Somewhere in Australia right now, a kid is plotting to open all 24 doors on the first of December. We’ve all been there (or raised one). Thankfully, Christmas advent calendars have come a long way since the flimsy cardboard version with chocolate that tasted faintly of the box.
These days you can count down to Christmas with toys, crystals, tea, beauty products, hot chocolate, dog treats and, yes, a 35-piece impact driving bit set. Some are made for the kids. Plenty are aimed squarely at grown-ups, because Mum has been doing the Elf on the Shelf admin for years and deserves a door of her own.
With Christmas taking a sizeable bite out of the family budget, an advent calendar stretches the excitement across all of December instead of blowing it in 20 minutes on Christmas morning. We’ve rounded up our favourites for 2026. A few come with exclusive Mum Central discount codes, so check the bottom of each entry before you add to cart.
10 Christmas Advent Calendars That Are Anything But Boring
Wondertivity My First Christmas Advent Calendar
RRP: $79.95
WHERE TO BUY: Wondertivity
Starting a family Christmas tradition from scratch? This is the one to bring out every December for the next 18 years (and beyond). Wondertivity’s My First Christmas Advent Calendar is suitable from birth, handmade from felt and built to survive toddler hands, teenage eye-rolls and everything in between.
Each day your little one takes a felt ornament from its pocket and pops it onto the scene with Velcro. No chocolate. No sugar crash at 7am. It’s made from premium double-layered felt with reinforced stitching and embroidered numbers, and it’s designed right here in Australia. When December wraps up, everything packs into its own felt pouch until next year.
Here’s the bit that gets us. Snap a photo of your child beside it every Christmas and you’ll end up with a gorgeous record of them growing up. Then one day, hand it down to their own kids. Heirloom quality, reusable and a world away from the cardboard version.
MUM CENTRAL SPECIAL OFFER OFFER: 10% OFF ANY CHRISTMAS PRODUCT CODE: MUMCENTRAL EXPIRY: 20 NOVEMBER 2026
Sharing Kindness 25 Days of Crystals & Self Love Advent Calendar
RRP: $129
WHERE TO BUY: Sharing Kindness
Plot twist. This one’s for Mum. The Sharing Kindness 25 Days of Crystals & Self Love Advent Calendar is for the woman who remembers everyone’s sports uniforms, dentist appointments and teacher gifts, then forgets to buy herself so much as a coffee.
Behind each of the 25 doors is a premium crystal paired with an affirmation card. The artwork is the kicker. Each limited-edition release is a collaboration with artists including Abbie Rosie and Gingiber, and only 500 calendars are made per edition, so once they’re gone, they’re gone. Natural crystals vary in colour, shape and markings, which means no two days are quite the same.
It comes with a keepsake crystal bag and a metal clip for displaying your affirmation cards long after Christmas. Gift it to a friend who’s had a big year. Or buy it for yourself because it’s Tuesday and nobody else is going to. We won’t tell.
MUM CENTRAL SPECIAL OFFER OFFER: 15% OFF + FREE SHIPPING* CODE: SHARINGKINDNESS15 EXPIRY: 30 NOVEMBER 2026 * No minimum quantity
M&A Canine Delights Christmas Advent Calendar
RRP: $100
WHERE TO BUY: M&A Canine Delights
The kids have their chocolate calendars. The grown-ups have their crystals and serums. And the dog? Usually sitting there with sad eyes, wondering what they did wrong. Not this year.
The M&A Canine Delights Christmas Advent Calendar packs in 24 days of dog treats, so your four-legged family member gets a daily surprise too. Every treat is made from a single ingredient with no artificial additives, preservatives or fillers, which is more than we can say for half the stuff in our own pantry. M&A is an Australian-owned business based in Ballarat, Victoria, and dehydrated dog treats are its speciality.
It’s a winner for the friend whose camera roll is 90% dog photos, or any household where the pup gets its own stocking (no judgement here). One word of warning, though. Store it up high. Unless you’d like all 24 treats gone by the second of December and a very smug dog on the couch.
