Twenty-four presents before Christmas sounds magical.
It also sounds like quite a lot of presents.
Luckily, toddlers don’t need 24 new things to understand that something exciting is getting closer.
A song counts. A story counts. Christmas lights count.
At this age, the ritual can be the present.
What makes a good toddler countdown?
Keep it:
Simple. One little surprise each day.
Visual. Let them see Christmas getting closer.
Repeatable. Remember, you’re doing this 24 times.
Age appropriate. Tiny calendar doors encourage tiny objects, and tiny objects aren’t automatically appropriate for tiny children.
Always check the age recommendation on anything you include.
Non-chocolate advent calendar ideas
Instead of daily sweets, try a mixture of:
- Stickers
- Colouring activities
- Christmas songs
- Family activities
- Books
- Decorations
- Age-appropriate little toys
- Notes telling them what you’re doing that day
Not every door needs an object.
In fact, we rather like the ones that don’t. If you do want to fill every door, our advent calendar fillers post has ideas that actually fit inside one.
Also Read:
Low-waste activities that work as countdown slips.
Advent activities for kids instead of daily gifts
Write simple activities on slips of paper.
Try:
Wear Christmas pyjamas tonight.
Read a Christmas story.
Go and find the Christmas lights.
Make a card for someone.
Have a picnic under the tree.
Take your Dinkum on a Christmas adventure.
That’s an advent calendar with almost no clutter at all.
A book countdown
Wrap books, borrow them from the library or simply choose one from the shelf each evening.
They don’t need to be new.
The ritual is choosing one and reading it together.
Toy advent calendars for under-3s
Be particularly careful with small objects.
A toy being small enough to fit into an advent-calendar drawer doesn’t mean it’s suitable for a child under three.
Check every item’s individual age guidance.
For younger toddlers, larger age-appropriate surprises can sit beside the calendar rather than inside it. Our Dinky Dinkums and bag charms work for this, with the usual age checks.
Also Read:
For the presents that go under the tree.
Holiday countdown ideas that aren’t a calendar at all
You don’t need a calendar to count down. Some of the best versions are things you make on the first of the month and barely touch again.
No calendar?
Make a paper chain with 24 loops and remove one each morning.
Or draw 24 stars and colour one in each day.
Make your own advent calendar is our full DIY version, if you would rather build than buy.
Toddlers mostly want to know:
Is Christmas today?
This gives you something more useful to say than “not yet”.
When to start your countdown
Most countdowns begin on 1 December and run to Christmas Eve, which is 24 days.
There’s no rule, though. Some families count the last twelve days, which is far more manageable with a toddler’s sense of time. Twenty-four days is a very long wait when you’re three.
Little surprises for the countdown
FIND LITTLE DECEMBER SURPRISES
Toddler advent calendar FAQs
What can I put in an advent calendar for a toddler?
Try age-appropriate little toys, books, stickers or activity notes. A Christmas song, story or trip to see the lights can be just as exciting as something wrapped.
Are toy advent calendars suitable for children under three?
Not all of them. Many contain small parts that may present a choking hazard. Always check the age recommendation and warnings for each item rather than relying on the calendar's overall theme.
What can I use instead of chocolate in a toddler advent calendar?
Books, activities, stickers, colouring and little surprises are all lovely alternatives. You could even fill the calendar with 24 things to do together.
Does a toddler need 24 advent calendar presents?
Absolutely not. At this age, opening a door or removing a paper-chain link can be exciting enough. The countdown is part of the magic.