17 Advent Calendars That Make Counting Down To Christmas Way More Fun

An advent calendar that comes with a new mini storybook every single day is the kind of holiday magic that makes December feel genuinely special from the very first of the month. Each of the 24 doors reveals a different illustrated Christmas story, which means the countdown to Christmas doubles as a reading ritual and an excuse to snuggle up together every night before bed. It’s the most meaningful advent calendar upgrade for any family that loves books and wants the holidays to feel a little more intentional and a lot more cozy. — Katie Garrity, Senior Editor, News & Social

For the chocolate lover in your life, consider getting them the See's Candies advent calendar. It comes stocked with over a pound of chocolate (yum), in a variety of totally delicious flavors. Even better, this calendar is 3-D, and is created to look like a vintage candy shop. How adorable AND delicious! — Kate Auletta, Editor in Chief

This is one of those advent calendars where you just send your partner the link without any other information and hope for the best. While your kids can enjoy their silly little chocolates, you can get down with this super-luxury jewelry countdown. The calendar includes very classic but fun earrings, necklaces, charms, and bracelets in either gold or silver, and there's not a single piece I wouldn't wear. — Sarah Aswell, Deputy Editor, News & Social

Almost every advent calendar that comes through our door ends up being absconded with by my kids, which is maybe why I’m so excited about this one: It’s just for me! Behind its 12 doors are FULL-SIZE deluxe goodies that go above and beyond a typical beauty calendar. We’re talking a Blissy silk sleep mask, a cozy UnHide amber candle... even a pair of Leeada stud earrings. It’s like a curated holiday shopping spree just for moms. — Julie Sprankles, Deputy Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment

This is the advent calendar for the family who wants something genuinely hilarious and slightly unhinged. The Brass Monkey Googly-Eyed Magnet Countdown is a 25-day magnetic calendar where each day reveals a new googly-eyed character or scene that sticks to the board and builds into a progressively more chaotic and delightful holiday display. It is reusable year after year, requires zero chocolate or candy, and is the kind of calendar that gets the whole family involved in peeling back each day just to see what ridiculous thing comes next. — Katie Garrity

This advent calendar is not only so pretty to look at, it also comes stocked with all kinds of fragrances, eau de parfum, and bath and body products (including the brand’s Perfume Pencils, which only come out at the holidays). There's also a Christmas ornament and a coffee table book included. I love a good fragrance — on my hands or wafting through my kitchen; this calendar is a welcome addition to my home. — Kate Auletta

I’m treating myself to this advent calendar because I am a stationery girlie, and an advent calendar filled with 24 doors of Papier goodies is genuinely the most excited I get about December. Each door reveals a different surprise — think notecards, stickers, mini notebooks, and other beautifully designed paper goods — which means the countdown to Christmas also doubles as slowly building up a stash of the most charming little stationery pieces. It’s the advent calendar for the person who has everything but will always find room for one more beautiful notecard set! — Katie Garrity

My 15-year-old and I had a blast going halfsies with this beauty lover’s advent calendar. The clear makeup case (love that the “calendar” can be reused) holds individually packaged surprises like SHEGLAM’s lip stains and blushes and highlighters and glosses. Every product is good enough to go straight into the daily beauty rotation! — Julie Sprankles

For the kid who is obsessed with Magna-Tiles, this advent calendar is going to completely send them into orbit. Each of the 24 doors reveals a new micro magnetic tile piece that adds to their collection, and by Christmas morning they have a full 34-piece microMAGS set ready to build with. It is an advent calendar that is also a gift, which is the smartest possible use of December and makes the whole month feel like one long unwrapping experience. — Katie Garrity

Who doesn't want a boatload of beauty products every day for a month? This is a high-end calendar, sure, but it's worth it. It comes with a lovely grouping of all kinds of products, and makes a great gift for the beauty-obsessed person (it's me, hi) in your life. — Kate Auletta

I have so many memories from my own childhood of reading Little Golden Books, so this advent calendar feels especially sentimental. Behind each of the 24 windows is a mini paperback Little Golden Book, gold-foil spines and all, with a full story and original art. Opening a new book every night and reading it with your little ones sounds like such a sweet bedtime ritual for December, doesn’t it? — Julie Sprankles

Each of the 24 windows of this absolutely gorgeous advent calendar hides a gourmet chocolate, and those little chocolates are truly delicious. This year’s lineup even includes a limited-edition milk chocolate bonbon with candied orange and holiday spices, aka Christmas in a bite. The whole thing is practically pretty enough to double as decor, too. — Julie Sprankles

Now, this is the advent calendar for ME, and I will not be taking questions about it. Each door reveals a different 187ml pour — reds, whites, rosés, and bubbles — from a curated selection of wines that are actually good rather than the bottom-shelf stuff you tolerate, which means December doubles as a month-long wine discovery experience. — Katie Garrity

When I saw that IPSY’s advent calendar consisted of 25 days of beauty surprises from brands I know and love like Glow Recipe, Gisou, and more, I knew it needed to be part of our holidays this year. If you’re gifting, it’s such an easy grab for the beauty lover on your list! I also appreciate that you don’t need an IPSY membership to order one, making it a great little trial run if you’ve been on the fence about joining. — Julie Sprankles

An advent calendar that doubles as a fully stocked art supply haul? YES! Each of the 24 doors reveals a different Ohuhu art supply, including markers, colored pencils, brush pens, and more, so by Christmas she has an entire professional-quality art kit built one piece at a time. Ohuhu is a brand that serious artists actually love and recommend, which means these are not cheap throwaway supplies but tools she will actually use long after December is over. — Katie Garrity

The classic chocolate advent calendar gets a serious upgrade with Lindt. Instead of the thin, waxy chocolate squares that come with most calendars, each door reveals a Lindt Teddy Bear or other premium Lindt chocolate, which is the kind of daily December treat that actually makes the countdown feel special. It is the advent calendar that works for every age, requires zero assembly, and makes everyone in the house immediately invested in what is behind each door. Sometimes the simplest idea done really well is the best idea, and this is exactly that! — Katie Garrity

I’m clearly a sucker for a pre-filled advent calendar, but I always make room on a tabletop or my mantel for one we stock ourselves. This year, that spot belongs to this charming little house from At Home that looks like it came straight out of a Christmas village. We’re going to surround this with some greenery and twinkle lights, and I’m thinking I might fill it with a mix of candy pieces and little notes... or maybe family activities for us to do next year. — Julie Sprankles