MUM CENTRAL SPECIAL OFFER OFFER: 5% OFF CODE: MUMCENTRAL EXPIRY: 25 NOVEMBER 2026
THE VEDAS Luxury Advent Calendar of Teas 2026
RRP: $45
WHERE TO BUY: Amazon
Some people are fussy about their tea. Properly fussy. Milk first or last, steep time, the right mug. If that sounds like someone you love (or you), THE VEDAS Luxury Advent Calendar of Teas 2026 is right up their alley.
There are 24 individually packed teas in 24 different flavours, ranging from fruity and refreshing to warm and aromatic. Each one comes in a handstitched cotton teabag, which feels a lot fancier than the box of supermarket bags lurking at the back of the cupboard. There’s a tea ritual booklet tucked inside too, plus a lucky draw for one more surprise along the way.
It arrives in a pearl-white gift box, so it looks the part under the tree with zero wrapping required. At $45, it suits teachers, colleagues, Secret Santa or the mother-in-law. And if a quiet cuppa is the only five minutes you get to yourself in December, buy one for you too.
Lindt LINDOR Chocolate Advent Calendar
RRP: $28
WHERE TO BUY: Amazon
Let’s be honest. Half the fun of an advent calendar is the chocolate, and the Lindt LINDOR Chocolate Advent Calendar doesn’t muck around. Behind each of the 24 doors is a LINDOR treat, with that smooth chocolate shell and the melting centre that makes it very hard to stop at one.
It’s the easiest win on this list at under $30. No assembly, no batteries, no tiny pieces to step on at midnight. Just good chocolate, once a day, which is about as much discipline as most of us can manage in December. (Anyone who’s ever peeled open tomorrow’s door early, we see you.)
It works brilliantly as a stocking filler, hamper addition or teacher gift, and it’s the go-to for the chocolate lover who already has everything. You could give it away. You could also hide it in your bedside drawer and enjoy it after the kids are in bed. We’re not here to tell you how to live.
Tilz Hot Chocolate Advent Calendar
RRP: $49.99
WHERE TO BUY: Amazon
December in Australia might hit 35 degrees, but plenty of mums still want a hot chocolate at 9pm once the house finally goes quiet. The Tilz Hot Chocolate Advent Calendar has 24 sachets across 12 flavours, so there’s a different mug to try each day.
Flavours include gingerbread, peppermint, caramel, hazelnut, pumpkin and double chocolate. And it doesn’t stop there. You also get three toppings (mini marshmallows, milk chocolate drops and crushed candy cane), so you can keep it simple or go full dessert-in-a-cup. Nobody’s watching.
It’s a fun gift for the hot chocolate devotee in your life, or a stash to keep in the pantry for the afternoons when December tests everyone’s patience. No crafts. No elf antics. Just heat the milk, pick a flavour and enjoy five uninterrupted minutes before someone asks where their school hat is. In the last week of Term 4, that’s about as festive as it gets.
Dumpling Advent Calendar
RRP: $24.99
WHERE TO BUY: Amazon
Santa as a dumpling. A reindeer dumpling. A snowman dumpling. Whoever pitched this idea knew exactly who they were selling to, and frankly, we’re in.
The AvviKro Christmas Squishies Advent Calendar hides 24 mini squeeze toys, each about 4cm tall, dressed up as festive dumpling characters. Every morning brings a new one to add to the collection, which gives the kids a very good reason to get out of bed without being asked twice. (Small miracles.)
At under $25, it’s the most budget-friendly pick in this roundup, and the squishies are small and colourful enough to line up on a shelf or desk. Because they’re cute rather than over-the-top Christmassy, they won’t look odd still sitting there in March.
It’s a great pick for kids who collect anything tiny and squeezable, but don’t rule out the grown-ups. We know a few adults who’d happily claim the whole set for their work desk.
