Peppermints (for a bit of extra magic, place them in cute little bags and call them “candy cane seeds”)

Another beautiful calendar from Rituals, this Christmas Tree design is gorgeous and the advent calendar is a really indulgent treat for teens. It comes pre-wrapped in a luxurious blue box, complete with a ribbon, making it an ideal gift. Inside you can expect 24 little Rituals products, including gel-to-foam shower foam, body cream, and hand lotion. Washable paint (split up the set and give your child one bottle per day—you can even plan a specific craft to make with each one!)

Rituals Advent Calendar, £101

We were given this advent calendar by Lakeland Limited more than 12 years ago. We passed it along to a friend of the family and it’s still brought out every year in their house, and looks good as new. While there are lots of advent calendar gift ideas in this article that DON’T involve candy, we thought we’d start with the classics. And if ever you don’t have any young kids at home and you’d rather look at gift ideas for pre-teens, teens or grown-ups… keep on reading! Not only can many of these ideas be used for teenagers and adults as well, but we’ve also got lots of suggestions that are specifically aimed at those age groups further down in the article. Food & Drinks

Miniature hair brush (consider getting a Wet Brush Pro if your toddler’s hair is difficult to untangle) Board game pieces (spread out the pieces and play the game together once all of them have been collected) Travel game set (choose a small set or spread out the pieces of a larger one over several days or weeks and play the game together once all the pieces have been collected!) Do you have a baby, toddler, preschool-aged or elementary school-aged boy or girl living at home? Whether you’re looking for baby advent calendar fillers or advent calendar ideas for older kids, you’ll definitely find what you’re looking for in this list! Puzzle pieces (choose a small puzzle or spread out the pieces of a larger one over several days or weeks and make the puzzle together once all the pieces have been collected)Not a Guardians fan? Your teen might like this cute festive Harry Potter LEGO calendar, or how about Star Wars LEGO? It’s a lovely, substantial gift that could be shared between teens, and isn’t quite as eye wateringly expensive as some of the premium beauty calendars. No artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. Great for feeding alongside a healthy, balanced diet.

At 18, my daughter is too old for those advent calendars, but still too young for the thousands of gin/wine/beer themed advents. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to help her celebrate the countdown to Christmas with her own advent calendar! So what are the best advent calendars for teens in 2023? Perhaps you’re not a fan of the ingredients that go into the tiny chocolates in store-bought calendars (or your kids have food intolerances like ours do, and they can’t eat them anyway).Note: I’ve included a few ideas above to get you started, but it would be impossible to name everything since there are SO many different things your child could be interested in. Lean into their interests and be creative—the sky is the limit! DIY Small plastic toys and figurines (our local dollar store has tiny dinosaur figures that would work really well for this) What do you fill a DIY advent calendar with? Chocolates and candy, of course—or perhaps some healthy alternatives like nuts or herbal tea sachets! While these calendars are suitable for most pets, please remember to read all ingredients before giving them to your furry friends in case of any allergies or intolerances. Want personalised gift recommendations for your pet?