I’ll be the first to admit I’m a bit of a Grinch, but becoming a first-time mother has helped me rediscover the magic of Christmas through my toddler’s eyes. There’s something truly special about creating new family traditions, and counting down to Christmas Day with a kids advent calendar is one of the most joyful (and yes, 2025’s most trending toys like slime and Squishmallows do feature).
Whether you’re spending quality time together building the pieces of a Lego advent calendar or opening a new book to read at bedtime, the selection of kids advent calendars for 2025 are just as enjoyable for parents as they are for children.
So if you’re planning to hoard all the chocolate for yourself, below you’ll find an epic selection of the best kids advent calendars in New Zealand for Christmas 2025.
The best kids advent calendars NZ for Christmas 2025
- The best kids stationery advent calendar (here’s why)
- The best kids Lego advent calendar (here’s why)
- The best kids DIY advent calendar (here’s why)
Typo Stationery Advent Calendar
$59.99 at Typo
The best stationery advent calendar to get kids excited about going back to school
Number of days: 12
What’s inside: Stationery essentials, including gel pens, markers, Washi tape, puffy stickers, and a journal
Ages: 3+
Lego Harry Potter Advent Calendar 2025
$59.99 at Lego
The best Lego advent calendar for witches and wizards in training, and Muggles waiting for their Hogwarts acceptance letter
Number of days: 24
What’s inside: 10 mini builds, 6 buildable figures, and 8 Lego minifigures that recreate a festive-themed scene at Hogwarts
Ages: 7+
Available at:
Jolly & Joy Christmas Advent Tree Kit
$21 at Spotlight
The best kids advent calendar for crafty creatives
Number of days: 25
What’s inside: Tree base and boxes to DIY your own advent calendar
Mestige Kids Hair Accessories Advent Calendar
$51.23 at The Iconic
The best kids advent calendar for dressing up
Number of days: 12
What’s inside: Pastel hair accessories, including clips, scrunchies, and hair ties
Ages: 3+
Available at:
Little People, Big Dreams Book Collection Advent Calendar Book Collection
The best kids advent calendar for teachable moments about resilience and kindness
Number of days: 24
What’s inside: Illustrated mini books that tell stories of trailblazers and dreamers who changed the world, including David Attenborough, Vincent van Gogh, Dwayne Johnson, Stevie Wonder and Iris Apfel
Ages: 6-8 years (reading level)
Squishmallows Micromallow Advent Calendar
The best advent calendar for a very merry Squishmas
Number of days: 12
What’s inside: Plush, festive-themed Micromallows
Ages: 3+
Personalised Christmas Advent Calendar
$71.03 at Etsy
The best personalised DIY fabric advent calendar
Number of days: 25
Slime Advent Calendar 2025
The best kids advent calendar for the slime obsessed
Number of days: 24
What’s inside: 8 pots of non-toxic coloured slime and 23 different mix-ins, including charms, sprinkles and clay slices to inspire creativity
Ages: 3+
Available at:
Thames & Kosmos STEM Science Advent Calendar
$92.65 at The Iconic
The best kids advent calendar for budding scientists who love to experiment
Number of days: 24
What’s inside: Hands-on experiments covering chemistry, biology, and physics
Ages: 8+
Available at:
- $92.65 at The Iconic
- $121.41 at Etsy
Wasgij? Christmas Reindeer Rumpus Advent Calendar Puzzle
$49.99 at Mighty Ape
The best jigsaw advent calendar for family puzzle night
Number of days: 24
What’s inside: 54-piece jigsaw puzzles
Ages: 8+
Lego Disney Frozen Advent Calendar 2025
$59.99 at Lego
The best Lego advent calendar for recreating the magic of Disney at home
Number of days: 24
What’s inside: 5 Frozen characters, 24 mini builds, and a box that doubles as a built-in game board
Ages: 5+
Available at:
Mestige Kids Unicorn Charm Bracelet Advent Calendar
$61.68 at The Iconic
The best jewellery advent calendar for kids
Number of days: 12
What’s inside: 11 Swarovski crystal-embellished charms and one 15cm charm bracelet with a 4.5cm extender
Ages: 14+
Available at:
Squishmallows Squishalongs Holiday Toy Advent Calendar
$63.57 at Selfridges
The best kids advent calendar for the Squishmallow-obsessed
Number of days: 24
What’s inside: 24 mini squish toys and 1 ring attachment
Ages: 6+
Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2025
$59.99 at Lego
The best kids activity-based advent calendar that parents can participate in too
Number of days: 24
What’s inside: Star Wars characters, droids, and mini builds that create a droidsmith workshop
Ages: 6+
Available at:
Mad Beauty Disney Stitch Beauty Advent Calendar
The best self-care advent calendar for tweens
Number of days: 24
What’s inside: Body and self-care products and accessories
Ages: 3+
What are the most popular ideas for kids’ advent calendars in NZ?
If you’re hunting for a gift that’ll make you the favourite aunt or uncle, you can’t go wrong with classic kids advent calendars filled with Lego, jigsaw puzzles, books, and stationery. In 2025, it’s also about viral toy trends – Slime and mini collectible Squishmallows are topping wishlists, and make counting down to Santa’s arrival much more exciting.
What are some educational advent calendar ideas for children?
My advice? Don’t overthink it. The truth is, kids advent calendars tick so many boxes, regardless of what’s inside. They help little ones teach practice counting, teach patience and beyond that, kids advent calendars are a holiday tradition that brings the family together. What’s inside encourages imaginative play, from dress-ups to solving puzzles.
How can I DIY an advent calendar for kids?
It’s really easy – we recommend buying a fabric advent calendar or keepsake box from Spotlight or Etsy. Or, you could repurpose your makeup advent calendar box – an excuse to treat yourself, too.
Related articles:
- The ultimate Christmas gift guide for kids
- 6 Lego advent calendars that inspire imagination and fun
- The best beauty & makeup advent calendars for Christmas 2025
