The Great Pretenders Build-a-Bot Holiday Advent Calendar is a 24-day countdown where kids collect 21 magnetic robot parts and 3 stickers, then mix and match the parts to build three robots by Christmas. It is a building toy disguised as an advent calendar, and it needs no batteries.

What's inside

• 24 doors
• 21 magnetic robot parts, including heads, bodies, arms and bases
• 3 robot-themed stickers
• Enough parts to build three complete robots

How it works

Each day reveals either a robot part or a sticker. Because the parts connect with magnets, kids can start building from the first few days and keep swapping heads, arms and bases between the three robots as new pieces arrive.

What kids learn

• Early engineering: seeing how parts fit together to make a whole
• Fine motor skills: lining up and connecting the magnetic pieces
• Creativity: the parts mix and match, so every robot can be rebuilt differently
• Patience: waiting for the next part to complete a robot

Good to know before you buy

• Age: Great Pretenders doesn't publish an age on its listing for this calendar. Its other calendars are rated 3 and up, and this one contains small parts and magnets, so we would keep it away from children under 3 and younger siblings.
• Magnets: the robots connect with magnets. Supervise play and keep loose pieces off the floor.
• What it isn't: these are building figures, not motorized or coding robots.
• Value: $50 at Maisonette for 24 days, and you keep three reusable robots.
• When to order: the countdown starts December 1, so order by mid-November to leave time for shipping.

Who it's for

Preschoolers and early elementary kids who love robots, building and taking things apart, and families who want a toy-based advent calendar instead of candy.