Each year, millions of people let time get away from them and then scramble to buy whatever cheap chocolate Advent calendar they can find at the last minute. This year could totally be different! With a little planning ahead, you can find the perfect Advent calendar for just about anyone (who uses an Advent calendar that is). Whether you’re looking to be traditional and stick with candy or whether you want to branch out just a bit, we’ve got you covered here at Wrapped in a Ribbon.

Advent calendars have been around since long before I was born. I still remember the fun of rushing down each morning and opening the little paper door to reveal the chocolate inside. But did you ever stop to think about when Advent calendars first became popular? Not knowing, I figured they’d been around for quite a while, but it actually turns out that they were invented in the mid-19th century. Also, they weren’t actually started as what we have today. Instead chalk marks were made on doors or candles were lit to mark off the days until Christmas. That said, I’m willing to bet that someone special in your life would much rather have a special surprise each day until December 25th. But maybe you aren’t sure what to get. Fear not. I’ve done some searching, and I’ve come up with 6 fun alternatives to the standard chocolate Advent calendar.

FUNKO MEETS MARVEL

I can’t think of a more perfect union when it comes to Advent calendars! Marvel and Funko fandoms come together into this delightful gift that is going to make the superhero fan in your life very happy. Each day contains a pocket-sized Pop figure of your favorite Marvel characters. From Venom to Rocket to Captain America, I kind of want to buy one of these for myself also. Wait, is there anything wrong with buying yourself an Advent calendar? I think not. Buy early as I can totally see this selling out.

LEGO MEETS HARRY POTTER

As if the last mash-up wasn’t great enough, now we get Lego and Harry Potter for Advent? With 7 minifigs and 24 total build-able sets, this is the perfect gift for your young witch or wizard. (Middle-aged and older witches and wizards are definitely approved for this calendar also!) The sets include the Hogwarts Express and tables filled with food, allowing creativity to abound as the daily gifts are revealed.

PLAY-DOH

I loved playing with Play-Doh when I was young, and I loved playing with it again when my kids were young. Play-Doh provides hours of entertainment, and with this Advent calendar, your young gift receiver is going to have a blast revealing the modeling surprises each day. The calendar comes with five cans of Play-Doh, including 2 sparkle cans because sparkle Play-Doh makes everything happier. Behind each door is a treat to help make the perfect creation. I bet if this thing ends up in your house, you won’t be able to help yourself, and you’ll jump right in and start playing, too.

TSUM TSUM

Is there anything cuter than a Tsum Tsum? (Okay, don’t answer that. Puppies are cuter! But I don’t think there are puppy advent calendars, and anyway, if there were, then at the end of the holiday, you’d wind up with 24 dogs! So instead, let’s focus on the Tsum Tsum.) I used to love buying Tsum Tsum for my daughter, trying to make decisions as to which we should buy, stacking them. With this Advent calendar, your Disney Tsum Tsum fan is going to get 18 Tsum Tsum figures of varying sizes and 6 accessories to help make playing with them more awesome. And if that’s not cool enough, it comes in Gingerbread house packaging to make playing (and stacking) that much more festive.

DINOSAURS

This Advent calendar is perfect for that future paleontologist in your life! With a new dinosaur each day, they’ll learn and play and let their imagination run wild. No two dinosaurs are the same, and some are even fossils, making it possible to create dinosaur digs, museum exhibits, or any kind of prehistoric fun. There’s even a large T-Rex included, a favorite of everyone. Great for counting, sorting, learning, and just plain fun, it will make each day special for your dino-fan as they reveal their daily surprise.

HARIBO

This post wouldn’t feel complete with at least one candy option for Advent. As a change from the standard chocolate treats, why not try something different and delicious…like Haribo! This calendar contains an assortment of chewy treats, marshmallows, licorice, and gums in a variety of flavors, like fruit and cola. It’s a product of Germany and sure to please the candy lover in your life (including you)!