Each mini-puzzle depicts a different winter city scene. Combine them to create Christmas wall art or frame them separately for festive DIY art, the choice is yours! Magnetic letters (include a few different letter-shaped magnets and make your child decipher the secret message!)

In my testing, I was pleasantly surprised by the range of holiday scents and vessel sizes and types. Though I usually prefer massive candles to serve as a centerpiece on the counter or coffee table, I look for something different in a candle Advent calendar. I don’t necessarily want larger-than-life Christmas candles otherwise it takes well until February to enjoy them all. That’s why I appreciate the variety of 2.5-ounce candles mixed with reed diffusers and a few 5-ounce candles. The smaller size is what makes this a true countdown: enjoy your scent of the day and move on to the next. Board game pieces (spread out the pieces and play the game together once all of them have been collected)Most advent calendars have 24 doors to open, which you begin on December 1st and finish on Christmas Eve. Some shorter advent calendars have 12 days' worth of doors to open. More of a savoury than a sweet person? Then we recommend going for a cheese advent calendar rather than chocolate.

Pro tip: Mix the hot chocolate in milk using a frother. Speaking of, have you seen these hot chocolate sets perfect for holiday gifting?Traditionally, the 12 days of Christmas means the time from Christmas into the new year, so you can open your 12 doors during this time as an extra treat between Christmas and the new year or start it in December as a shorter run-up to Christmas. Where can I buy a beer advent calendar?

And if you truly can't find an advent calendar that works, why not make your own and fill it with personalised treats? Are there advent calendars for men? However, if you're looking for non-chocolate advent calendars, we've got them, too. When are advent calendars released? Or perhaps you simply feel like doing something special for your family, and you’d rather choose for yourself how to surprise those you love most. You can get a cool gift for kids, and be the hero of the day. Or, you could get one of the best advent calendars, and they'll get a gift every day for a month. And it's not a moment too soon, because if you ask kids, the wait leading up to December 25 is the longest wait for the whole year.

The sky's the limit, so if you can think of a product – there's a strong chance it can be found in a themed advent calendar. While advent calendars used to be limited to traditional chocolates, these days, there are a plethora of designs and ranges, with gendered and non-gendered calendars available to shop.