Fabulous advent calendar fillers for toddlers & pre-schoolers. Sprinkle magic as your little one discovers the wonder of Christmas.
Your little one is just starting to discover the wonder of Christmas; what an exciting time! We’ve gathered together a whole host of festive treats to help sprinkle plenty of Christmas cheer through December.
As well as sharing our favourite advent calendar filler ideas for toddlers and pre-schoolers, we have lots of ideas for fun activities to enjoy together. It can be great fun to link a treat to an activity and inspire an advent countdown full of magical memories. e.g. a cookie cutter for bake cookies day, or a Christmas story for a snuggle on the sofa.
Scroll down for all the details and links. Happy Browsing!
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- Christmas book. You cannot go wrong with a snuggle and read! And there’s so many fabulous Christmas books for toddlers to discover and enjoy together. A favourite advent calendar gift idea for good reason!
- Bubbles. Hours of entertainment and the perfect size for an advent calendar pocket! I always had bubbles on hand when my boys were toddlers!
- Balloons. Just a couple of simple balloons can be enough to brighten your toddler’s day.
- Finger puppets. Great for story telling and imaginative play, go with your toddler’s favourite theme or lean into the season and get some Christmas finger puppets. Buy a set of 5 and spread them out across several days.
- Musical instruments. We all know how much our toddlers love making a noise! 😉 So what about a musical instrument to help them out? Rattles, castanets, mini drums, you name it. If it makes a sound, it’ll hit the mark!
- Jingle bells. Following on from the above, what about giving your toddler a set of jingle bells? The ultimate Christmas music maker. This would be a brilliant advent calendar gift idea for Christmas Eve!
- Woolly hat. Keep little heads warm on winter walks!
- Christmas socks. A classic!
- Hair clips. What about a cute little Christmas hair clip?
- Slippers. Or slipper socks. The more festive the better!
- Gloves. Ideal if you’re expecting snow or have a magical winter adventure planned.
- Christmas pyjamas. Yes this is quite a big one for the advent calendar. But giving Christmas PJs early in the season will ensure your little one gets the most out of them. It could be a fun larger gift for December 1st.
- Christmas Decoration. Whether there’s a special family ornament that can be kept aside to share in the advent calendar or you want to add a new one to the collection, a Christmas decoration is the ideal advent calendar filler!
- Cuddly toy. Who doesn’t want a cuddly Christmas bear or other snuggly festive cutey in their lives?!
- Christmas crockery. We’re thinking melamine or bamboo here not necessarily ceramic. But what fun to have a special Christmas plate or bowl to use over the advent countdown.
- Christmas spoon. And along the same lines, if you’re looking for something slightly smaller, a special Christmas spoon to use could be a fun option.
- Cookie cutter or sprinkles. Perfect for a let’s bake Christmas cookies activity!
- Toy pull-back or metal diecast car. Great for any young motoring enthusiasts and a perfect advent calendar size.
- Little wooden train. More into trains? No problem – a little wooden train is a great option too, especially if you’re adding to an existing set.
- Christmas puzzle. This is a cute one to play with over and again during the Christmas season.
- Stickers. An easy winner, whether Christmassy or just any stickers you fancy!
- Doll’s accessories. You may not want to stretch to a new doll itself but an accessory or new outfit could make an ideal advent calendar filler.
- Ball. Again another easy win. Bouncy, squishy, brightly coloured. Perfect for lots of fun game play.
- Festive wind-up toys. The kind you get in crackers – they can provide no end of entertainment!
- Light-Up Christmas spinner. A great one for brightening up dark December mornings!
- Playdough. Whether some homemade dough or storebought, it’s an instant activity to enjoy.
- Bath crayons. Up the ante on bathtime fun.
- Bath squirter. Speaking of which, what about a Christmas bath squirter too?
- Christmas rubber duck. Who doesn’t need a rubber duck Santa in their life?!
- Christmas flannel. Just before we leave bathtime, what about a festive flannel, especially if it’s one of those ones that magically unfolds as you place it in the water.
- Rainmaker. Ok, we may have enough outside the window in the winter but a mini rainmaker is sure to be a hit in the advent calendar too!
- Plantable book. A book made from seedpaper! Read it over Christmas and plant it in the new year.
- Road tape. Create a new road around the house for your little one to enjoy with some road tape.
- Kaleidoscope. Shine a little light on the Christmas countdown with a classic kaleidoscope.
