The countdown to Santa’s arrival is on

nd just like that December will be upon us.

The year is in its final quarter and the winter season is peeping around the corner - soon enough we will all be feeling the festive cheer. But when the real countdown to Christmas begins, kids will have one thing, and one thing only, on their minds: advent calendars.

To little ones (and bigger ones alike), December means 25 days of chocolate and toys each day in the run-up to the big one where the market is awash with exciting advent calendars to get in the festive spirit.

Embrace the Christmas joy and invest in a chocolate or toy calendar that will make 2022 the most special one yet. Whether tiny tots or growing teens, there is so much to choose from. They’ll be able to opt between classic chocolate and sugary sweets hidden behind the windows, or toys from their favourite TV series and films - so let the festivities commence on December 1 with a fun-packed, treat-filled advent season.

Many are available now, while others will be being released over the next few weeks/ months. We have specified release dates per calendar below.

Shop the best advent calendars for kids below, split into chocolate/sweets and toys…

This traditional advent calendar opens its doors to the classic smooth delight of Dairy Milk each and every day. If there’s one thing you can be certain of come Christmas time, it’s that Cadbury’s never disappoints.

Kids will love the different seasonal chocolate shapes hidden throughout the month and get into the festive spirit in the run-up to the big day with a special sweet treat each day.

Watch the kids count down to Christmas with this magical advent calendar. Open up the doors to reveal adorable characters - including penguins, snowmen and santas - all created by the chocolatier’s in-house sculptors and made from 40 per cent milk chocolate. On the 24th there’s an extra special treat...

Sweeten up your kids in the run-up to the holidays and join Mr Swizzles in his colourful sweet shop. Enjoy 24 days of sweetie favourites including Squashies, Refreshers, Love Hearts and Drumsticks. You can even turn the calendar around for endless fun activities, Christmas facts and festive jokes.

Not quite chocolate but a sweet treat kids (and parents) will drool over – Bonne Maman has launched a brand-new advent calendar hiding mini jars of different flavour jams behind each door. Will it be strawberry, raspberry, apricot with bergamot, or pear with cocoa nibs? You’ll just have to wait… The cute carousel-designed calendar also includes two surprise gifts on December 1 and Christmas Eve.

No nuts, no dairy, no gluten – PLAY in CHOC’s advent calendar has allergen-free organic chocolate behind 24 windows, so nobody has to miss out. Each day kids will also receive a plastic-free puzzle toy and educational fun fact cards to make this an informative, playful and delicious option. The calendar’s sleeve turns into a winter playmat for hours of guaranteed fun.

Kids will love this seriously smooth chocolate – the perfect bitesize treat for first thing in the morning or after dinner. And it’s Fairtrade, with Divine helping to fight exploitation in the cocoa industry. The design is a traditional nativity theme and teaches kids how to say ‘merry Christmas’ in many different languages.

An alternative style calendar, kids can work their way through this festive tube filled with 24 milk chocolate snowmen, santas and Christmas trees. Independent artisan business Chococo are masters of good-quality, fine chocolate and their 45 per cent milk chocolate will almost be worth pinching off your kids. Packed in 100 per cent plastic-free, recyclable packaging.

Give Harry Potter fans an early Christmas present with this LEGO advent calendar – with mini figures and toys received each day to recreate classic film scenes. Join them all up together at the end and play the bonus game with all the pieces – your little wizards will be transported to Hogwarts in no time.

Kids will rock around this Christmas tree as they decorate it each day with 24 magnetic ornaments and a shining star to top it off. A hands-on way for them to get into the festive spirit, it’s a great alternative to the traditional chocolate advent calendar and can be reused for years to come. A useful wooden box is attached to help keep all the pieces together.

Build up a lovely scene of Peter Rabbit with all his friends – spot Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-tail and look out for Mrs Tiggy Winkle and Jeremy Fisher behind the windows each day.

The characters will gather around while Peter, Benjamin Rabbit and Lily Bobtail glide across the ice-rink setting, thanks to the moving mechanism in the base, all set to a festive tune. Three AAA batteries are included.

Watch the excitement light up on your little ones’ faces as they discover a surprise wooden figure in each drawer of this calendar throughout December. Complete with 24 toys, they’ll be making friends with Rudolph and Santa Claus, cute little snowmen and putting the elves to work, using the play scene in which the sides open up to. Reuse each year in the festive run-up.

Celebrate the festive holidays with Pikachu and friends. Including 24 gifts – 16 figures and eight accessories – kids are guaranteed non-stop fun playing with their favourite Pokémon characters – are they gonna catch ’em all?!

Stationery enthusiasts will have a new surprise every day with limited edition products from Smiggle packed behind the 25 doors. From rainbow pens and metallic markers, to scented stickers and even a pencil case, kids will be lost in their own world getting creative with their gifts, and waiting impatiently for what the next day will bring.

Know a stationery fan? There are three to choose from at high street stationer Paperchase, but the biggest and best is this one. A fun option for kids and adults alike, the gingerbread house cover flips back to reveal a bevvy of brightly coloured windows, the perfect dopamine hit on cold winter morning. Contents are worth over £100 and include pencil case essentials as well as a diary for the year ahead and a £5 voucher to redeem in store.

Trying to find non-chocolate advent calendar options for kids can be a tricky task - unless you head to Lost Universe. The online home of pop culture merch has digital aisles heaving with toy-focused countdowns to the big day. Pre-orders are now open on Marvel, Disney, Harry Potter and Pokemon-themed Funko calendars, or opt for a sock-filled calendar for practical but fun gifts you’ll actually use.

The last episode of Friends may have aired 18 years ago (could we feel older?) but the sitcom’s true stans will still love and appreciate this themed advent calendar, packed with stationery and trivia designed to help you reminisce about your favourite episodes. 24 windows.

Last year’s most bewildering toy trend is still going strong, with fidget spinners gracing most-wanted lists for kids everywhere. If you’re looking for a sugar-free advent to delight young ones, head to Menkind where you can find this 24-window design packed to the eyeballs with toys to keep their hands, minds and brains busy. Suitable for ages 3+.

When we say there’s a world of advent calendars out there, we’re not kidding. Behold, prime proof: this design that packs in 24 different components to make games like Code Breaker, Memory, Wire Max, Whack a Mole, and more. Hours of fun guaranteed, suitable for ages 14+.