The 8 best LEGO advent calendars for 2023: recommended by families

With 24 days of immersive play, the 2023 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar deserves the top spot on our list, simply because it’s packed with over 300 fun LEGO Star Wars pieces, offering hours of building fun and it continues to be a firm favourite on our Mumsnet forum for kids from age six – all the way into adulthood. This latest version has a Return of the Jedi theme and offers a thrilling way to experience the magic of both LEGO and the Star Wars universe, as well as a perfect countdown to Christmas.

The box has incredibly detailed illustrations of festive Star Wars scenes and we like the fact that once opened, the playmat of this advent calendar immediately lies flat on the table, without having to put anything heavy on top of it.  The instructions for each mini figure and/or build are highlighted clearly on the inside of each mini door, you’ll find nine characters including Emperor Palpatine, an Ewok and a Pit Droid in Christmas outfits, a Gonk Droid dressed as a reindeer and Omega with a sledge.

Plus, we love the detailed mini-build toy vehicles, of which there are 10-, and five Star Wars Saga mini-builds including the Clone Command Centre, Ewok Village, Endor Bunker, Endor Shield Protector and Emperor’s Throne.

A highlight in this set has to be the little festive reindeer with standout black nose and the Ewok wearing a green Christmas jumper, which will undoubtedly put a smile on your child’s face.

Harry Potter fans will love this year’s festive advent calendar, complete with six popular characters like Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, plus 18 mini builds which makes this version super-detailed and great value for money.

This intricate advent calendar is set against the backdrop of the Hogsmead village and LEGO has made sure to display all the magical shops, inns, and pubs, including the iconic Three Broomsticks Inn and Honeydukes Sweetshop on the front and across the pull-out board.

We’re also fans of the detailing on the cute, updated figures, for instance, Harry Potter himself is dressed in a navy-blue coat and dark red removable hood this year. The sweet-related mini builds like the ice cream treat cart and bright sweet station, complete with mini cherries and lollipops are fun for kids to build and set the scene for the characters to sit in the Hogsmead village. 

Of course, the real gem is the Aberforth Dumbledore minifigure who’s never appeared in a Harry Potter Advent Calendar before, so definitely worth adding him to your collection.

Another great feature of this calendar is that it comes with a detachable, cardboard container inside the box for sorting and storing your pieces, for months after Christmas.  

This year’s LEGO Friends advent calendar offers a festive winter wonderland scene, set on a fun playground for kids to enjoy. It’s ideal for animal lovers too as it comes with eight mini animals and two dolls/minifigures dressed in fun Christmas jumpers.

A highlight of this year’s calendar is the mini mobile train with sturdy wheels and two carriages to transport the pets, and of course the tall Christmas tree complete with a bright, gold star that can be decorated by the two minifigures, Leo and Autumn. Like the other LEGO advent calendars on our list, this one has easy to open doors for each day and a large playmat with plenty of detailed features like the train track that goes the whole way around.

We like that the parts in this advent calendar can also be combined with any LEGO Friends Heartlake City collection.

As the third LEGO Marvel Avengers Advent calendar to launch since 2021, we think the latest version is LEGO’s best one yet. Centred about the Infinity Saga theme, this calendar has 24 gifts with seven LEGO Marvel Avengers minifigures including the classic favourites such as Doctor Strange, Captain America, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Okoye, Wong- which is an unusual character only found in the more expensive Giant Sanctum Santorum set, and Black Widow. Most of the characters look a little more festive than normal – with Christmas jumpers and accessories – which is a nice touch in the build-up to Christmas.

This set also includes more classic Christmas animals like reindeer and snowmen with a large Christmas tree as the festive focus for this set, plus smaller web-shaped gold Christmas trees as part of the Spider Man set. We also like the black mobile train set which is the first LEGO train specifically made after the first Avenger movie.

In a nutshell, we think that this advent calendar will appeal to Marvel fans of all ages and offer hours of building fun!

Another Marvel-inspired advent calendar, the LEGO Super Heroes Guardians Of The Galaxy Advent Calendar (2022 edition) is a great choice for kids who love superheroes. This advent calendar includes 6 LEGO Marvel minifigures including Star-Lord, Rocket Racoon (from the Guardians ship set), Groot – who comes with a cute Christmas tree rocket accessory and Mantis, plus mini builds and Guardians of the Galaxy accessories like a portable Walkman and a snack table with pastries, thus giving kids a chance to engage with the characters in different ways.

We also love that the last three days of the calendar include different pieces to build a supersonic sleigh on day 24 – a great collector’s piece which will be a firm favourite in any child’s collection.

Although it’s last year’s model, this special holiday edition advent calendar is still a great choice for kids from age six as it’s packed with more pieces than most others on our list, except for the Star Wars advent calendar which comes with 320 pieces.

As with all LEGO sets, this Advent calendar encourages creativity, problem-solving, and fine motor skills, making it an educational and fun choice for children.

Although this LEGO Friends advent calendar is last year’s model, we still think it’s a great festive option for kids wanting to get into the Christmas spirit and is available on Amazon, while stocks last.

This set includes LEGO Friends Olivia and her family of mini-dolls, Santa Claus and his chair, a large reindeer, a sleigh filled with Christmas presents and the cutest food tables complete with ice-creams and hot dogs.

Like the latest 2023 version that’s also on our list, this LEGO Friends advent calendar has a wonderfully festive playmat to set the scene with snowy Christmas trees, market stalls and brightly coloured buildings in the little town. The mini builds are also easier to put together than some of the other LEGO advent calendars on our list, making it a good option for younger kids who can create the characters with supervision.

While the DUPLO Santa’s Gingerbread House isn’t technically an advent calendar, it’s still a great option if you’re looking for a creative filler option for your toddler’s reusable advent calendar. As our Mumsnetter explains above, simply divide the pieces into separate bags and let your child open a few pieces each day for 24 days.  

This latest Christmas set from DUPLO includes a Santa Claus figure, a boy and a girl, fun Christmas gifts, a Christmas tree, teddy bear and treat options such as a plate of cakes and of course, an adorable tea pot for afternoon tea!

We love that this set provides young kids with larger, easy-to-handle building blocks that encourage creativity and fine motor skills in a safe and age-appropriate way.

With Mr and Mrs Claus, cute double sleighs, reindeers, and snowmen – the latest LEGO City Advent Calendar for 2023 offers all the surprises your child could want in the lead up to Christmas and more. There’s even a carol singer, ice hockey player and a little cat and dog for pet lovers.

We also love the giant Christmas tree on the playmat as well as the bright Christmas lights, carousel and market stalls which add an extra sparkle to the festive season spirit and complete the cosy winter wonderland scene perfectly.  

Each door has easy-to-follow build instructions, making it a good choice for younger kids and like the other LEGO advent calendars, it comes with a separate cardboard box to sort and store the pieces.  

The pieces from this set can also be combined with other playsets from the LEGO City range.