Best kids' advent calendars UK 2026, plus squishy stocking fillers under £10

Jazwares' official Squishmallows calendar hides a festive 1-inch Mini-Squish behind each of its 24 doors, including Ricardo the Peppermint Bat, Hedda the Christmas Milk and Fleur the Chocolate Yule Log. There's a ring accessory to wear them on and a numbered collector's guide for trading with friends. It's one of the calendars Which? lists as an alternative to the sold-out squishy calendars.

Squish-a-longs are small plastic figures rather than soft plush, and Amazon's review summary says buyers disagree on how squishy they are: some find them quite hard. It was sold by Amazon when I checked.

New for 2026 from Moose Toys: 24 daily surprises, including eight festive Bluey Fuzzies you can only get in this calendar. Fuzzies are small figures with a soft, flocked finish, each based on an episode, and the rest of the doors hold stickers, accessories and four trading cards.

Amazon's review summary says children love opening it each day, but some buyers feel the stickers and smaller extras make it less good value. It was sold by Amazon when I checked.

An officially licensed Pokémon calendar with a mini figure behind every one of its 24 doors. Funko says the tallest figure is about 1.87 inches (under 5cm), and they can stand in front of the box artwork to make a display.

A figure every day makes it feel generous compared with calendars that pad out the doors with stickers. It was sold by Amazon when I checked.

LEGO City's 2026 calendar has 24 small builds and minifigures, including Santa, Mrs Claus, three elves, a snowman and a baby reindeer, plus a car, a rescue boat, a fire engine and a robot. The box folds out into a Santa's workshop playmat, and each build's instructions are printed inside its window.

It's the youngest age rating of the LEGO calendars here and the easiest builds. It was sold by Amazon when I checked.

This year's Star Wars calendar is themed on The Mandalorian: Mando, Moff Gideon and Grogu wear Christmas jumpers, and there are seven mini vehicles including the Razor Crest, an X-wing and a Sandcrawler in festive colours, plus creatures such as a Bantha and a Dewback.

Amazon's review summary says buyers think it makes a fabulous pre-Christmas gift with great minifigures. It was sold by Amazon when I checked.

A winter-activity theme, with something new to do each day: snowball fights, sleigh rides, hot chocolate and building a snowman. It includes three mini dolls (Liann, Nova and Aliya), four animals and lots of small festive accessories.

If your child prefers the Disney or Marvel ranges, LEGO also has 2026 calendars for both. This one was sold by Amazon when I checked.

Playmobil calendars build up a whole scene over December. This one is Santa's North Pole: Santa on skis, a girl figure with skis or a snowboard, a reindeer whose head moves, a sled to load with presents and a post office with a pen and a wish list to write on.

Playmobil figures are bigger than LEGO minifigures, though there are still small accessories. It was sold by Amazon when I checked.

A horse-themed Playmobil calendar set in Ellie's riding café, where Christmas treats are being baked for the horses. It comes with a horse-shaped biscuit cutter you can use for real baking at home.

Amazon's review summary says buyers rate the quality. It was sold by Amazon when I checked.

Mattel's Barbie calendar starts with the doll on day one, then reveals pieces to turn her into a mermaid, a royal or a fairy, plus a mini unicorn, kitty, starfish and seahorse, shoes, a pet bed and a child-sized bracelet with a star charm.

Amazon's review summary says buyers rate its quality and value. On Amazon it was sold by a third-party seller with only a few left when I checked, so it may sell out.

Ten of the 24 doors hold a 1:64 scale Hot Wheels car, including an exclusive snow-globe car with a yeti driver. The other 14 are winter accessories such as a reindeer and a sleigh. It comes with 10 ornament clips so the cars can hang on the Christmas tree.

It was sold by Amazon when I checked.

Spin Master's calendar has 10 figures, including Chase and Skye in winter beanies, plus seven winter vehicles such as sleds and snowboards for them to ride on, four accessories and three sticker sheets.

