NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 2026 Magic Advent Calendar – 24 Days of Magic Tricks & Science Experiments, Holiday Countdown Calendar for Kids

I picked up this Advent set for my teen son, who’s obsessed with all things magic, and it has been a fantastic surprise. Each day’s item feels like a mini magical reveal—fun, clever, and just mysterious enough to keep him excited. He’s genuinely eager to open it every morning! The quality is great, the themed pieces are unique, and it’s been wonderful seeing him practice little tricks and show off new surprises each day. It’s the perfect mix of creativity and magical fun. If you have a teen boy who loves magic or enjoys a touch of wonder in his day, this Advent set is a perfect choice. Highly recommended!

This has been a great way to countdown to Christmas and to get my boys interacting and working together daily. Each of my boys (ages 6, 10, and 11) choose an advent calendar each year and this one was selected by my 6 year old. He has been able to do most of the experiments with minimal help from his older brothers. Not every day is an experiment, some days are gems or stones. The included book tells you what each day holds so if you know you are going to have a busy morning you could have your kid go out of order and choose a gem on that day (this is what we do). There is also plenty of material to complete some of the experiments multiple times so the boys have taken the kit over to their grandparents to show them some of the experiments that they have already conducted at home. Overall, I would recommend this kit for any kids into science!

This set is truly one of the best gifts you can give to a child. It’s not just a toy, it’s an engaging learning experience that keeps kids entertained while introducing them to the wonders of science in a fun and interactive way. What makes this product stand out is how it combines magic tricks with real scientific principles. Children don’t just perform tricks; they learn the “why” behind them. This approach helps them naturally develop curiosity and a deeper interest in scientific knowledge. Instead of memorizing facts, they discover concepts through hands-on experimentation and play. It’s perfect for keeping kids engaged over multiple days, building anticipation and excitement as they move through each activity. The structure encourages consistent learning while still feeling like a fun daily surprise.

As Thanksgiving approached, I was in the market for an Advent calendar for my boys. We had already exhausted most varieties, so when I spotted the National Geographic Mega Science Advent Calendar, the science educator in me was instantly sold. I imagined calm mornings with a quick, tidy experiment before rushing out to catch the bus. I hesitated only briefly at checkout. Was this too ambitious? I reread the description and reassured myself that some days were simply rocks, gems, or minerals. That seemed reasonable. I clicked purchase and spent the next few weeks eagerly awaiting December. The first few days were genuinely fun—new knowledge, excitement, curiosity. What I didn’t anticipate was a winter illness taking over our house, paired with ten school spirit days requiring coordinated outfits and enthusiasm I did not have. Somewhere along the way, I began actively hoping the next day would be a rock. Ideally several rocks in a row. Instead, National Geographic escalated. Some days now included two or three experiments. We were no longer pacing ourselves; we were rocketing toward the finale like a Fourth of July fireworks show that would not end. The final days before Christmas became a chaotic mix of gift wrapping, baking, shopping, and science experiments, interrupted only by a few merciful rock days. The final experiment, “Is That Gold?”, promised to “get messy” and required a frigid excavation outside of a rock I was certain would not be gold. This kit did not disappoint. By this point, the real reward was finally throwing the remains of this Advent calendar—and possibly part of my soul—into the trash and moving bravely into the new year. 5 stars, highly recommend

I got this NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Science Kit & Rock Collection Advent Calendar for a 4 and a 6 year old to share. One got the odd numbered dates, and the other got the even. That didn't work out so well, since the featured object on day 5 might be needed for an experiment on day 10. Luckily for me, the 6 year old passed in order to play board games with me, leaving the 4 year old to play magician with my partner. The 4 year old really liked it! The projects are part chemistry, part magic... right up the alley of a 4 year old! Just note that some projects aren't completed immediately... one in particular needs to sit for a day.

This has been very fun so far! My 10 year old is the main one doing the experiments. This comes with excellent detailed instructions. So far all pieces are great quality. We have opened rose quartz and tigers eye crystals and they are indeed real. (I collect crystals so I can tell the difference.) It is easy to open each daily door. This is a great value for the money! It even comes with a pamphlet with extra experiments you can do.

What a fun way to count down the days until Christmas. The Christmas story even talks about how a "new star appeared." A great lead into a solar discussion and fun space adventures. It's nice that there are things to do, not just a toy to open. It spreads the fun out for longer. Very colorful packaging. You can trust a name brand to put out quality items. Got it just in time for the beginning of December.

This was an alright advent calendar for my almost 10 year old- he wasn’t very interested and I wish I had gotten him a Lego one instead-at least that he would have done, I feel this one was opened each day and then not used. I thought since he was into space, he would love- but it had several days with just the plastic stars for the ceilings and a lot of more crafty things vs rocks or things like that- the rocks were for painting and not cool gem type either which I had hoped there would be some. Oh well, it wasn’t terribly pricey- maybe $20 but lesson learned! More for someone who enjoys arts and crafts.

A few of the first days have products you need to wait to use till the following days, but otherwise an amazing product. My kids absolutely love this countdown calendar and the learning and ability to sit down with a project for a while. I'm loving the time spent together

5 stars for sure, was my first year ditching the chocolate advant calandera for my kids and zero regrets from either my kids or myself. My 7year old son had picked this one, we had an amazing time together learning and doing the crafts. Excellent value for money, great Educational value and Fun for kids.

Poor quality but it was for a grandson out of province and couldn’t return it. It was very disappointing. It was old and partially unusable.

The twist on this advent calendar is a great idea, and my 7-year-old son was pretty happy with the toys and the little projects that it included. That being said, as this was a review item, this wasn’t opened in the way that it normally would be; I used this as a reward system for spelling practice; letting him open a door for correct spelling,(which worked great by the way). To be honest, I do think he would have probably been a bit disappointed with a couple of days if we had used this traditionally, because there were quite a few very basic and very similar, small plastic and rubber dinosaurs and animals; and although they’re cute and they glow in the dark, they’re not very exciting and they’re really not unlike the type of small toys that are often included in birthday party loot bags, etc. The craft and activities included have been fun and he’s enjoyed the process of creating and seeing the way that the different things he’s used will glow. With his favorite, probably being the bouncing balls that you get to create - but it is worth noting not to overfill these moulds because if if it’s stuffed to full, the polymer seems to be more problematic and can stick to the mold a bit, potentially ruining your rubber ball. There are also rocks with images you can put on them to paint, but I’ve noticed the images on a few are larger than rocks; although this won’t be anything that we can’t work around, it’s a bit annoying. Overall, I think this advent calendar is a great idea, and definitely a nice change from the traditional expectation.

I got this for my 3 year old son who loves glowin the dark stuff. On day 3 and I am so impressed!! I think I’m more excited for each new door. Great quality easy instructions and keepsakes forever. I hope they make more