KiwiCo, the kids’ STEM subscription company, has launched its 2026 Advent calendar lineup: six build-a-day calendars from $49.95 to $99.95, including a brand-new Snowy Sports Ornaments calendar. Kids build one ornament, train car or village piece a day, for 12 or 24 days. Here’s every calendar, with ages, prices and shipping.
How KiwiCo Advent Calendars Work
Like KiwiCo’s monthly crates, each calendar is a hands-on project kit: every door or envelope holds a small build with everything needed to make it, and the pieces add up to a display (ornaments for the tree, a train set, a snowy village). There are two formats: 12-day calendars, which work as a “12 days of Christmas” countdown, and 24-day calendars that run through December. KiwiCo’s homepage started promoting “the newest KiwiCo Advent Calendar” on October 13, 2026.
New: Snowy Sports Ornaments Advent Calendar ($49.95, 12 Days)
The new calendar for 2026 is 12 days of winter sports ornaments that you slide, twist and click together, including “a gingerbread figure skater, a ski-jumping reindeer, a gnome that’s into curling, and nine more,” according to KiwiCo. Ages 5 and up, $49.95.
Mechanical Ornaments Advent Calendar ($49.95, 12 Days)
Twelve ornaments that actually move, built around simple mechanisms (levers, gears and linkages). Ages 5 and up, $49.95.
Motorized Christmas Train Advent Calendar ($74.95, 12 Days)
A working electric train built over 12 days: a locomotive, two passenger cars and two cargo cars, on a hinged track you can set up as an oval, a circle or a line. Ages 7 and up, $74.95.
Santa’s Railroad Advent Calendar ($49.95, 24 Days)
One envelope a day in December, each with a project to decorate and add to a snowy railroad scene in time for Santa’s arrival. Ages 5 and up, $49.95.
Winter Wonderland Advent Calendar ($99.95, 24 Days)
The most ambitious calendar: a snowy scene engineered one day at a time, with motors, lights and games, according to KiwiCo. After the holidays, the buildings double as storage boxes for next year. Ages 9 and up, $99.95.
Christmas Village Advent Calendar ($49.95, 24 Days)
A festive village built one feature a day, with extra supplies to customize it. Ages 5 and up, $49.95.
Source: KiwiCo.
Our Take
KiwiCo’s calendars are a smart alternative to candy or toy calendars: kids get a small project a day and a keepsake at the end. The new Snowy Sports set is the easy pick for families who want ornaments they’ll hang again next year, while the Motorized Train and Winter Wonderland are the “big gift” options for older kids who like things that move and light up. The 12-day calendars only cover part of December, so start them on December 13 or 14 if you want them to end on Christmas Eve. We haven’t built these calendars ourselves.
Best for: kids ages 5 to 12 who like making things, and parents who’d rather skip the daily chocolate. Skip it if: your child wants a surprise toy every morning with zero assembly.
Price and Availability: The Essentials
- Prices: $49.95 (Snowy Sports Ornaments, Mechanical Ornaments, Santa’s Railroad, Christmas Village), $74.95 (Motorized Christmas Train), $99.95 (Winter Wonderland), on kiwico.com, October 17, 2026
- Shipping: KiwiCo’s product data lists $7.95 shipping in the US on the $49.95 calendars and free shipping on the Motorized Christmas Train and Winter Wonderland; check the total at checkout
- Offers: KiwiCo’s Advent page advertises 15% off when you buy two or more holiday crates, and 10% off a holiday crate bought with a subscription, with the codes shown on the page (we haven’t tried them at checkout)
- Availability: all six in stock when we checked; one-time purchases, no subscription required
Heads-up: these are one-off purchases, but if you add a subscription to get the bundle discount, that crate renews automatically. Other kid-friendly countdowns: the LEGO Advent Calendars 2026, the Pokémon Holiday Calendar 2026 and the Disney Store Advent Calendars. You can also find the brand in our KiwiCo listing.
Source: KiwiCo Advent calendars, checked October 17, 2026.
