We often lament the loss of our childhood experience of Christmastime, as we look back at old snapshots of our beaming younger selves opening presents under bustling green trees strung with tinsel and fairy lights. Yet that magic needn’t be lost, and re-gaining that festive spirit simply requires a shift in attitude. Haven’t you ever seen Will Ferrell’s Elf?
Whether you have children in your life or simply want to spruce up your Christmas this year, there are a variety of lovely ways to do it. From sprinkling faux snowy footprints onto the floor on Xmas eve so it feels like Santa truly has arrived, to baking Christmas-themed cookies and filling stockings with oodles of fun goodies – the opportunities are truly endless.
However, there’s one basic edible Christmas accessory that all festive fiends should have: the humble chocolate-filled advent calendar. There’s truly nothing that builds excitement quite like a good old-fashioned countdown. Kiddos don’t tend to need opulent and uber-expensive options either; they’re usually delighted enough by the opportunity to eat a piece of chocolate every day for an entire month.
One thing is for sure, don’t purchase your kiddo a dark chocolate advent calendar unless you want to be deemed a regular Grinch for the rest of time. From classic offerings from the likes of Lindt and Cadbury to the odd toy-filled calendar for the sugar-averse, keep scrolling for a selection of the best advent calendars for kits to celebrate Christmas 2024 right.
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Hotel Chocolat Up to Snow Good Children’s Advent Calendar
Hotel Chocolat always has a fabulous kids’ offering for the festive season, and this year’s advent calendar is no different. It includes 24 adorable little milk chocolate penguins, snowmen and Santas with lovely countdown messages and an oversized delight to enjoy on Christmas Eve.
Buy now £8.95, Hotel Chocolat
Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2024 Building Toy Set
No matter your age, Lego never gets old. There’s something strangely Christmassy about Star Wars, and this miniature-filled Lego advent calendar is sure to delight adults and children alike during the festive countdown.
Buy now £30.00, Argos
Bluey S7 Christmas Surprise Advent Calendar
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, nothing seems to get kids quite as excited as the Australian hit kids’ show Bluey. Though not filled with chocolate, this adorable advent calendar is filled to the brim with lovely Bluey figurines which come together to create a festive scene.
Buy now £25.00, Argos
Fortnum's Children's Chocolate Advent Calendar
Designed and curated with little ones in mind, Fortnum’s Children’s advent is a chocolate-filled dreamscape. It’s filled with 25 milk chocolates, including an extra-special, extra-large bar to enjoy on Christmas day.
Buy now £25.95, F&M
Harrods Chocolate Advent Calendar
Count on Harrods to produce one of the most beautifully designed chocolate advents we’ve ever come across for Christmas 2024. Behind each festive door is a selection of solid milk and white chocolates adorned with an adorable Harrods bear.
Buy now £20.00, Harrods
Venchi Prestige Chocolate Advent Calendar
An investment in chocolate-fuelled luxury, this opulent advent by Venchi is part-calendar, part-puzzle. It includes 25 of Venchi’s finest chocolates (because bonus treats shouldn’t be controversial) which are placed in interchangeable boxes that can be moved around to create different festive scenes.
Buy now £75.00, Harvey Nichols
Cadbury Heroes Christmas Advent-ure Calendar
Classic Cadbury Heroes are a Christmas staple. Sorry, we don’t make the rules. This advent calendar is sure to be a December crowd-pleaser thanks to favourites such as Twirls, Eclairs and Wispas.
Buy now £13.82, Amazon
Ferrero Rocher Collection Advent Calendar
Complete with all the nutty delights which make up the entire Ferrero collection (including the perennially under-appreciated Rafaello), this advent calendar certainly looks and tastes the part.
Buy now £24.99, Selfridges
Milkybar White Chocolate Christmas Advent Calendar
Cheap, cheerful and always delicious, a Milkybar white chocolate advent calendar is a fan-favourite for a reason. The bite-size pieces are perfect for sweet-toothed little ones.
Buy now £2.50, Amazon
Ombar Vegan Chocolate Christmas Advent Calendar
Complete with a variety of plant-based, festive chocolate delights, the true prize in this brilliant vegan advent calendar is the extra-large spiced orange and hazelnut truffle bar.
Buy now £14.99, Amazon
Celebrations Chocolate Christmas Advent Calendar
Let’s be real, Christmas isn’t Christmas without a box of Celebrations. We love the fact that with this beloved advent, you get a different chocolatey surprise every day until Christmas morning. We’ve got our fingers crossed for extra Maltesers Teasers.
