A few years ago, “digital advent calendar” meant a website with 24 pictures behind 24 clickable doors. Today there are online advent calendars that tell stories, build worlds and play little games, and plenty of parents are wondering whether one is a good idea for their kids.
Here’s an honest look at the good, the not-so-good, and what to check before you choose one.
What is a digital advent calendar?
It’s an advent calendar that runs on a tablet, phone or computer. Each day of December a new door unlocks, and behind it there’s something to see or do: an animation, a mini game, a story chapter, or (in the best ones) a new piece of a world that keeps growing.
The upsides
No sugar, no clutter. Nothing to eat before breakfast and nothing to store in January.
It builds toward something. A good digital calendar can do things a cardboard one can’t: day 12 can change what happened on day 3, a world can grow, a story can unfold. That keeps kids interested right up to Christmas Eve.
It travels. Visiting grandparents for the holidays? The calendar comes too.
It’s sibling-friendly. Each child can have their own calendar on their own device without buying two of everything.
Missed days are easy. Many online calendars let you open missed doors later, and some let you start on any date.
It can read to them. For kids who are still learning to read, a calendar that reads aloud means they can enjoy it on their own.
The downsides (and how to handle them)
Screen time. This is the big one. The answer isn’t “no screens”, it’s short, purposeful screen time with a natural end. A daily advent calendar is actually a good fit here: open today’s door, enjoy it, done. Look for calendars designed around a few minutes a day, not endless play.
Ads and in-app purchases. Some “free” calendars are really advertising. Avoid anything with ads, coins, gems or “unlock more now” buttons aimed at kids.
Quality varies. A picture behind a door is fine for a toddler but won’t hold a seven-year-old’s interest for 24 days. Look at screenshots or a video before you choose.
Privacy. Kids’ apps shouldn’t ask your child for personal information. Check what’s collected and where.
A few minutes of something special, then off to play.
A checklist for choosing a digital advent calendar
Before you pick one, check that it has:
- No ads, anywhere.
- No chat or contact with other players.
- Nothing to buy inside the game. One clear price, paid by a grown-up, outside the game.
- Short daily sessions. A new thing each day, not hours of grinding.
- Something that builds. Will day 20 still be exciting?
- Read-aloud or picture-led play for younger kids.
- A plan for missed days. Presents should wait, not disappear.
- Works on your devices, ideally in a browser with nothing to install.
- A free trial, so your kids can try it before you pay.
Keeping it healthy
A digital calendar works best as part of December, not instead of it. A few ideas:
- Open it at the same time every day, then put the device away.
- Play it together sometimes. Ask them to show you what’s new.
- Pair it with something offline. If today’s surprise was a gingerbread house, bake gingerbread. If it was a snowman, build one (or draw one if there’s no snow).
- Keep it out of bedtime. Mornings or after school work better.
How we built Cubemas
We made Cubemas with this checklist in mind. Every day a present lands on your child’s blocky snowy island. They tap it open and watch the surprise build itself, block by block: a cabin, a train, an ice castle, eventually a baby dragon and Santa’s sleigh. Then they can tap around and play for as long as you like.
There are no ads, no chat and nothing to buy inside the game. Everything is read aloud. The first five days are free, and unlocking the rest is a single payment by a grown-up. Missed days wait, and you can start any day you like.
Whether you choose Cubemas or something else, a good digital advent calendar can be a lovely, low-clutter way to count down to Christmas. Just make sure it was built for kids, not for clicks.
