This advent calendar has 24 items which I approve of – because so many advent calendars for teens only have 12 doors. Inside this Nivea advent calendar, teens will find body lotion, serum and shea butter, a range of lip balms, along with micellar water, cleansing wipes and a host of accessories. There is also an Nivea advent calendar for the teen boys in your family. Cupcake liners (consider getting ones with colourful designs, Christmas-themed ones that you can use for your holiday baking, or a set of zero-waste silicone liners that can be reused again and again) Small plastic toys and figurines (our local dollar store has tiny dinosaur figures that would work really well for this) 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. 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.

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? 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!) Which one to get, though, can be a difficult decision. You could go with a traditional chocolate advent calendar, which gives them a momentary sugar rush. Or you can give them an advent calendar filled with toys, which could last until the holiday decorations are put away. Even narrowing it down to toy advent calendars, kids are spoiled for choice: There are advent calendars for everything from LEGO and Barbie to squishies, fidgets and slime. Here, some of t he best advent calendars for kids. Puffy paint ( this set includes classic, metallic, glitter, neon and glow-in-the-dark—just split it up and give your child one or two bottles per day!)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

Magnetic letters (include a few different letter-shaped magnets and make your child decipher the secret message!) 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! Keys (either decorative/themed, or one that opens something for added fun—perhaps it could be the start to a Christmas scavenger hunt!)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!)

Like lots of teenage girls, my daughter loves scented candles! She usually has several on the go in her bedroom, with another set of candles for the bathroom. So I love the idea of this Yankee Candle advent calendars for teenage girls. 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. 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).

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It’s not always easy to find something that’s different but aesthetic but also cool for teenagers. But I think this advent calendar hits the mark.

Miniature hair brush (consider getting a Wet Brush Pro if your toddler’s hair is difficult to untangle)

Kawaii Advent Calendar, £23

Board game pieces (spread out the pieces and play the game together once all of them have been collected)