We had Advent calendars each year when my kids were growing up, and now I use Advent calendars with my grandkids. Advent calendars are wonderful ways to mark the days before Christmas and can be used to focus on a variety of skills as well. Today, I’m sharing some of my favorites. Many of them can be used each year. Just choose the type that works best for your family.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links (at no cost to you).
Note: These are not all the Advent calendars I love but, they’re some of my favorites. Check that a particular Advent calendar can be shipped to your country. Also, if you like a specific religious Advent calendar but prefer a secular one, check the supplier on Amazon or Etsy. Often there’s a similar secular version.
I’m sharing Advent calendars here that are less than $100 … most are much less. If you have a larger budget, you might want to check out some of the gorgeous wood Advent calendars on Etsy. You’ll just need to be aware of where they’re shipped from and when they are expected to arrive if you want one for this Christmas.
Secular Advent Calendars
Schleich Farm World Advent Calendar
Advent Calendar – Wool Felt Stars and Playsilk, Waldorf Inspired Advent Spiral
Advent Calendar – Wool Felt Stars and Playsilk, Waldorf Inspired Advent Spiral: This is a lovely idea that encourages creativity and includes a playsilk that could be used after Advent.
Waldorf Advent or Birthday Spiral: This is gorgeous! It comes from Germany, so (depending on where you live) you might not be able to get it for the whole month of December.
If you like the Waldorf Advent spirals, check out the other Waldorf Advent spirals on Etsy, too. They’re a lovely concept!
Melissa and Doug Countdown to Christmas Wooden Advent Calendar with 25 Magnets
Melissa and Doug Countdown to Christmas Wooden Advent Calendar with 25 Magnets: This can be a fun tabletop tree for a young children and serve as an Advent calendar at the same time.
SAND MINE Countdown to Christmas Wooden Advent Calendar (24 Drawers)
SAND MINE Countdown to Christmas Wooden Advent Calendar (24 Drawers): I love the little drawers on this calendar. I don’t use drawers on Advent calendars for candy. We’ve used them for small Christmas tree decorations or miniature language objects. You could even have little papers in each drawer for your child to read and go on a scavenger hunt to find the object.
Note: Some reviewers had trouble with theirs being damaged in shipping. I’m hoping that problem has been corrected.
Christmas Loose Parts Advent Calendar: If you like loose parts play, you might like this for your toddler. It would be fabulous for fine motor development and sensory experiences. There are some small pieces, so it’s designed for a toddler or preschooler who doesn’t mouth objects.
LEGO City Advent Calendar Building Kit
LEGO Advent Calendars: While LEGO bricks are plastic, they’re wonderful for encouraging STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) skills as well as creative thinking and open-ended play. Most Montessori families I know love them.
Religious Advent Calendars
Tidings of Joy Fabric Advent Calendar
Tidings of Joy Fabric Advent Calendar: This is the Advent calendar I have for my grandchildren as older babies and toddlers. I like that I can hang it from the side of our Learning Tower. I’ve removed the smaller pieces, such as the doves, lambs, and baby Jesus (who will arrive on Christmas Eve) because they could be a choking hazard. And I definitely recommend closely supervising a child who mouths objects if they use this. For little ones, I don’t worry about which day of December it is with an Advent calendar. I simply allow free play. I do often tell the child what each object is as they pick it up. Sometimes I’ll tell a short version of the Nativity.
Faith Based Felt Christmas Tree- Advent Calendar: This is a fun idea for toddlers and preschoolers and is an activity they can do over and over again. You can get it with or without the felt calendar with pockets. There’s a secular version available also.
Kurt Adler Wooden Nativity Advent Calendar with 24 Magnetic Pieces
Kurt Adler Wooden Nativity Advent Calendar with 24 Magnetic Pieces: Again, I love the little drawers … and the knobs that are so good for work on the pincer grasp.
Wooden Christmas Nativity Scene from ClassicAdvent on Etsy: This wooden Nativity Advent calendar is lovely! Unfortunately, it won’t arrive in time for the beginning of Advent this year. But you might want to plan ahead for next year if it’s the one you want as a family tradition.
Holy Family Jumbo Advent Calendar
Holy Family Jumbo Advent Calendar: If you’d like a cardstock-like Advent calendar with windows and scripture underneath, this is my favorite. It’s stunning!
