Hot Wheels Advent Calendar 2026: What Is Inside, and Past Years

The Hot Wheels advent calendar Mattel sells as its 2026 edition (model JLG41) has 24 doors: 10 die-cast cars at 1:64 scale, including an exclusive snow globe car with a yeti driver, and 14 winter accessories such as a gingerbread house. Ten ornament clips hang the cars on a tree. Mattel rates it for ages 3 and up.

What is inside the Hot Wheels 2026 Advent Calendar

Mattel’s Hot Wheels 2026 Advent Calendar opens one door a day for 24 days. Ten doors hold a die-cast car at 1:64 scale, and the other 14 hold winter accessories. Mattel names a reindeer, a sleigh and a gingerbread house among them.

The exclusive car. One of the 10 cars is a snow globe car with a yeti at the wheel. Mattel and Smyths Toys both list it as found only in this calendar.

The ornament clips. Ten clips come in the box, one per car, so each car can hang on the Christmas tree. That makes the calendar a tree decoration as well as a toy.

In all, the box holds 34 pieces: 10 cars, 14 accessories and 10 clips.

Which year is it? 2025 and 2026 labels

The year on a Hot Wheels calendar is not always the year you buy it. Mattel’s own store and Smyths Toys call model JLG41 the 2026 calendar. Walmart lists a calendar with the same 10-car layout as the 2025 edition, and ToyWiz titles its listing “2026 Holiday (2025 Holiday)”.

The safest way to identify one is by its contents and model number, not the title:

• 10 cars, 14 accessories, 10 ornament clips, snow globe yeti car: the current JLG41 calendar.
• 8 cars and 16 accessories, with a playmat: the 2024 calendar, per Walmart’s listing.

Ask the seller for a photo of the back of the box, which shows the contents and the model number.

How past Hot Wheels advent calendars compare

Hot Wheels has made a holiday calendar for several years, and the mix of cars and accessories has changed. Here is what retailer listings show for recent editions.

The newer layout trades two accessories for two more cars, plus the clips. For a child who wants cars above all, that is the better box.

Buying a sealed past-year calendar

Past-year Hot Wheels calendars still turn up sealed on resale sites, which helps if you missed one or want its exclusive car. A few checks keep that safe.

1. Confirm the edition from the contents list on the box, as above.
2. Look for intact doors and shrink wrap in the photos. An opened calendar may be missing its exclusive car.
3. Check the box corners in the photos if the calendar is a gift for a collector who keeps boxes.
4. Read seller feedback for comments on packing.

Want something similar from another die-cast brand? Mattel’s Matchbox brand made a 2023 advent calendar with 10 Matchbox cars at 1:64 scale and holiday accessories, and a box front that opens into a playmat, according to Noble Knight Games. It is out of print, so look for it sealed.

Hot Wheels calendar safety for younger kids

Mattel rates the Hot Wheels calendar for ages 3 and up and carries a small parts warning. The CPSC small-parts rule bans small parts in toys meant for children under 3, and the tiny accessories in this calendar are exactly that kind of piece.

For calendars that suit younger children, our kids’ advent calendar guide sorts picks by age. Building fans might prefer a LEGO advent calendar, and our how to choose an advent calendar guide covers reading a contents list before you buy.