet. I anticipate it being hard to find. Hathimals and Paw Patrol don’t seem to be losing any of their popularity this year, either, so both seem like solid choices if your littles are fans.
Paw Patrol: https://amzn.to/2xe3lTs
L.O.L Surprise – brandcycle.shop/3g0ez
Hatchimals: brandcycle.shop/f1h2f
Thomas Minis: brandcycle.shop/3zp92
Classic Toys
Several classic toy brands have their own annual advent calendars they produce. These are nice if you want something simple that can go along with toys that are already popular in your home. I think the Little People one is adorable and is my top pick for toddlers.
Fisher-Price Little People: https://amzn.to/2xcjMj6
Schleich Farm: https://amzn.to/2MwVsgL
Schleich Hose Club: https://amzn.to/2p8UqOZ
Hot Wheels: https://amzn.to/2xdxNfC
Playmobil:
- Christmas: https://amzn.to/2p9hQDF
- Total Ice Skating Trip: https://amzn.to/2QwuUzx
- Horse Farm: https://amzn.to/2xgkkUD
- NHL: https://amzn.to/2p9XqdY
LEGO Calendars
The LEGO Advent Calendars have been perennial favorites the past few years. If you have a LEGO lover in your home I don’t think you can go wrong with one of these. I also think these are a good option because the pieces will fit in seamlessly with the other LEGOs in your collection.
LEGO Star Wars: https://amzn.to/2QuddAF
LEGO Friends: https://amzn.to/2QuddAF
LEGO City: https://amzn.to/2QwWiO0
Reusable Advent Calendar
I would be remiss not to mention a more economical (and eco-freindly) option to purchase a reusable Advent Calendar that you can use year after year. There are thousands of options but the one we use in our home and my personal favorite is this one by Melissa and Doug. The little magnets are pretty and my boys love adding a new one each day. I like that it has the little built in storage tray. I’ll keep this as an heirloom holiday item for our family.
