This Step2 advent calendar is perfect for little hands! Children will love finding a treat each day as they pull out the tiny red and green bins!
Advent calendars have been a part of my holiday traditions for as long as I can remember. I was even able to find a picture of the calendar that we used when I was a child! Who else had this one?
It came with a tiny mouse that would move from pocket to pocket throughout December. I bet my mom still has this somewhere! I believe it was from Avon and seeing it again makes me smile. So many fun childhood memories are associated with this cute countdown to Christmas. Maybe this is why I went a bit crazy with making sure my kids had a fun advent calendar every year when I became a mom!
Advents are a fun way to countdown the days until Christmas and they also teach patience. Especially if you only put one treat in each bin and have 5 kids taking turns---meaning you only get a treat every 5 days! Sometimes I'm nice and put in enough for everyone. The little bins on this advent are large enough to be able to do that.
We've used a combination of both homemade advents and store bought ones with our children and I was thrilled to discover that Step2 has designed a kids advent calendar this year! In true Step2 fashion, this advent calendar was made to last and was manufactured in the United States.
Let's start out the holiday season with a kids advent calendar that the whole family will love!
The My First Advent Calendar from Step2 was designed for little hands, but it is a functional advent calendar for the whole family to use. Mac loves playing with the little bins and the front door opens revealing a gold bin for Christmas day!
He's had so much fun taking the bins in and out that I've used it to feed him lunch a couple of times. I hid crackers, fruit, and other bite-sized foods in the bins and it was a fun little scavenger hunt for lunch, ha!
The My First Advent Calendar from Step2 is an amazon.com exclusive.
What kind of advent calendar do you have in your home?
Feeling a bit crafty and want to make your own calendar?
Here are ideas for a kids advent calendar
Felt Christmas Advent Calendar That Kids Can Sew: A darling DIY Christmas tree advent calendar that kids can sew using a needle and thread, and a collection of other EASY holiday projects that kids can sew!
Paper Plate Snowman Christmas Countdown: This snowman Christmas countdown is made out of a paper plate! Countdown the days by turning the snowman’s nose. Simple for kids to make and so inexpensive. A great school craft idea to make after Thanksgiving break.
Paper Santa's Beard Christmas Countdown: This darling Santa Christmas Countdown is the perfect activity for kids! Trim Santa’s beard a little bit every day until Christmas Day!
Tissue Paper and Cups Advent: A simple DIY advent calendar made from paper cups and tissue paper. Kids can break open the tissue each day to find the surprise inside!
Karen C says
This is so cute! My daughter would love this and she is 13 yrs. old! Lol
Denise Low says
This is just so cute. Any child would love to have this. Thank you for sharing.
June S. says
My parents always had the cloth type of advent calendar when I was growing up at home back in the sixties. My three brothers and I took turns opening a new window everyday before we went to school . Sure do miss those days with my parents.
Robyn Hauck says
We had paper ornaments taped to the wall. You would lift the flap that was covering a quote, joke or if you were lucky a number that matched the number of a goodie in the treat basket mom kept hidden. Such fun!!!
Sam says
We have always done the one with mini chocolates in my family (my uncle bought me and my sisters our 1st one when we was little). My husband and I have carried on this tradition into our family. We have extended our family from a family of 3 to a family of 5 these past couple years and been looking at different advent calendars that we could share with our 2 youngest that would be a little more exciting for them. .
Nancy Narvaez-Smrkolj says
I didn’t have one but want to start with my granddaughters this Christmas.
Deborah W. says
I don't remember having one as a child. I remember celebrating Advent in church each Sunday but no kid's calendar. This would be wonderful for my granddaughter.
Darlene Parker says
My kids had a Christmas tree advent calendar. Each day you would put an ornament on the tree. I still have it. Now I have grandkids they are 3 and 4. I would love for them to have the step 2 advent calendar, it seems easier for them to use it.
Sandra Boer says
We had the same mouse advent calendar. I think it was from Avon! My daughter is useing it now with her two children🌟
Cathy McKenna says
I don't see my comment posted....I'll do it again....would LOVE to win this for my new granddaughter...FINGERS CROSSED!
Thank you for the chance
Darlene says
When i was a kid i had the carboard one with little chocolates in them. I would absolutely love this for my 3 year old and 1 year old! It would be a great new twist on our current christmas tradition!
April Paul says
I had (and still have!) the mouse Avon advent calendar! I also made my daughter one that we used for about four years straight 🙂
Kelly says
We still have that exact cloth advent calendar. It was my husband's and my best friend had the same one. We "fight" over daily if it's counting up or down. I do a countdown, he goes calendar style.
Brooke Carr says
I never had an advent calendar as cool as the ones that are available now. I only vaguely remember having one of the flimsy ones that you popped a piece of chocolate out of each day.
Janice Bartles says
We had the lifesaver one!
meghan says
I always had the chocolate advent calendars!
Lauren Hamilton says
Good old fashioned paper chain
Mary says
We had one similar to you mouse one only bears. We always had a chocolate in each little pouch. It was a race as to who would change the date first.
Brittany Wahlen says
We had one that was made out of felt (I’m pretty sure my Mom made it), and it hung on the wall. Each pocket had an ornament for the tree on it, and a candy in the pocket. So you got to put an ornament up (on the advent calendar), and get a candy.
