Counting down to Christmas is one of the best parts of the season for toddlers, and a good advent calendar makes the wait feel like an adventure. This year’s toy advent calendars go well beyond chocolate, with mini figures, building bricks and daily surprises tied to some of the biggest names in toddler telly and toy boxes. Here are 11 of the best for 2026, all available to buy in the UK.
1. Hot Wheels 2026 Advent Calendar
Behind each of the 24 doors is either a 1:64 scale toy car or a winter-themed accessory, with one exclusive snow globe car featuring a Yeti driver. The set includes 34 pieces in total, plus ornament clips so the cars can be hung on the tree once Christmas Day arrives.
2. Numberblocks MathLink Cubes Advent Calendar
Little ones can play, build and count with Numberblocks One to Five across 24 holiday-inspired surprises. It comes with a fold-out game board for post-countdown fun, making it a nice option for parents who want a bit of early maths practice folded into the festivities.
3. Fisher-Price Little People Barbie Advent Calendar
This toddler playset opens up into a chic Barbie ski chalet scene, with six character figures and 17 accessories to unwrap across December. It’s designed for ages 18 months and up, with the same chunky, easy-grip pieces as the rest of the Little People range.
4. LEGO DUPLO Santa’s Gingerbread House
Aimed at ages two and up, this Duplo set can be split across the days leading up to Christmas rather than opened all at once, giving toddlers a little building project each day that comes together into a full gingerbread house scene with Santa, a teddy bear and family figures.
5. Bluey’s Family Christmas Surprise Pack
Fans of the Heeler family get 24 days of surprises including Bluey and Bingo figures dressed in their Christmas jumpers, plus holiday accessories and a buildable Christmas tree to display them all under.
6. Peppa Pig Advent Calendar
With numbered doors and a fold-out playmat, this calendar includes five Peppa Pig family figures in their holiday sweaters alongside 24 surprise toys and stickers, making it an easy pick for younger Peppa fans still learning their numbers.
7. Playmobil Advent Calendar: A Trip to the Christmas Market
An 84-piece set for ages four and up that builds into a miniature Christmas market, complete with a treats stall, a Christmas tree and four figures. It’s a lovely option for toddlers on the older end who are ready for gentle open-ended scene play.
8. Thomas & Friends MINIS Advent Calendar
Twenty-four miniature toy trains and railway vehicles wait behind the doors, including six exclusive holiday-themed engines. It’s a gentle, chunky-piece option that works well for younger toddlers who are into anything on wheels or tracks.
9. Play-Doh Holiday Advent Calendar
A hands-on option for toddlers who love sensory and creative play, with 24 doors hiding Play-Doh cans and festive tools to unbox each day, building up to a full winter playmat scene.
10. Monster Jam Mini Holiday Advent Calendar
Twenty-four days of 1:87 scale mini monster trucks and accessories, including exclusive versions of Grave Digger, El Toro Loco and Earth Shaker, aimed at truck-mad toddlers who want their own countdown collection to race.
11. KreativeKraft Construction Trucks Advent Calendar
A construction-themed countdown with 24 diecast mini trucks and a play mat on the side of the box, perfect for toddlers who are into diggers, bulldozers and building sites.
Choosing the right one
For toddlers under three, look for calendars with fewer small parts and chunkier pieces, like the Fisher-Price Little People or Play-Doh options. Older toddlers who are past the choking-hazard stage have more choice, including the Hot Wheels and Monster Jam calendars, which do carry a small parts warning for children under three.
