Target’s 12 Days Surprise Countdown Punch Box is a holiday favorite for kids of all ages but especially popular to send back to school with college students between Thanksgiving and Winter Break.
Why? Because most students on a semester schedule are typically back at school for about 12 days after Thanksgiving. Just the right amount of time for a cheerful daily treat during that last week of classes, projects and final exams.
Every holiday season, we get the same great questions from our Facebook & Instagram communities:
We made a full video showing the inside of the box and took measurements for you too! Each of the 12 compartments is a 4″ x 4″ square and 5″ deep, giving you enough space for fun-sized surprises without needing to overthink.
So now the fun part – filling it! Read on for ideas for how to fill the 12 boxes for this year and be sure to read to the end to find out how to reuse this year after year.
Pickup the punch box at Target as soon as you can. It went online the first week of September in 2025 and sold out within 3 days. It will come back at some point and then go in and out of stock through October and November as it does every year. If you see it in stock, order it ASAP!
Absolutely no need to do this, but just sharing that some choose to decorate the 4 sides of the punch box before gifting it to their student. You can personalize it, wish them luck with finals, whatever works for you and will make your student feel special.
After the box is empty, don’t toss it! If it went to college, request that it come back home for winter break. With a little wrapping, scrapbook or tissue paper and tape, you can refill it again next year – or turn it into an 18th birthday countdown, high school graduation countdown, spring finals motivator, or roommate “12 days of smiles” surprise.
If your student won’t be able to come home for Thanksgiving or is an airplane ride from home, you might consider shipping a loaded Target Punch Box to their college residence.
The box is 16.5″ x 13″ x 5″ which exceeds USPS flat rate dimensions, so it will be expensive to go with USPS or FedEx.
UPS Ground via PirateShip or Shippo is likely the cheapest for boxes over 1,000 cubic inches + under 10 lbs. Estimated Cost for these services to arrive in 2-4 days would be $10–$15 to nearby states and $15–$22 coast-to-coast. Keep this in mind when considering what to pack in the boxes. Candy is heavy! 🙂
If your packed box weighs under 4 lbs, USPS Ground Advantage may be slightly cheaper than UPS (e.g., ~$8–$14 depending on distance), but anything 5lbs or heavier would be best through UPS.
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🤞We hope you found this Target Punch Box guide helpful and will consider sharing it with friends. If you have more ideas, please share them in the comments below. Thank you!
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