The Best Advent Calendars for 2-3 Year Old Boys
There’s something magical about advent calendars when you’re a kid. Each little door or drawer holds a tiny surprise, counting down to the ultimate celebration. For a 2- or 3-year-old, it’s pure joy—a daily spark of excitement and a memory-making tradition that sets the tone for the season.
This year, we’ve done the research (and tested a few ourselves!) to find advent calendars that are perfect for little boys bursting with curiosity and energy, because that’s exactly the era of life that we’re in ourselves with my son.
Our list is packed with engaging options that are fun, creative, and sure to bring smiles. Here are 10 of the best advent calendars for 2-3-year-olds:
1. Hot Wheels Advent Calendar
This calendar is a treasure trove for car lovers. Each day, your little one gets a new Hot Wheels vehicle or accessory—think cones, ramps, and little track pieces. By Christmas morning, they’ll have a full set to zoom around.
And if you’re ready to go big, pair this with the Hot Wheels Mega Garage for the ultimate unboxing experience on the 25th. Imagine their face lighting up when they see their cars racing through loops and battling a giant shark!
This is what we decided to do this Christmas. Each time we go to a kid’s club at a resort, he finds the Hot Wheels ultimate garage and plays with it the whole time. It’s the perfect activity for a toddler watching the cars racing by, repeat, repeat.
2. Children Around the World Advent Calendar
Our little traveler has been fortunate to travel to many places, and he’s just starting to sense that the places he’s going are far from home, and may have different customs, some of which he loves and blossoms in.
Whether kids are well traveled or not, they will probably love learning more about other kids around the world. Each day, open a new envelope to meet a new friend and learn how they celebrate holidays. This is a great activity for learning and reading together.
3. Kiwico Santa’s Village Build
This is such an adorable idea for activity time, quiet time, and sensory time all at once. Help your toddler unwrap an activity for each day, then build a new part of Santa’s village each day leading up to Christmas.
The building pieces are simple enough that they can ‘help’ you, and engage in pretend play after you build. Note kids would have to be much older to actually construct the pieces, so this could be a great sibling activity as well.
4. National Geographic Dinosaur Advent Calendar
Dino fans, this one’s for you! Each door hides some kind of dinosaur and an excavation kit. You’ll get 13 dinosaur figurines, plus 24 dinosaur activities. It’s the perfect thing to look forward to each evening for a dinosaur obsessed toddler.
5. Play-Doh Advent Calendar
What’s better than Play-Doh? Play-Doh every day! This calendar is filled with mini tubs and molds for creating festive shapes like snowmen and candy canes. It’s hands-on fun that lets your little one create, squish, and imagine to their heart’s content. Recommended for ages 3+.
6. Fairy Mushroom Advent Calendar
This advent calendar made me gasp when I first came across it. It’s just so cute and sweet, and for any kids who love a little magic and make believe, this is a fun way to celebrate fairies and nature together.
Each day you’ll get a simple new fairy or mushroom to build, until you’ve got a little fairy party in your magical forest. Great for imaginative open ended play, and nice to look at, too.
7. Thomas & Friends MINIS Advent Calendar
For train enthusiasts, this Thomas & Friends calendar delivers a new mini train every day, including festive designs like candy stripes and Santa hats. By the end, they’ll have an adorable fleet of trains for imaginative adventures.
My son is absolutely obsessed with his Thomas the train set at home, and these minis would make the perfect little travel toy bag to have the spirit of his trains without the heaviness of the wood or impracticability of traveling with wooden track. Recommended for ages 3+ due to small parts.
8. Fill-your-own Wooden Tree
Want to put your own twist on the tradition with a timeless piece that not only looks beautiful, but will inspire the tradition of the advent calendar year after year?
This beautiful wooden tree from Neiman Marcus has a wooden cup for each of the 24 days that you can fill with whatever you wish – candy, coins, money, chocolate, small toys, or anything your child is into that year.
Why We Love Advent Calendars for Toddlers
Advent calendars are more than just a daily treat—they’re an opportunity to create a tradition filled with wonder and anticipation. At this age, kids are discovering the joy of surprises and learning to play with new toys in creative ways. Each of these calendars offers something unique, from hands-on building to storytelling and imaginative play.
For us, the Hot Wheels Advent Calendar, in particular, adds an extra layer of excitement when paired with the Hot Wheels Ultimate Garage on Christmas morning. It’s not just a gift—it’s the culmination of a month of fun, building up to a truly memorable holiday moment.
