Best Advent Calendars for Gritty Kids

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Those resilient, inquisitive kids are pretty darn great, but they can be hard to shop for! Here is a list of Advent Calendars that will keep your gritty kid engaged as they count down to Christmas!

I’ve never heard the term “Gritty Kid” until I came across the “Logic Workbook for Gritty Kids” series of puzzle and riddle books. My son absolutely fell in love with these. He finished two of them while on a 13-hour flight to Europe when he was 7 years old. I highly recommend this series! It is engaging and fun, and doesn’t require any screens or technology—just a pen or pencil!

We love these erasable pens for our child! Makes him feel like a grown-up, but they erase any mistakes and trial-and-error. We also invested in refillable mechanical pencils. These are so good, and you can refill the lead and the eraser, too!

Okay, now on to the Advent Calendars…

Best Advent Calendars for Gritty Kids

In no particular order…

KiwiCo Advent Calendars

These are probably our favorite Advent Calendars. We have been KiwiCo customers since 2019, when our son was about 2 years old, and we have loved seeing him grow from Panda Crate to Tinker Crate. These have been fun for Oliver and for us as a family to sit and build together.

The KiwiCo Advent Calendars include either 12 or 24 numbered envelopes with pieces to build an entire set. Some of the sets are trains, a village, and ornaments.

What’s great about these is that you can take them out every year for the Holidays and use them as decor. Having something hand-made adds meaning and sparks memories during the Holidays!

LEGO City Advent Calendar

There are various LEGO Advent Calendars, but the CITY one is definitely the favorite (and is almost sold out everywhere— get it FAST).

Each one of the 24 doors features a little build or a minifigure. The CITY version of the calendar has a Holiday theme throughout. Examples of builds from past calendars include a fireplace, an ice sculpture, and a small pile of gifts. The minifigures include Mrs. Claus, Santa, a hockey player, and a kid in a winter sweater with a chocolate chip cookie, and even LEGO kittens and puppies.

Each doors are numbered 1 to 24. They are perforated so a child can open them easily. The back of the “door” contains instructions for putting together the mini build (or minifig). The pieces are all in a tiny plastic bag inside. Get your brick on!

Meri Meri Heirloom Quality Advent Calendars

If you know Meri Meri, you know luxury Holiday decor, party supplies, and timeless toys. They have cemented their reputation as a minimalist and classic party supply shop.

Meri Meri Advent Calendars are beautiful and packaged exquisitely. Perfect for gifting!

There are many options from Meri Meri, including building puzzles and charm bracelets. The final product is something that can be enjoyed for years to come, as holiday decor or jewelry.