It was sold by a third-party seller and dispatched by Amazon when I checked.

Hasbro's Peppa calendar builds a Christmas scene piece by piece: a tree one day, ornament stickers the next, a mantelpiece and soft stockings to hang. Peppa and Baby Evie figures, in Christmas crowns and pyjamas, are behind two of the doors.

It's a gentle first advent calendar, but it's still marked not suitable for under-3s. It was sold and sent by a third-party seller when I checked, so check the delivery date.

A colouring and craft calendar with 24 surprises, including items from the My First Crayola range for younger children. The listing describes the activities as mess-free colouring.

It's a nice screen-free countdown that leaves you with art supplies rather than more figures. It was sold by a third-party toy seller, with delivery managed by Amazon, when I checked.

Behind the doors are mini cans of Play-Doh, cutters and stamps for winter and Christmas shapes, and the box unfolds into a playmat. Amazon's review summary says buyers like the variety of colours and the festive cutters.

Allergy note: Hasbro says Play-Doh contains wheat, so it isn't suitable for a child with a wheat or gluten allergy. It was sold by a third-party toy seller, with delivery managed by Amazon, when I checked.

A reusable advent calendar of 24 Bluey mini-books, published in September 2026, with stories such as BBQ, Hotel, Cricket and Hide and Seek, and a special Christmas story for Christmas Eve. The books go back into their windows so you can use it again next year.

A good choice for a household with a baby or toddler, as there are no small toy parts. It was sold by a third-party bookseller when I checked.

Based on Usborne's best-selling series, each window hides a small book: 12 stories about fairies, mermaids and unicorns, and 12 activity books with drawing, doodling, puzzles and stickers.

It's a calmer alternative to a toy calendar and handy for car journeys. It was sold by a third-party bookseller when I checked.

Not an advent calendar, but a box with six tear-away windows, each hiding a different squishy: a marble ball, a sugar cube, a foam bear, a cat, a squish ball and a colour-change ball. Scrunchems are made by Tobar, a UK toy company. Which? included a six-door Scrunchems surprise box in its list of alternatives to the sold-out squishy calendars.

It was sold and sent by a third-party seller when I checked.

A clip-on carry case shaped like Chandra the Holiday Cupcake that fastens to a school bag or keys, with four festive Mini-Squish (including Dawn the Holiday Fawn and Brooke the polar bear) and tiny accessories such as earmuffs and a snowboard.

It pairs well with the Squish-a-longs advent calendar above, as the case holds eight figures. It was sold by Amazon when I checked.

Three small gel-filled squish balls in bright neon colours from Tobar's Scrunchems range. Tobar says its products meet UK and EU toy safety standards.

Amazon's review summary is mixed on durability: some buyers say theirs lasted well, others that one split. That's common with gel squishies, so keep them away from pets and sharp objects. It was sold by Amazon when I checked.

A single 6cm Scrunchems squish ball that glows in the dark. Tobar says Scrunchems contain no BPA, phthalates or latex.

Amazon's review summary says buyers find it squishy and good value, though opinions on the glow and durability vary. It was the cheapest pick here and sold by Amazon when I checked.

The original twisty fidget: curved plastic links that turn endlessly in every direction, and snap back together if they come apart. Amazon's review summary says owners like that it's quiet and small enough for a pocket.

Durability gets mixed feedback. It was sold by a third-party seller and dispatched by Amazon when I checked.

A stretchy tree stump with holes and two stretchy sloths to thread through it, about 5cm in size, from UK toy company Tobar.

Amazon's review summary says buyers find it cute but smaller than they expected. It was sold by Amazon when I checked.

A large silicone popper with 100 bubbles, each printed with a number from 1 to 100, so it works for counting, times tables and number patterns as well as fidgeting. It's easy to wipe clean.

Amazon's review summary says buyers like the bright colours and large size. It was sold by Amazon when I checked.