LEGO Friends Advent Calendar 2022 – Daily Countdown
December 1, 2022
|
18
18
Hello and welcome (back!) to the Jay’s Brick Blog daily countdown of the 2022 LEGO Friends Advent Calendar!
After a successful 2021 Friends Advent Calendar, I’m back with Friends again this year, especially since my 6-year old daughter would not let us go a year without a Friends Advent Calendar.
The 2020 Friends Advent Calendar was quite an underwhelming experience, but I’m confident that this year will be slightly better!
This year, in addition to Friends, I’ll be counting down 3 other Advent Calendars – Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Guardians of the Galaxy!
You can check out each countdown here
- 2022 LEGO Harry Potter Advent Calendar
- 2022 LEGO Friends Advent Calendar
- 2022 Guardians of the Galaxy Advent Calendar
- 2022 LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar
How does the daily advent calendar countdown work?
If you’re new here, I post daily updates on each window of the 2022 Friends Advent Calendar. I usually post updates in the morning, but sometimes if things get too busy, updates will be posted in the evening. I’ll update this post each day, as I don’t really enjoy the practice of creating new posts for each day as it keeps it so much cleaner, so bookmark this post to come back every day!
Unlike other sites, I’m actually opening each window as I go, and I’ve been able to be relatively spoiler-free to be as surprised as I can get. All reviews, thoughts and reactions are live as we go along, there are no pre-planned photos or thoughts, unless I happen to be travelling or away from home.
Do note that I’m based in Melbourne, Australia (GMT +11) so we’re ahead of most of the world (except New Zealand) so to avoid spoilers, try to come back to this post after you’ve opened your window and built the daily model especially if you’re located in other time zones.
PS: If you’re planning to buy any LEGO for Christmas and would like to support the work I do blog, please use these affiliate links if you’re shopping on Amazon, Amazon Australia or LEGO.com!
I receive a small commission if you purchase something, which goes a long way in paying for equipment and server costs, and of course LEGO I purchase for content. All my advent calendars (except for Guardians of the Galaxy) were purchased myself.
To make it easier for you to check out each day’s section, as this post is going to grow longer with every new window, all you have to do is click on the Day you want, and you will instantly jump to the corresponding section.
- Day 1 – Olivia
- Day 2 – Model Rocket
- Day 3 – Popcorn Stand
- Day 4 – Spinning Wheel
- Day 5 – Rainbow Llama
- Day 6 – Ava
- Day 7 – Hot Dog Stand
- Day 8 – Hot Chocolate Fountain
- Day 9 – Campfire Marshmallows
- Day 10 – Snowman
- Day 11 – Ice Skating Rink
- Day 12 – Gift Stall
- Day 13 – Microphone and Speaker
- Day 14 – Santiago
- Day 15 – Snowball Launcher
- Day 16 – Penguin Presents
- Day 17 – Baby Reindeer
- Day 18 – Reindeer Sleigh
- Day 19 – Reindeer Stall
- Day 20 – Christmas Tree
- Day 21 – Milk Stall
- Day 22 – Santa Photos
- Day 23 – Santa Chair
- Day 24 – Santa Claus
While you’re here, please also subscribe to the blog if you’d like to find out about other posts which cover LEGO news, reviews and random musings!
To get the latest LEGO news and LEGO Reviews straight in your inbox, subscribe via email, or you can also follow on Google News, or socials on Facebook, Instagram (@jayong28), Twitter or subscribe to the Jay’s Brick Blog Youtube channel.
To follow along, it’s best to bookmark this post to check back each day. You can also find a link to this post from the home page via a link in the top navigation bar. If you’re on mobile, you have to expand the burger menu (the button with the 3 lines) to find it.
Like all advent calendars, the flap of the calendars fold out, to form a little playmat of sorts where the little daily mini builds and characters can be displayed.
This year, we have a snapshot of a Christmas market, with some of the characters included featured alongside Christmas stalls, and what looks to be Heartlake’s very own Winter Village.
