Little Dutch Advent Train Track FSC

Counting down to Christmas can be a slow, gentle ritual instead of a daily sugar rush. The Little Dutch Advent Train Track comes in a sturdy suitcase shaped like a little train station. Inside are 24 small surprise packages, one for each day of December. Each day your child opens one and finds a wooden piece to add to a festive train scene: a train, a Christmas tree, a reindeer, a snowman, signs, luggage and more. Bit by bit, the station comes to life.

What we love most is that nothing is used up. By Christmas Eve, your child has a complete wooden play scene to keep using all through the holidays and beyond. They can load the luggage, set up the signs, send the reindeer for a ride, and tell new stories every time. The pieces can be packed back into the suitcase, so you can use it as an advent calendar again next December. It also works alongside the Little Dutch Railway sets if you already have one at home.

It is made from FSC-certified wood and paper and finished with water-based, child-safe paints in Little Dutch’s soft, muted colours. It is a calm, beautiful alternative to a chocolate calendar, and a meaningful way to make waiting part of the fun.

What’s Included

• 1 × train-station-style storage suitcase / advent calendar
• 24 × numbered surprise packages, each containing a wooden piece or accessory
• Pieces include a festive train, Christmas tree, reindeer, snowman, traffic signs and luggage
• Total: 24 wooden pieces/accessories plus the suitcase
• Dimensions: 30.5 × 11.2 × 22.5 cm
• Recommended age: 2 years+

What the OT Says

I love advent calendars that give children something to do rather than something to eat. Opening a small package each morning is a real fine motor task. Your child holds the package steady with one hand while the other tears, peels or lifts it open. That is bilateral coordination at work, with one hand helping and one hand leading. Once the pieces are out, they are small enough to need a refined grip. Picking up a sign or placing luggage on the train encourages the pincer and tripod grasps children will later use for crayons, buttons and cutlery. Pushing the train along and positioning pieces carefully also builds hand-eye coordination and motor planning.

Advent is also a wonderful daily routine for building executive function skills. Waiting until tomorrow for the next piece is gentle, real-life practice in delayed gratification and impulse control. Finding today’s number, counting how many days are left, and remembering yesterday’s piece all support early numeracy, sequencing and working memory. Because each day adds only one new piece, the cognitive load stays small and manageable. That can be especially helpful for children who feel overwhelmed by big sets with many pieces at once.

As the scene grows, so does the language. Each new piece gives you something to talk about: who is travelling, where the reindeer is going, what is in the suitcase. Children practise naming, describing and telling stories, and pretend play gives them a safe space to explore ideas and feelings. If siblings share the calendar, taking turns to open the day’s package is a lovely, low-pressure way to practise patience and social-emotional skills.

Every child will use it differently, and that is exactly the point. Some will line pieces up, some will build stories, and some will simply enjoy the daily surprise. I’d recommend it for home as a festive family ritual. In a clinical setting, it also works well as a December routine with built-in fine motor and sequencing practice.