15 Great Advent Calendars to Coundown to Christmas 2015

I grew up counting down to Christmas with the basic $1 chocolate Advent Calendar each holiday season. I loved opening the little cardboard flaps and discovering what design was on my little square of chocolate each day, and it was always hard to resist the urge to skip ahead.  It was also the one time of year we were allowed chocolate at breakfast so it was that much more of a treat.

As Advent Calendars have grown in popularity, there seem to be a lot more options available these days.  The chocolate versions are still widely available but I have also come up with some other fun options to consider this holiday season.

Lego Advent Calendar

 

My son will be getting the LEGO City Advent Calendar from his Auntie this Christmas and I am so excited to discover what’s inside!  Come December, I know my little Lego lover is going to have a great time putting together each Christmas themed mini build daily as we count down until Christmas.

There are also Star Wars and LEGO Friends versions that are equally adorable.  The reindeer antler wearing R2D2 minifig and Santa suit clad C3PO have me strongly considering the Star Wars version for next year.

Also available at Walmart, Toys R Us, and Indigo Chapters.

Mega Bloks Minions

Minions have been a popular birthday theme this year and we have gifted the Minions themed Mega Bloks sets on more then one occasion.  For the Mega Bloks Minions Advent Calendar the Minion figures are dressed up in Christmas overalls and each day has a fun Minions themed Christmas item to build.  My favorite is the tiny version of the fart blaster!

Also available at Toys R Us and in-store at Walmart.

Fisher Price Little People

My daughter has been getting Little People sets for every Birthday and Christmas since her very first Christmas.  They are by far the most played with toy in our house so I was very excited to discover this Fisher Price Little People Advent Calendar
while in store at Toys R Us.  With a different Christmas themed character or item each day, this is sure to bring plenty of Holiday cheer to your Little People collection.

Buy it at Toys R Us.

Thomas and Friends Minis

 

I wish they had these Thomas and Friends minis when my son was in his train phase.  They are both cute and super affordable as small gifts or stocking stuffers.  For the Thomas and Friends fan, this Advent Calendar offers up 24 different mini trains including 6 exclusive holiday themed trains.  The cardboard Calendar itself also offers play value with a printed track and scenery to drive the  new trains around on.

Exclusive to Walmart.

Play-Doh

Play Doh is the perfect activity for those cold winter days in December.  The PLAY-DOH Advent Calendar offers up a new container of Play Doh, cookie cutter, or  sculpting tool each day to keep things fun and exciting.

Advent Calendar to Color

Colouring seems to have really grown in popularity over the past year with the introduction of Adult colouring books.  This unique Advent Calendar To Color by Usborne gives kids or adults a unique image to color each day and the end result is a gorgeous Christmas scene that can be displayed for years to come.

Read more about it on the Usborne Book Barn Blog.

Playmobil

With 4 different versions, Playmobil has an advent Calendar that will appeal to almost any child.  My daughter would love the Playmobil Unicorn Fairylandand I am sure my son would be delighted with the Christmas themed Santa’s Workshop.  For the younger set, there is also a Playmobil 1.2.3 Advent Calendar without the extra tiny pieces.

Also available from Toys R Us, Mastermind Toys and Indigo Chapters.

Kinder Surprise

You can’t go wrong with a chocolate advent Calendar, especially with the added bonus of Kinder Surprise eggs.  If you have kids, you know the appeal of those tiny yellow capsules and their even tinier toys inside.  This calendar contains an assortment of chocolate eggs, chocolate bars and the surprise eggs.  Best of all, this Calendar is the cheapest on my list at around $12 each.

Available through various retailers such as Walmart or Shoppers Drug Mart.

Ciate London Mini Mani Month

You can have your nails ready for any occasion with this collection of 18 different nailpolishes, nail files and special nail treatments from Ciate London.  This girly and grown-up Advent Calendar is available through Sephora for $71 and boasts a $264 value.

Find it at Sephora.com

Yankee Candle Advent Carousel

The Yankee Candle Advent Carousel 2015 is all you need to fill your house with delightful holiday scent.  Each calendar contains a daily tea light or votive candle in 8 different scents including Christmas Cookie, Cinnamon Stick and Candy Cane Lane.

Read more about it over at British Beauty Blogger.

David’s Tea Advent Calendar

I was excited to give this Calendar as a gift for my brother and his wife last holiday season.  It let them try a new variety of loose tea each day as they counted down to their first Christmas as a married couple.  My sister-in-law Jodi also did a great job reviewing all the tea flavors over on her blog Up The Rollercoaster if you are wanting to get a good idea of what to expect inside this years Calendar.

Available November 1 in store or online through David’s Tea.  This one sells out fast!

Phillips Beer Snowcase Calendar

Packaged as an Advent Calendar and filled with a variety of craft beers, this is likely the most unique 24 pack of beer you’ll ever buy.  Retailers can be found at the Phillips 2015 Snowcase Tasting Party.

Or, if you are feeling crafty,  2 Little Hooligans has a great DIY Beer Advent Calendar.

Lindt Chocolate

I loved the cheap chocolate Advent Calendars my mom bought us each year while growing up, but let’s be honest that the chocolate is not the greatest.  The Lindt Advent Calendar boasts a variety of creamy Swiss chocolate in the form of hollow figures, chocolate balls and the famous Lindor truffle.  This calendar would be great for kids, but I prefer to keep chocolate this good to myself!

Available through various retailers such as Costco, Walmart or Shoppers Drug Mart, or treat yourself and visit the nearest Lindt Boutique.  I also recommend following Lindt on Facebook to know about upcoming sales to stock up on last minute gifts and stocking stuffers.

Jacek Chocolate 24 Days of Chocolate Joy

I have had the pleasure of tasting this handcrafted chocolate and it is beyond delicious.  From Jacek Chocolates out of Sherwood Park, Alberta, this beautifully packaged calendar filled with couture chocolate is guaranteed to pleasing the most discerning of palettes.

Available for order through Jacek Chocolate.

 

Good Boy Dog Advent Calendar

While you’re enjoying a daily advent treat, while not spoil your dog too.  This Good Boy Dog Advent Calendar is filled with dog friendly chocolate drops for your four legged friend.

Christmas will be here soon enough so pick a fun Advent Calendar and get ready for the countdown!!