You count upwards from 1 to 24, so don’t make the mistake of going backwards!
As always, the instructions are found on the inside of each window flap, so be gentle when opening them as you’ll need to sometimes refer to them for slightly more complicated builds!
Without wasting any time, let’s get started with the 2022 Friends Advent Calendar countdown!
Day 1
Mimicking last year’s Advent Calendar, we begin Day 1 with an Olivia minidoll, who’s dressed in her Heartlake High jacket, a pink skirt with very fun leggings with planet and star patterns.
There are no exclusive elements, but her torso has only showed up once in 41682 Heartlake City School, and I love her leggings.
Here’s a look at the back which is plain.
All in all, a pretty good Day 1 for an Advent Calendar, and it seems like this year’s story will revolve around Olivia and her experience with Christmas judging from the box and packaging!
Check in tomorrow to see what we get in Day 2!
Day 2
Day 2 of the Friends Advent Calendar gives us a model rocket and a workbench with a wrench! Olivia is a bit of a tinker and space-enthusiast, so it’s a great accompaniment to yesterday’s minidoll.
In my head, this is Olivia building her very own LEGO Saturn V rocket set!
And that’s it for Day 2 so far, check back tomorrow to see what Day 3 brings!
Day 3
Day 3’s build gives us a charming little Popcorn Stand, which suits the Christmas Market setting that we seem to be getting this year.
It’s a fairly simple build, but I like that we get a printed popcorn 1×1 brick, as well as 2 $5 coins (one’s an extra) with it.
Not too shabby of a build, and now we have food options for Olivia! Check in tomorrow to see what Day 4 brings!
Day 4
The Heartlake City Christmas market continues to take shape with Day 4’s very festively coloured Spinning Wheel Game. It cleverly uses an ice skate as a marker, and the wheel actually spins which is a fun interactive touch.
The build isn’t the most involved, but the colours are satisfyingly Christmasy, so I don’t mind this, especially since the wheel actually spins!
That’s it for Day 4 – plenty of market objects are beginning to take shape, and I hope we maybe get some drinks or more food next?
Check in tomorrow to see what we get in Day 5!
Day 5
I’m actually not sure what this is, so I’m just going to call it a Rainbow Llama! This adorable animal ride is bright and colourful, and I love the rainbow tile included. Bonus points that we get 2 Rainbow tiles!
The back has a section for a minidoll’s legs to lodge into, and a jumper plate with a stud, so Olivia can totally stand on it, or sit on this colourful Rideable Llama!
Not a bad inclusion so far, and it reminds me of those motorised animals that you can sometimes find in shopping centres.
Check back tomorrow to see what we get for Day 6!
Day 6
On Day 6, we get a microdoll, or a child minidoll in the form of Ava! This is Ava’s second appearance in a LEGO Friends set after 41444 Heartlake City Organic Cafe, and she’s dressed in a blue dress with floral decorations on it.
Microdolls are really cute, and unless you have a lot of Friends sets, they’re still somewhat rare, so this is a fun one to get.
Here’s a look at Ava’s back.
An extra bonus is that she fits the Rainbow Llama (or Unicorn!) a lot better than Olivia!
That’s it for Day 6, check in tomorrow to see what Day 7 brings!
Day 7
The Christmas market continues to expand with Day 7’s Hot Dog Stand! The stand has suitably festive candy-cane colours, as well as a star on its roof, and we get a hot dog, plus a spare sausage which is always fun to get.
Here’s what we have for Day 7 so far! Fun fact, Ava, the microdoll can hold the spare sausage using the pointy ends!
Check in tomorrow to see what we get on Day 8!
Day 8
More food items for the market with this small Hot Chocolate Fountain. Or maybe just a regular chocolate fountain, but there are mugs with some cream/foam on them, so I’m guessing that this dispenses hot cocoa.
Not a bad build, and I love just how well the food options are developing. In between the Hot Dog Stand, Popcorn Stand and now Hot Chocolate, there’s plenty of playability built into the calendar so far.
See you tomorrow for Day 9!