- Christmas Tonies. If your toddler has a Tonies box (or equivalent), adding a Christmas Tonies character and story to their collection would make a fabulous advent calendar filler. I wish these had been around when my boys were younger -they are just fabulous!
- Crayons. Keep it simple and add a few crayons to the advent calendar one day. Print out some free Christmas colouring sheets for them to enjoy.
- Toy animals. Perfect for any young animal lovers. Perhaps add some polar pals or a reindeer to their collection!
- Christmas Game. What about an age-appropriate festive game to enjoy together over the Christmas countdown? We’re big fans of Orchard Toys and their Pigs in Blankets game would be ideal.
Edible Fillers For Your Toddler’s Advent Calendar
Of course you might want to include a few tasty treats in your little one’s advent calendar. Here’s a few suggestions to consider:
- Chocolate coin. The classic!
- Chocolate Christmas decorations. One to enjoy and some to hang together on the tree.
- An orange (or clementine).
- Packet of raisins.
- Mini packet of Christmas cookies.
- A gingerbread cookie. Another classic festive flavour.
- Hot chocolate sachet. Perfect for an extra special Christmas breakfast.
Tips For Adding Larger Gifts To Advent Calendars
It’s the question I get the most. What do I do when the boxes of the advent calendar are so tiny that I can barely fit anything inside?!
I completely understand – maybe you’ve got an heirloom advent calendar you want to use, or fell in love with one with smaller boxes or pockets, but now you’re wondering how to fill it without driving yourself insane or being too repetitive.
Here’s a few suggestions:
1. Put a note in your advent calendar telling your little one where they might like to go and look (e.g. on the front door mat, under their bed, behind the sofa, etc.)
2. Make it into a treasure hunt with clues as to where their treat might be hiding. It’s an extension of the idea above but makes the countdown even more magical.
3. For little ones instead of writing a clue, you could take a photo of the place where the gift is hiding for them to go and seek.
4. Add a little something each day which fits in the advent calendar so you still get to use it. Then place a special box, piece of fabric, or bag alongside which is magically refilled overnight with a larger treat.
And if you’re in the market for a new calendar, we’ve got a few recommendations of favourite practical refillable advent calendars for you to explore.
How To Manage The Cost
With 24 little treats to add, it’s all too easy for the costs to mount up. Trust me, I know – I make advent calendars for every member of my family! But do remember that you don’t need to ‘go large’ every day. Intersperse bigger gifts with thoughtful messages, chocolates, and homemade gifts. We’ve got plenty more tips and tricks for refillable advent calendars to help you prepare.
Other Toddler Advent Calendar Ideas
If you want to add more activities to your toddler’s advent calendar, then do check out our comprehensive list of advent activity ideas. We’ve made tokens ready for you to print out and add and also paired each activity with some ideas for extra treats you could add to the advent calendar.
Or perhaps you’d like to try a book advent calendar – 24 festive stories to enjoy each day of the countdown.
Have you heard of the Santa Countdown Beard? You add a piece of cotton wool to Santa’s beard each day to make it super fluffy by Christmas Eve. Such a simple concept but great for helping little ones understand the countdown.
Or why not try a really simple Young Children’s Activity Calendar. With the help of a paedeatric occupational therapist, we have created a free printable calendar that gives your child fun little daily developmental tasks that will help them grow and learn whilst they (and you!) get excited for Christmas.
Looking For Ideas For Other Members Of The Family?
We’ve got advent calendar filler ideas for everyone!
Looking for more advent calendar inspiration?
- How to make a Book Advent Calendar
- Spread joy with a Kindness Advent Calendar
- FREE Printable Advent Calendar Activity Vouchers
And if you’re contemplating buying one off-the-shelf, be sure to check out our Complete Advent Calendar Guide. With latest ideas and fun finds, there’s something for everyone!
What other advent calendar filler ideas for toddlers & pre-schoolers have you got up your sleeve? Do let us know in the comments below!
Starting to think gifts? Our Christmas Gift Guides are here to help – with inspiration for everyone, from Great Uncle Ted to Coco the Cat!
Hopefully it goes without saying but do ensure that all items included in your toddler’s advent calendar are age-appropriate and that little ones are not left unattended whilst playing.
Hannah Bartlett
Hannah Bartlett is a year-round Christmas writer, researcher, trend forecaster, adventurer, creator, and all-round festive enthusiast! With a varied background and experience as a Gift of the Year judge, she’s dedicated to helping you create a Christmas that’s uniquely yours. More about Hannah…