Buy now £6.00, Ocado
Baci Chocolate Christmas Advent Calendar
Baci chocolate is a sorely underrated advent option to enjoy this Christmas. Like Nutella in solid form, each chocolate is delightfully hazelnutty and goes wonderfully with a morning brew.
Buy now £20.00, Amazon
Galaxy Smooth Milk Chocolate Christmas Advent Calendar
Gloriously smooth and moreish Galaxy chocolate is always a winner among the kiddos over the festive period. Treat them to their all-time favourite for a classic Christmas countdown this year.
Buy now £2.75, Amazon
Reese's Advent Calendar
The peanut butter-filled American delight is officially available in advent calendar form, giving us Reese’s obsessives an excuse to enjoy a chocolatey cup every day in December. The selection includes both milk and white chocolate cups.
Buy now £6.50, Ocado
M&S Where’s Wally Advent Calendar
A chocolatey advent but make it an optical illusion. M&S has decided to make finding those precious dates even harder with this ingenious Where’s Wally calendar which is filled with 24 festive milk chocolate shapes.
Buy now £2.75, Ocado
Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme Advent Calendar
Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme chocolate is a classic white chocolate filled with mouth-watering cookie crumbles. We love the festive polar bear on the front of this value-for-money option.
Buy now £6.50, Ocado
Cadbury Dairy Milk Advent Calendar
You simply can’t go wrong with a classic Cadbury’s advent calendar. Weighing in at a whopping 340g, you’re certainly getting bang for your buck with this delicious box of treats. You’ll be more chocolate than human come Christmas.
Buy now £10.00, Cadbury
Kinder Bueno Advent Calendar
That’s right, the irresistible chocolate hazelnut and wafer-coated treat has been wrapped up, especially for Christmas. With a 50/50 mixture of white and milk chocolate Kinder Bueno minis, there’s always a 100 per cent chance of pure chocolatey bliss.
Buy now £11.00, Boots
Lindt Teddy 3D chocolate advent calendar 310g
Who says the classic Lindt teddy advent calendar is just for kids? We, for one, would adore being greeted by this teddy's smiling face every morning as we count down to Christmas. The sumptuous, creamy chocolates hidden within also help.
Buy now £24.06, Amazon
Tony's Chocolonely Countdown Calendar
Tony’s Chocolonely has become a cult chocolate brand, and has certainly taken Gen Z by storm. Enjoy a selection of the most delicious flavours to come from the fresh brand, including a classic milk chocolate hazelnut, as well as a milk chocolate almond honey nougat. Suitable for families as well as the chocolonely this Christmas.
Buy now £16.00, Boots
Candy Kittens Advent Calendar
We know we’re cheating by including a non-chocolate advent calendar in this round-up, but we couldn’t resist the pull of this extravagant gourmet advent calendar from Candy Kittens. Filled to the brim with delicious, fizzy flavours from the brand’s addictive range, you’ll get a sweet treat every day for 24 days.
Buy now £12.00, Amazon
Bonne Maman Advent Calendar
Not quite chocolate but a sweet treat that kids (and parents) will drool over, Bonne Maman has launched an advent calendar hiding mini jars of flavoured jams behind each door. Will it be Purple Fig with Cinnamon, Pear and Cocoa Conserve, Coffee Caramel and Chestnut Honey Conserve? You’ll just have to wait to see…
Every Advent Calendar purchased from the Bonne Maman website will also receive a complimentary limited edition Christmas jar of Hazelnut Chocolate Spread, embellished with a lovely festive design.
Buy now £30.10, Amazon
"Sleeps Until Christmas" Advent Lapland UK
This magical children’s advent calendar by Lapland UK features a daily chocolate ‘jingle’ coin with a magical Augmented Reality ‘Elfie’ moment to be revealed each day. It’s also equipped with a Sleeps Until Christmas countdown clock, and a secret solve to puzzle to solve. What’s more, Father Christmas has hidden a few Golden Invitations to Lapland inside a lucky few calendars. Will it be you? Only one way to find out...
Buy now £39.95, Lapland
CoComelon Advent Calendar
Treat your CoComelon-obsessed little one to a themed advent calendar this Christmas, and enjoy an array of interactive activities including songs, stories, colouring-in, and so much more.
Buy now £12.99, Amazon
