Don’t get me wrong, I love chocolate and have fond memories of opening up a Cadbury advent calendar at certain points throughout my childhood.
But as the parent of a child with allergies, I also know that food-filled Christmas calendars aren’t always the easiest purchase to make. Likewise, if your child is prone to sugar meltdowns, you might find them a little tricky, too.
Thankfully there are loads of children’s advent calendars on the market that don’t contain chocolate, sweets or anything else likely to give them a sugar crash.
Instead, expect to find fun books and toys behind each window as you count down to Christmas Day.
Here, we’ve rounded up some of the best on the market right now – from Bluey and Hey Duggee calendars chock-full of fascinating stories, to calendars for older kids like National Geographic’s gemstone calendar or the GraviTrax marble run, there’s something for everyone here.