Lego’s advent calendars are sure to build the excitement for Christmas
Forget a measly piece of chocolate each day, these Lego advent calendars will make every December morning a thrill, as, inside, you’ll find a mini build, mini figure or accessory behind every single door.
This year, Lego has launched five new advent calendars for Christmas. There are two from Lego’s own friends and city ranges and three from big-name franchises, including Harry Potter, Marvel Studios’ The Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Wars. So, there’s likely to be something for every man, woman and child.
For real Lego fans, the calendars are a great way to get your hands on unusual or limited-edition pieces. While true obsessives will be particularly keen on any mini figures wearing special festive clothes.
Although, younger children may need some help with more-complicated builds, the calendars are suitable for all ages but they don’t come with written instructions like normal Lego kits. Still, they’re also a good way to encourage children to practise fine motor skill and use patience. Plus, the gifts inside will last well into the new year.
As an added bonus, the boxes for all these calendars turn into play scenes once the doors have been opened. Just bear in mind the Lego advent calendars are very popular each year, so we’d recommend buying early to secure the one you want.
How we tested
We couldn’t wait until December, so we opened all the doors to these advent calendars early, to see which one was really worth buying. With the help of our willing junior testers, we built all the models inside, and judged how appealing the gifts were.
We also noted if there were any particularly exciting surprises inside and how challenging the builds were. And we considered if each calendar worked out as good value for money and which one we’d love the most when counting down to the big day.
The best Lego advent calendars for 2022 are:
Best Lego advent calendar for younger kids – Lego City advent calendar: £21.99, Amazon.co.uk
Best Lego advent calendar for older kids – Lego Harry Potter advent calendar: £29.99, Lego.com
Best mini figures Lego advent calendar – Lego Marvel Studios The Guardians of the Galaxy holiday special advent calendar: £29.99, Lego.com
Best Lego advent calendar for Star Wars fans – Lego Star Wars advent calendar: £29.99, Lego.com
Best festive-themed Lego advent calendar – Lego friends advent calendar: £21.99, Lego.com
Lego City advent calendar
It may be designed for children over five but we think anyone would love this Lego advent calendar. It’s not obviously designed for one gender, it builds to a festive-themed set that can be played without needing other toys, and requires no prior knowledge of a film or TV show. Though it is based on the Lego City TV series, it’s not at all necessary to have ever watched it to enjoy building and playing with it.
All the pieces ultimately come together to create a fun Christmas set that can be played with on the fold-down playmat. There are five mini figures from the Lego City adventures series including Santa. There’s also a post box, a present for under the tree, several animals, including a cat, horse and hen, and a piano for Christmas singalongs. It’s a great choice for children who have never used Lego before and will be thrilled to discover what’s behind every door each day.
Buy now £21.99, Amazon.co.uk
Lego ‘Harry Potter' advent calendar
Recommended for children over seven, this calendar is one for real Harry Potter fans. Unlike last year’s calendar, which told the story of the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, this one spans the whole series, with three doors to open per film, in the order they were released. That’s a bonus for devotees who are familiar with the whole story, but may mean builds later on in the month could be confusing for anyone who hasn’t read or watched every instalment.
Our junior testers particularly liked the fact the box turned into a board game once all the doors were open, and a spinner is included as one of the gifts to play with this, giving this calendar a little extra value for money beyond December. It also has the most individual pieces of these Lego calendars, with 334 in total.
Each door has a different logo on the outside, revealing which book the gift inside is from. There are seven mini figures but none have any festive details, however, that does mean they can be played with year-round. Our favourites included the fairly rare Moaning Myrtle and the exclusive Sirius Black, who comes holding his prison numbers. The tiny Hogwarts Express is a real bonus too.
Buy now £29.99, Lego.com
Lego Marvel Studios ‘The Guardians of the Galaxy' holiday special advent calendar
Following last year’s Marvel Avengers calendar, superhero fans will be happy to get their hands on a Marvel Studios The Guardians of the Galaxy advent calendar this year. It’s worth noting this is themed to tie in with the forthcoming holiday special, which will screen on Disney+ this December.
This calendar has 268 pieces in total and a particularly festive feel, with three of the mini figures wearing Christmas jumpers, plus Lego versions of a snowman and Christmas tree included. Our youngest tester loved the mini figures too. Six are featured, including Groot, Nebula and Drax, and their Christmas outfits make this calendar a real draw for anyone who collects unique mini figures. There are also several mini-build models, including a drone and a spaceship.
Confusingly, however, the included rocket is built with pieces collected over three days, which is a little disappointing on the day itself but ultimately results in a bigger – and more playable – toy in the long run.
Buy now £29.99, Lego.com
Lego ‘Star Wars' advent calendar
Star Wars obsessives rush to buy Lego’s advent calendars each year, in the hope of finding rare builds and mini figures. And they won’t be disappointed this year, as this version contains 329 pieces in total with three Lego droid figures, 16 mini builds and five Lego Star Wars mini figures.
Most excitingly, two classic figures – C-3PO and R2-D2 – come in sweet festive jumpers but it was the Darth Vader figure that excited our junior testers the most. He comes dressed for the beach from this year’s Disney+ film, Lego Star Wars Summer Vacation, and even has a spade instead of a lightsaber.
Other mini-builds include the Hoth AT-S and the Bad Batch shuttle, another build inspired by a recent Disney+ series. There are some less-exciting gifts in the middle of the month, such as yet another battle droid, but the more-recent additions make this calendar a winner.
Buy now £29.99, Lego.com
Lego friends advent calendar
The fun doesn’t stop when all the doors are opened on this calendar. The 24 gifts inside really work as toys to actually play with alongside other Lego friends sets, while some pieces could even be used as extra Christmas decorations. We think a Lego friends fan would bring these pieces out year after year, to make their usual sets look more festive.
We loved all the special Christmas touches. Gifts include a Santa figure with a sack of toys, a reindeer, a Christmas tree, a snowman and a sleigh. The whole set combines to make a wintry village scene where characters can have their photo taken with Santa, then visit pretty market stalls to pick up an ice cream or a hot chocolate. Though there are 312 pieces in total, the builds are all fairly straightforward and make a lovely interactive toy any Lego friends fan will adore.
Buy now £21.99, Lego.com
The verdict: Lego advent calendars
We love the Lego City advent calendar for its bright, festive touches and suits-all appeal. It’s a great option for younger children or if you’re not sure which Lego advent calendar will suit someone. If you’re looking for something a little more challenging, go straight for the Lego Harry Potter advent calendar with its rare mini figures and clever bonus game.
Beauty buffs, this year’s selection of advent calandars is already hitting the shelves
