13 Spooky Halloween Countdown Calendars to Make the Wait for October 31 Fly By
Enjoy a little treat every day—no tricks.
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When I was growing up, Halloween and Christmas were extremely distinct. Pumpkins and candy buckets were only around in October, and then they gave way for decorated trees and advent calendars in December.
Now, the line isn't so clear. White pumpkins make their ways into festive Christmas scenes, there are decorated trees for Halloween, and families can buy treat-a-day activities for Halloween that sure look a lot like advent calendars (although they're usually called countdown calendars, since they have nothing to do with the season of advent). And why not? If something brings joy to a family, there's no reason to confine it to just one slice of the year.
For families who love to celebrate in all the ways for all the holidays, these are the best Halloween countdown calendars for 2025. Like advent calendars, they're filled with everything from toys to candy to beauty products. Pick one up, and make the wait for trick-or-treating seem less endless.
It just isn't Halloween until The Simpsons airs its annual "Treehouse of Horror" episode. For those who have been a fan for the 30-plus seasons they've been doing it, this calendar has 31 days of 1.5-inch figures, including versions of the characters as they appear in the specials. Who wouldn't want a witchy Marge or Lisa as a snail? Ages 4+
Kids will never argue about adding more Squishmallows to their collections, no matter the size. This comes stuffed with 2.5-inch micro plush in the shape of their favorite Squishmallows. The 13 days include some accessories and seasonal favorite characters, like Livingston the Potion and Alva the Coffin, among others. And for even tinier delights, there's also the Squishmallows Squish-a-Longs calendar with 1-inch squishy toys ($20). Ages 6+
12 Days of Beetlejuice: The Ultimate Pin Collector's Countdown
Families who got into Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice last year can count down the days before Halloween with this calendar, which offers a new enamel pin every day. Designs include a sandworm, a shrunken head, and a Handbook for the Recently Deceased. It comes from Insight Editions, which also has Halloween countdown calendars for Harry Potter, Disney Villains, Hocus Pocus, and The Nightmare Before Christmas. No age recommendation given
RELATED: The Best Gifts for Beetlejuice Fans
Who's a fan of ghost type Pokémon? This calendar offers 13 days of delights for Pokéfans, including battle figures in different sizes—including Halloween favorites like Mimikyu and Greavard—plus seasonal accessories for them to pose with. It's available for pre-order now and will be released on October 15. Ages 3+
For tweens and teens who are into nail art, this calendar will help them accessorize for spooky season. Created in collaboration with nail influencer Kelli Marissa, this comes with nail polishes, stickers, and tools with Halloween-but-cute vibes. No age recommendation given
Worldwide Buddies Around the World Halloween Countdown
Kids can celebrate Halloween around the world without having to leave their homes. With this calendar, every day focuses on a different country, and each door holds a figure plus a craft or activity inspired by that country. Ages 4+
Funko Pop! Pocket Pop 13-Day Spooky Countdown Calendar
When horror fans think of Halloween, they think of the Universal monsters. This calendar celebrates those iconic characters with two-inch "Pocket Pops" of the classic villains, like Frankenstein's monster and Dracula, plus newer favorites like The Grabber. In addition, Funko also has Halloween countdown calendars for The Simpsons "Treehouse of Horror", The Nightmare Before Christmas, and other favorite horror movies. This one is available for pre-order now, and it'll be released on September 30. Ages 3+
For families who want just a little something silly to open every day, this one comes with 31 rubber ducks decked out in Halloween garb. You can also get a version that's a mix of ducks and Halloween squishies, or a version that's just the squishies. Ages 3+
Disney Halloween Countdown Library
This is a countdown calendar and an activity all rolled into one: Each day for 13 days, families will get a new Halloween story that features their favorite Disney characters. In addition, this comes with 80 Halloween stickers to keep the fun going after storytime is over. Ages 4+
Slime: It's the gross trend that never seems to go out of style. With this countdown calendar, there's 13 days of slime-related fun, including monster-themed slimes with different textures along with accessories and mix-ins. No age recommendation given
For some families, Halloween is about one thing: candy! If they can't wait until October 31 for a sweet treat, gift them this calendar, which has 13 days of goodies like gummy pumpkins, salt-water taffy candy corn, skull lollipops, and a pumpkin sugar cookie, among others. No age recommendation given
All the scruffy nerf herders will love the Halloween twists on favorite Star Wars characters included in this calendar. It comes with 13 figures, including things like a porg in a jack o'lantern or a vampire wampa. It''s sure to tide fans over until Life Day. Ages 3+
Those who literally just want to countdown the days until Halloween—no extra candy or toys needed—can look to this reusable calendar from Crate & Kids. There are 31 decorated pockets on this hanging calendar, and kids can move a plush pumpkin from pocket to pocket to mark the days. No age recommendation given
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
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