DIY Advent Calendars
Of course, you don’t need to purchase your Advent calendar if you prefer a DIY version. That can be extra special. If you’d like a DIY Advent calendar, you’ll find lots of ideas in these posts:
December Family Activities (Image: Only 24 Gummi Days Till Christmas by Jackie at Flickr Creative Commons)
50+ December Family Activities
40+ Christmas Countdown Activities
Christmas Countdown Activities {with Lots of Free Printables}
All My Gift Guides
You’ll find some of my favorite Montessori toys for babies and toddlers, featuring a number of toys from For Small Hands in my Best Gifts for Kids: Montessori-Friendly Baby and Toddler Toys.
You can find some of my favorite books for babies … available on Amazon here: Montessori-Friendly Books for Babies {Gift Guide}
You can find some of my favorite CDs for babies and toddlers here: Favorite CDs for Babies and Toddlers {Gift Guide}
If you’re looking for Montessori-friendly toys that will be appealing to toddlers 15-36 months old, they’re in my Best Gifts for Kids: Montessori-Friendly Toys for Toddlers.
If you have a preschooler, don’t miss this: Best Gifts for Kids: Montessori-Friendly Toys for Preschoolers.
Gift Guide: The Best Classic Children’s Books for Preschoolers has some of my favorite books.
You’ll find lots of ideas for Montessori homeschoolers here: Gift Guide for Montessori Homeschoolers
Favorite Shelves, Trays, Baskets and More for Montessori Homeschoolers {Gift Guide} has more ideas for Montessori homeschoolers.
Favorite Handmade Learning Materials for Preschoolers from Etsy {Gift Guide} has lots of absolutely gorgeous materials.
You’ll find lots of Montessori-friendly Advent calendars here: Favorite Montessori-Friendly Advent Calendars {Gift Guide}.
You’ll find lots of special gift ideas in The Best Gifts for Montessori Teachers.
PREPARING MONTESSORI SPACES IN YOUR HOME
See “How to Create a Montessori-Friendly Home” for ideas for a number of levels. Here are some of my main home environment posts here:
- How to Prepare a Montessori Baby Room at Home (roundup post)
- How to Prepare a Montessori Toddler Environment at Home (roundup post)
- Preparing a Montessori Newborn Baby Space at Home
- How to Use Montessori Mobiles to Encourage a Newborn Baby’s Development and Delight
- Preparing a Montessori Baby Space with Shelves at Home
- Preparing a Montessori Baby Space in Your Living Room
- Preparing a Montessori Baby-Toddler Space at Home
- Preparing Montessori Toddler Spaces at Home (includes my Montessori toilet learning setup)
- How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 2 Year Old
- How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 2½ Year Old
- How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 3 Year Old
- How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 3½ Year Old
- How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 4 Year Old
- How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 4½ Year Old
- How to Prepare Montessori Shelves for a 5 Year Old
- How to Prepare Themed Montessori Shelves
- How to Prepare a Montessori Home Environment for Afterschooling
- Create an Attractive Home Environment from Montessori at Home!
- How to Set Up a Montessori Homeschool Classroom
- How to Prepare Montessori Homeschool Spaces for Babies through First Graders
- How to Prepare a Montessori Space in Your Living Room for Toddlers Through Early Elementary
Learn more about my eBook Montessori at Home or School: How to. Teach Grace and Courtesy!
The Montessori at Home! eBook and Montessori at Home! eBook and Materials Bundle are AMAZING resources! You can learn more about them here. Buy them in the Living Montessori Now shop.
If this is your first time visiting Living Montessori Now, welcome! If you haven’t already, please join us on our Living Montessori Now Facebook page where you’ll find a Free Printable of the Day and lots of inspiration and ideas for parenting and teaching! And please follow me on Pinterest (lots of Montessori-, holiday-, and theme-related boards), Instagram, and YouTube. You can find me on bloglovin’ and Twitter, too.
And don’t forget one of the best ways to follow me by signing up for my weekly newsletter. You’ll receive some awesome freebies in the process!
2018 Montessori Series: Gift Guides
This post is part of the 2018 Montessori Series. This month, we’re sharing our gift guides! Here are some other gift guides from fabulous bloggers:
- The Best Christmas Gift Guides for the Montessori-Friendly Family | The Natural Homeschool
- Favorite Montessori-Friendly Advent Calendars {Gift Guide} | Living Montessori Now
- Our Montessori Friendly Christmas List 2018 | The Kavanaugh Report
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