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Our teenagers may not believe in Santa any more, but there’s still something so magical about a countdown to Christmas — and who doesn’t like getting a fun little surprise every day?! That’s why advent calendars are the perfect way to build up joy all through December. It’s a memorable holiday tradition!
Whether your teen is “too old” for their favorite characters and little trinkets or still a big kid at heart, we’ve rounded up the best advent calendars for teens: from practical things they can use, like socks or skincare, to tiny toys and sweet treats, there’s something for every kind of kid. (And if your particular teen is into pampering and getting glitzy, be sure to check out our picks for the best beauty advent calendars for teens, too!)
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Uncommon Goods 24 Days of Tea Advent Calendar
For teens who love to enjoy a warm beverage, snag this tea-focused Advent calendar packed with 24 teas, ranging from Chinese black tea to Scandinavian blends with cranberry and elderflower. Make sure they have a festive mug ready!
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World Market Cookie Advent Cookbook
There’s nothing like indulging in Christmas cookies during the holiday season. That’s why the World Market Cookie Advent Cookbook is right on time for teens who love to cook. It includes 24 “crowd-pleasing” cookie recipes that make the countdown to Christmas a daily delight. The calendar is a collaboration between Barbara Grunes and Virginia Van Vynckt, who share their best holiday cookie recipes.
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Funko Pop! Advent Calendars
Image Credit: Amazon Funko Pop! figurines are a pop culture phenomenon, and whether your teen is a casual fan or a diehard collector, they’ll love Funko’s variety of advent calendars, featuring 24 unique mini figurines. We’ve highlighted Harry Potter here, but there are Funko Pop! calendars for just about every fandom: Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, Disney, Pokémon, even Five Nights at Freddy’s! They range from approximately $25 – $70.
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Investigation Advent Calendar — The Case of Nicholas Kringle
Image Credit: ColdCaseInvestigates/Etsy It’s nearing Christmastime, and charitable, friendly local Nick Kringle has gone missing. With this unique advent calendar, you can uncover new leads in a sealed envelope each day, guiding you closer to solving the crime — with witness testimonies, crime scene photos, police reports and more. Any wannabe detectives will love getting closer and closer to the truth every day leading up to Christmas!
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Williams Sonoma “Elf” Advent Calendar
Image Credit: Williams Sonoma If Elf is one of your family’s most-beloved holiday flicks, this 12-day advent calendar based on the movie is perfection. With candies, cookies, and — yes — even a little bottle of maple syrup, it’s filled with Buddy the Elf’s favorites (besides smiling, of course). The only thing missing is the World’s Best Cup of Coffee!
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12 Days of Astronaut Ice Cream
Image Credit: Uncommon Goods It doesn’t matter how old you are: there’s just something cool about space food! With this unique advent calendar from Uncommon Goods, you can enjoy 12 different flavors (chocolate! Strawberry! Bubble gum!) of astronaut ice cream.
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Christmas Bucket List Advent Calendar Activity Event Tokens
Image Credit: ChoppersFriends/Etsy Whether you’re filling your own advent calendar with these laser-cut, engraved, hand-painted experience tokens or simply drawing one out of a jar each day, this is a holiday countdown the whole family is sure to love! You get 24 Christmas-themed activities, perfect for quality family time.
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Sugarfina 12 Days of Christmas Tasting Collection
Gourmet gummies? Chocolates from around the world? With Sugarfina’s 12 Days of Christmas Tasting Collection, you’ll get 12 days of their iconic sweets — perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth!
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Williams Sonoma Grinch Advent Calendar
Image Credit: Williams Sonoma Every Who down in Whoville will delight in this advent calendar filled with sugary treats — a sweet nod (literally!) to Dr. Seuss’s iconic Christmas-ruining scoundrel.
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Pacas Sock Advent Calendar
Image Credit: Pacas Socks might not be the most exciting thing to find under the tree, but they hit different when you get a fresh pair for 12 whole days in a row leading up to Christmas! There’s nothing like a new pair of cozy socks, especially from Pacas: cushiony, breathable, supportive, and buttery soft. You’ll get 12 pairs of their bestsellers — both men’s and women’s calendars are available!
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Retro Games Coding Advent Calendar
Image Credit: Uncommon Goods Surprise your favorite tech enthusiast with a holiday countdown that combines fun and learning. Each day, they’ll unlock a new electronic challenge to build, guided by detailed diagrams. As they progress through the countdown, projects increase in complexity — but each results in an engaging game or activity like code cracker, roulette, wire maze, and more: 24 games in all.
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The Book Lover’s Advent Calendar
Image Credit: Uncommon Goods The avid reader in your life will appreciate this advent calendar designed specifically for bookworms! Every day reveals a new surprise: magnetic bookmarks, notepads, pins, stickers, ornaments, and more!
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Kiehl’s Advent Calendar
Image Credit: Kiehl's Since 1851, Kiehl’s has been helping people (of any gender!) care for their skin. This advent calendar contains 24 of their iconic customer favorites for a holiday glow-up that will last all month long. A $292 value!
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Give Them Beer Jerky Advent Calendar
Image Credit: Give Them Beer Don’t be fooled by the brand name, Give Them Beer — ’cause this beefy advent calendar is perfect for ANY jerky-lovin’ soul! It’s filled with 12 unique flavors of beef jerky.
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EXIT: The Game Advent Calendar — The Silent Storm
Image Credit: Thames & Kosmos Another unique spin on the traditional advent calendar — if solving crimes isn’t your teen’s thing, how about solving escape room-style puzzles? In the EXIT: The Game Advent Calendar (The Silent Storm), the player (or players — it’s great for one person or a group!) are trying to find Santa and escape his workshop during a nasty blizzard. Every day comes with a new riddle … and a hint book, just in case!
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