Chanel Haag says
As a child my family did not celebrate Christmas. Which was so sad as a child. So I do my best to make my children Christmas as merry as possible. Please pick us Arabella and Able would love this. 🙏🏼🎅🏻🎄
Whitney says
A wall hanging of a Christmas tree with pockets that had hanging decorations. Ps my 2 year old twins would LOVe this!!
Marisa says
I want in! 😊 I don't really remember having an advent calendar as a kid. We usually would make the countdown chains with red and green construction paper. Kids these days have it made 😂
Alyssa Kiger says
We had the little chocolate advent calendars, but when I was little we lived in Italy and I remember the chocolate in them being so good. Now days I still give my kids the little chocolate calendars but my kids will never know that delicious chocolate. Maybe that's a good thing? They'll never be disappointed!
Susan says
We got the cardboard ones with chocolates! Although we couldn’t wait to just open once a day 🤪
Jennifer Pendley says
This is so cute! We never had one of these growing up. I'm sure we did paper chains once or twice, though. I was an adult before I realized what an advent calendar was.
Annamarie V says
We had the cardboard kind with chocolates inside, I think it's so fun now that there are so many advent calendar options.
kathy Persons says
I never had one growing up and would love to do this with my kids. so fun and building excitementsand adding learning to it also
jessica Mcfarlin says
Just the chocolate advent calendar!
Robyn Mckenna says
I couldn't wait to hang up the cute mouse advent calendar from avon every year!!! I am so sad that i didn't hang on to it!
Kelly Jeschke says
I remember opening advent calendars as a kid. I used to open the next day to see what I was getting next! My favorite was the chocolates, but I also had one that had little plastic earrings in it.
Ken C says
My Mom made one that was a cross stitch hanging , danish design. I love moving the little rings in the count down to Christmas.
Mandy Brosenne says
We never used an advent calendar. Our three girls love to countdown during the holidays and they’d love this!
Julia says
We had a felt one that my grandma made. We would move Mary and Joseph each day until Christmas and we would get to put baby Jesus in the manger which of course we all fought over ha.
Kath L says
My parents used to get us the chocolate candy advent calendar from their school fundraiser.
Barbara J says
I didn't have an Advent calendar as a child but have begun the tradition with my grandkids. We do something different each year. We've done paper chain links, Trader Joe purchased ones with candy (not so tasty, actually) and last year we did a Lego one that had a small item to build each day. I would love to have this one and be able to use it multiple years. It looks big and sturdy. Thanks for the giveaway.
Rachel P says
We had a cardboard one that had Bible verses behind each number. I like the looks of this Step 2 one because the bins look big enough to hold a treat for each member of the family!
Lauren says
I don't remember ever using one but we always made the links to count down to Christmas. My kids would love this calendar!
Amy H says
We always did the chocolate ones! My parents would get us one before the start of December, but my grandma would usually get us one mid December. We'd have to eat a bunch of chocolate to catch up 🙂
Stacy Papa says
I had the same one as you! 😜
Katherine C says
We always had the chocolate ones! This Step 2 one is awesome and I know m son would love it ❤️❤️
Debbie says
We had the cardboard kind with the chocolates. The chocolate was really not so good, but the tradition was so special. Thanks for the chance to win!
Aimee says
We always those ones with the chocolates. My grandma would get the ones with the fancy German chocolate! We love this tradition, it’s such a fun way to build anticipation.
Terri Musgrave says
We like to go caroling each year and pass goodies out to our neighbors.
Dawn says
We always had the ones with chocolates that you buy from the grocery store.
keri @ shaken together says
We always did an advent calendar with our boys growing up and now that we have a 1 year old granddaughter, I can't wait to start a similar tradition with Baylee!
Lahela Gwynn says
I never had an advent calendar as a child. However, my kids have a homemade one I put together a couple years ago- I think I even found the tutorial on your blog! I glued cups to a board and put tissue paper over the cups and the kids can open one each day before Christmas.
Sha Bloomer says
I had the same one you did! I wish my mom still had it. Didn’t realize it was from Avon.
Tina says
We didn’t do advent calendars when I was younger, we just had a felt tree that we added ornaments to up to the 25th. Which I suppose is like an advent calendar. But my husband and I started advent calendars while we were in Germany. Now we would love to share the fun with our young kids!
Audrey says
We sometimes had the paperboard ones with generic chocolate behind each door. I love advent calendars, but what I really want is the one from Christmas Vacation!
Angelee says
I had that same mouse one you had! And also the ones with the chocolates. Don’t know why I liked that one bc the chocolate was so gross!
mami2jcn says
I never used an advent calendar as a child but I've been wanting to use one with my daughters! This one is great!
Shary Linfor says
Hi Brandy, I don't remember having actual Advent calendars as a child 😔 just an actual calendar that we could count the days left til Chrustmas day. As a parent and Nana all my kids love the cardboard with mini chocolate treats. It would be fun to have one like this that i could refill as different children come to visit each day, sometimes several visits each day. Have a Merry Christmas!
Katherine S says
I used a chocolate advent calendar. My grandma had bought one for me since I was a kid until 2 years ago and I'm in my 30s.
Liesl Ridley says
I remember using those disposable kinds that have chocolates in them.
Annette says
Growing up I never had an Advent calendar.