Day 9
More food options are available in Day 9 of the 2022 LEGO Friends Advent Calendar with a simple campfire and 2 sticks with marshmallows on them.
It’s a pretty plain build, but more than fits in with the overall theme, and hey, who wouldn’t want more food options in a Christmas market?
Check back tomorrow to see what’s behind Day 10’s door!
Day 10
We’re at Day 10 of the 2022 LEGO Friends Advent Calendar, and we get this lovely Snowman, who has a teal heart on his body.
Snowpeople are a staple of LEGO Advent Calendars, and this one’s a nice break from all the food items, and feels suitably wintery.
It’s a simple build, but a neat little addition to add some seasonal flavour to the growing market scene. Come back tomorrow to see what Day 11 brings!
Day 11
Day 11 of the LEGO Friends Advent Calendar gives us a really cool build – a mini Ice Skating Rink! There’s so much to like, from the trans-blue tiles used for the ice, the use of a grill fence to hang the skates from, and the holly on each side.
It really adds so much to the scene, and gives Olivia a much-needed fun Winter activity to partake in!
One of my favourites from the Advent Calendar so far. Come back tomorrow to see what we get in Day 12!
Day 12
Day 12 gives us yet another stall, this time for gifts, I think! I really like the colour scheme of this Gift Stall, which eschews traditional red and green for a more aesthetic nougat and pink look, which help it stand out from some of the other builds.
There are 2 wrapped gifts on the stall, and I like the pearl gold leaf, with cherry above it.
The Christmas Market is quickly becoming filled up with plenty of varied activities and stalls now that we’re in the halfway point! Check back tomorrow to see what we get for Day 13!
Day 13
On Day 13, we get a speaker system and a microphone stand, perfect for belting out some Christmas carols!
It’s one of the more simple builds so far but at least it’s a little different from the other 12 days.
Hoping for a more interesting and festive build tomorrow, so check back to see what we get on Day 14!
Day 14
On Day 14, we get another microdoll, with Santiago! I love his big hair, and his t-shirt which has an adorable cartoon bee on it.
It’s always nice to get more characters, and now Ava has a kid friend to play with!
I was wondering when we’d get more characters, and am mighty pleased with Day 14, especially his super cute outfit.
Check back tomorrow to see what we get on Day 15!
Day 16
The 2022 LEGO Friends Advent Calendar gets dangerous in Day 16, with this snowball launcher! I was initially confused and thought I’d accidentally opened up a LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar window, but nope, we have a deadly Snowball Launcher, which uses the new tile launcher element.
You can flick out the white tiles by pressing down on the trigger, and aim at the stack of red cans to topple them down.
Day 16 is pretty fun! You can even pelt the smaller kids with Snowballs if you’d like. Can’t believe we got a big snowball blaster/launcher in a Friends Advent Calendar before Star Wars!
Day 16
On Day 16, we get a festive-coloured table, with some presents and a giant stuffed penguin! The Penguin is simple, yet well-designed and makes for a lovely gift for Olivia to choose from at the Christmas market.
This it’s pretty cute and I love that the Penguin is almost as big as the kids.
Check in tomorrow to see what we get for Day 17!
Day 17
On Day 17, we get another excellent gift out of the window – a Baby Reindeer! This entire animal is a single mould, and is a relatively rare animal, so it feels really good and thematically festive to get one.
It’s the perfect size for the little kids to ride, especially since it has a single stud on its back.
And here’s a comparison with a regular LEGO adult reindeer.
I always like it when we get animals, and wish we had more in the calendar, but the Baby Reindeer is a good start! Check back tomorrow to see what we get on Day 18!
Day 18
Wow! To go with yesterday’s Baby Reindeer, Day 18 gives us this awesome sleigh that can be attached to the Baby Reindeer!
It’s a really clever design, and even has space for both Olivia and a microdoll, with the other person riding on the Baby Reindeer. Poor baby has to work hard despite not being fully grown!
