Advent Calendars for Teens: 10 of the Best 2020

Advent calendars for teens can be hard to find, I think.

Sure, there are thousands of LEGO advent calendars in 2020, or those containing chocolates themed to this or that cartoon character.

At 15, my daughter is too old for those advent calendars, but still too young for the thousands of gin/wine/beer themed advents. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to help her celebrate the countdown to Christmas with her own advent calendar!

So what are the best advent calendars for teens in 2020?

Today I’m rounding up 10 of my favourite advent calendars for teens, including edible, beauty and self-fill advent calendars. If I’ve missed one from the list, just let me know and I can add it in! This post may contain affiliate links.

10 Best Advent Calendars for Teens

MAD Beauty Advent Calendar 

Lots of beauty calendars only have items for 12 days, which personally I think is NOT what advent calendars are about. This calendar from MAD Beauty is perfect for teens. It has 24 small beauty gifts and costs just £20. Think lip balms, pencils, blushes and nail polish.

 

Yankee Candle Advent Wreath 

My teen loves scented candles, and usually has several on the go in her bedroom, with another set of candles for the bathroom. So I love the idea of Yankee Candle advent calendars for teens.

There are actually several designs available, but this candle wreath is nice and neat, and comes with 24 festive-scented tea lights.  It’s available for £24.99.

 

Nativity Advent Calendar 

We were given this advent calendar by Lakeland Limited ten years ago – and it’s still brought out every year in my brother’s house, and looks good as new. I love the idea of an advent calendar that doesn’t generate huge amounts of waste, and uses natural materials.

It’s easy to think teens just want beauty products and candy, but our family loves these traditional sets, and they bring a spiritual element to the family Christmas traditions. So if you want to introduce a faith-based item to your festive celebrations, check this set out.

The figures are cute enough to entertain little ones, and the box design means it’s perfectly sturdy enough to be packed away and reused year after year. Well worth the £70 investment, I reckon.

 

Popcorn Advent Calendar 

The best thing about Christmas (apart from the birth of our Lord, obvs) is Christmas movies. A whole month of seasonal goodness, am I right? If your family is anything like mine, then, this advent calendar packed with popcorn will go down a treat.

This giant calendar from Joe & Seph’s costs £25. It is packed with award-winning gourmet popcorn with flavours like salted caramel and chocolate orange. It’s also available in a vegan version.

Scrunchies and Jewellery Advent Calendar 

At £99 this advent calendar is a present in its own right! But I thought it was so pretty and indulgent for a special teen. There are 12 boxes to open and over the period, you will find three Tutti scrunchies, an ear cuff and ear rings, necklaces, bracelets and a pretty hair clip. It’s lovely quality and really pretty packaging. Costs £99 from John Lewis.

Amazon Beauty Advent Calendar

A more affordable option for teen beauty fans, this beauty advent calendar from Amazon isn’t cheap at £60, but does contain an impressive 24 mini beauty products from brands, with a total value of more than £215! There’s a real focus on indulgent treats, so lots of creams and balms, from brands including Elemis, Espa and Philosophy.

Lynx Advent Calendar

I think Lynx is basically a cult among teens these days, with both boys and girls in thrall to these body sprays.

The Lynx advent calendar is a great option with 12 days of treats, including socks, body sprays, shower gels and hair care products. At only £20, I think it’s great value for the teens in your family. It’s also available in the Lynx Africa scent.

 

Harry Potter Advent Calendar

It might not have chocolates but this Harry Potter advent calendar from I Want One of Those is still pretty magical and one of my favourite advent calendars for teens. The 24 doors reveal a host of spooky and magical gifts, including playing cards, notebooks and pencils. Once Christmas is done, the whole calendar turns into a door hanger with a “Gone to Hogwarts” design. There’s also a bonus pen shaped like a wand. Costs £26.99 and available from Oct 9.

 

LookFantastic Advent Calendar 

I’ve already included one beauty calendar in this list, but if you want a slightly different or more luxe option, this beauty advent calendar from lookfantastic is one of the best advent calendars for teens I’ve seen this year. It has over 500 5* star reviews, so comes highly recommended.

With 24 boxes to open, this goodie box contains over £400 of products – available as a package for just £79. There are loads of brands your teen will recognise, like Molton Brown bath and shower gel, Neals Yard hand cream, Elemis face cream, and even a Morphe palette. Your teen will LOVE you for this advent calendar.

This one sells out FAST – if it’s not available, try this ESPA Advent Calendar as a great alternative.

 

Harry Potter Jewellery Advent Calendar 

A second Harry Potter calendar, I know. But this jewellery advent calendar is perfect for teens, and the contents are SO cute.

At £54 it’s not cheap but I think it’s worth it, if you want to splash out on something teens will want to keep. For your money you’ll get 24 officially licensed, silver-plated jewellery items, including rings, charms and more.

 

24 Days of Stationery Advent Calendar 

My daughter is obsessed with stationery so what could be better than a stationery-themed advent calendar for teens?

This adorable box is packed with 24 mini packages. Each package contains a different stationery gift, including pencils, erasers, pens, postcards, memo pads, ruler, paperclips etc. All the packaging is plastic free and recyclable, to boot. Available from Not on the High Street. It’s a Christmas gift in its own right, though, at £89.

 

Personalised Spotify Playlist Advent Calendar 

If your teenager is a music fan, then I love the idea of this Spotify playlist advent calendar. It’s just £19.99 from Prezzybox. Bear with me, because this one takes a little bit of explaining. This calendar comes complete with a festive playlist. Each day, you open another door on the calendar, and hold your phone up to the image. It will then play that day’s Christmas hit via your phone! It’s the perfect way to wake up each morning in December with a Christmas song in your heart!

On Christmas Day, scan the image behind the door and all the songs will be collated into a perfect Christmas Day playlist. This does of course feature all the classics, from Mariah Carey to The Pogues and Michael Buble. It’s clever and perfect for your Spotify-loving teen. As an added touch, the calendar can be personalised with your child’s name. Available for £19 from Prezzybox.

 

So there you have it – ten of the very finest advent calendars for teens this Christmas. But let’s face it – some of these are good enough for us to keep to ourselves, right?