The Body Shop Classic Beauty Advent Calendar
RRP: $99
WHERE TO BUY: The Body Shop
If you’ve ever stood in The Body Shop sniffing every body butter on the shelf, you’ll get the appeal straight away. The Body Shop Classic Beauty Advent Calendar packs 24 days of skincare, haircare and body care, featuring a lot of the brand’s best-known favourites.
Inside you’ll find Mango and Shea Body Butters, Satsuma and Strawberry shower gels, hand balms, lip butters and sheet masks. There’s haircare too, including Shea shampoo and conditioner. Most items are smaller sizes, which makes it a handy way to road-test products before committing to the full-size version. Or to finally settle whether you’re a Satsuma or a Strawberry person.
Here’s the number that matters. It costs $99 and the contents are valued at approximately $250. That’s a solid deal for a longtime fan, and it’s practical too. These are everyday products that’ll actually get used, well after the tree comes down and the last of the ham’s been eaten.
Amazon Beauty Advent Calendar 2026
RRP: $100
WHERE TO BUY: Amazon
If your idea of Christmas spirit involves a new serum, a decent hair mask and a lipstick you didn’t strictly need, keep reading. The Amazon Beauty Advent Calendar 2026 spreads skincare, makeup, haircare and body care across 24 doors, with a mix of cult favourites and new-to-you finds.
The brand list is seriously good. Think Paula’s Choice, CeraVe, Elizabeth Arden, OLAPLEX, Moroccanoil, LANEIGE and L’Occitane. You’ll find cleansers, serums, moisturisers, makeup, hair treatments and a few pampering extras. Sizes vary, so expect travel minis and samples alongside some bigger products.
With more than $400 worth of products for a $100 RRP, it’s the best value calendar in this roundup, on paper at least. It’s also a smart way to test-drive pricier brands before forking out for a full-size bottle. Gift it to the beauty lover in your life, or keep it for yourself and call it research. Your bathroom cabinet was due a refresh anyway.
RYOBI 2026 Advent Calendar
RRP: $79.99
WHERE TO BUY: Bunnings
Every family has one. The person who vanishes to the shed on Boxing Day and comes back three hours later having “fixed” something nobody knew was broken. The RYOBI 2026 Advent Calendar from Bunnings is for them.
Forget chocolate. This one has 63 gifts behind its doors, and every one of them is headed for the toolbox. Inside you’ll find screwdrivers, a 35-piece impact driving bit set, drilling accessories, a torpedo and line level, permanent markers and a storage bag to keep it all together. There are also five RYOBI tool keyrings (a drill, angle grinder, circular saw, chainsaw and blower), which are good fun clipped onto the ute keys.
It’s a clever pick for dads, grandads, teens getting into DIY or any mum who’s sick of waiting for someone else to hang the picture. Whether the jobs on the list ever get finished is another story. But at least nobody can blame missing drill bits.
When Do You Start an Advent Calendar?
Most advent calendars start on 1 December and count down 24 days to Christmas Eve. Some, like the Sharing Kindness calendar, have 25 doors so you get a final surprise on Christmas Day. If you’re buying for someone else, get it to them before the end of November so they don’t miss day one. (Or the kids will remind you. Loudly.)
However your family does Christmas, a small surprise each morning makes the most chaotic month of the year a bit sweeter. Pick one for the kids, one for the dog and, go on, one for yourself. You’ve earned at least one door that’s all yours.
More Great Christmas Gifts
Looking for more Christmas gift wish lists? Check out our other 2026 Christmas Gift Guides:
- Christmas 2026: Gifts for Big Kids
- Christmas 2026: Gifts for Little Kids
- Christmas 2026: Gifts for Babies
- Christmas 2026: Gifts for Toddlers
- Christmas 2026: Gifts for Families – COMING SOON
- Christmas 2026: Gifts for Teens and Tweens – COMING SOON
- Christmas 2026: Gifts for Adults – COMING SOON
- Christmas 2026: Gifts Under $50 – COMING SOON
Our Christmas Advent Calendar Roundup is a sponsored editorial, where we handpick and collaborate with brands we genuinely admire to bring you the latest trends. If you’re interested in joining our future editions, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