A great combo of days, and I love how playable it is. Check back tomorrow for Day 19 – we have less than a week remaining, can you believe it?
Day 19
On Day 19, to complete the trio of sets surrounding the Baby Reindeer is this Reindeer Stall that you can tie the Reindeer to when its not in use. There’s also another present, and a bale of hay for it to eat.
If the stall is too boring, you can also engage in some Reindeer Equestrian activities!
Day 20
It’s Day 20, and Christmas is swiftly approaching, which makes it the perfect time to build a LEGO Christmas Tree. Can I say that I LOVE the unorthodox design for this tree, which utilises these upside down 2×2 plant petal leaves for a really cool effect.
One of the nicer Christmas Trees that I’ve seen pop out of any Advent Calendar!
In the present, lifting open the lid reveals a cool trans-blue heart accessory!
That’s it for Day 20, come back tomorrow to see what we get on Day 21!
Day 21
On Day 21, we get a Milk and Cupcake stall! Possibly to lure Santa in, but in Heartlake City, they know how to step things up a notch with some delicious cupcakes.
I really like the white and green colour scheme, which sets it apart from some of the other market stalls. Really nice build, and the red mistletoe and holly really pops!
Check in tomorrow for what we get on Day 22!
Day 22
We’re approaching the end, with only 2 days left after this. Day 22’s window gives us a relatively simple build, a camera on a tripod, and some lights suggesting that Santa is on his way and we now have some gear for some Santa photos!
Santa photos are a common sight in Christmas markets, so it suits the theme. Check back tomorrow to see what we get on Day 23, as we close out the 2022 LEGO Friends Advent Calendar!
Day 23
On Day 23, we get a Santa Chair! Which means that someone special is almost here. Combined with yesterday’s camera and lighting, we now have all the ingredients for a Santa photo shoot or meet and greet!
I love how well the chair is designed, and the use of the gold leaves at the top.
Tomorrow is the final day, so check back in one final time to see how we end the 2022 LEGO Friends Advent Calendar and do a wrapup of this year’s Advent Calendar!
Day 24
On the final day of the 2022 Friends Advent Calendar, we get Santa Claus himself, who makes his debut as a minidoll! This is the first time we’ve gotten a male Santa Claus depicted as a minidoll, and his torso and legs are nicely decorated.
It’s a great companion to 2020’s Mrs Claus minidoll.
Here he is ascending his throne!
He’s all ready to greet the market visitors, and pose for Santa photos!
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
This has been a really good Friends Advent Calendar, and I like the Christmas market theme, which provides some cohesion throughout the days.
The Market Stalls and games have been nicely designed, and there’s plenty to do for Olivia and the 2 smaller kids.
If there is one thing I think they could do better, it’s the number of minidolls. Only getting Olivia, and Santa Claus, who arrives on the final day makes for a pretty spare Advent Calendar, especially when compared with other advent calendars, which have 6-8 characters.
That said, it definitely feels like a lot more stuff and the builds feel much more substantial.
A very special thank YOU for following every day of this year’s LEGO Friends Advent Calendar countdown.
Whether you’re here for the first time, or have been following for years, I’ve really enjoyed reading every single comment, and for yet another successful year!
A very Merry Christmas to all who are celebrating, and I hope you have some rattling boxes under your Christmas Tree! If you’re new to the blog, I’d love for you to stick around, so feel free to subscribe or follow my social channels below for your fix of LEGO news, reviews and more!
Merry Christmas, and hope to see you again next year!
To get the latest LEGO news and LEGO Reviews straight in your inbox, subscribe via email, or you can also follow on Google News, or socials on Facebook, Instagram (@jayong28), Twitter or subscribe to the Jay’s Brick Blog Youtube channel.
Looking for the other advent calendars? Here are links to the Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy and Harry Potter Advent Calendars!
To get the latest LEGO news and LEGO Reviews straight in your inbox, subscribe via email, or you can also follow on Google News, or socials on Facebook, Instagram (@jayong28), Twitter or subscribe to the Jay’s Brick Blog Youtube channel.
