Advent calendar activities 2026: a dated 24-day plan
A standard Advent calendar runs from Tuesday 1 December to Thursday 24 December 2026. This plan gives you one activity for every day, matched to the real day of the week, so weeknights are quick and the weekends get the bigger jobs. Every day has a free idea. Free, printable, nothing to sign up for.
Advent 2026 at a glance
Advent Sunday: Sun 29 Nov · Day 1: Tue 1 Dec · Day 24: Thu 24 Dec. That is - to Day 1. Weekends in the plan: 5 and 6, 12 and 13, 19 and 20 December.
Set up your plan
Tick Busy next to any date to swap in the five-minute version. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere, so print it before you close the page.
Advent activities 1 to 24 December 2026
| Day | Activity |
|---|
How the plan works
- Dates and weekdays. The dates and days of the week are computed for 2026, so Day 1 is a Tuesday and Christmas Eve is a Thursday.
- Weeknights. Monday to Friday ideas are meant to take about 15 to 30 minutes (our suggestion). Weekend ideas can run longer.
- Dated days. Thursday 10 December is Save the Children's Christmas Jumper Day. Friday 18 December is the last day for second-class Christmas cards in Royal Mail's published dates. Both come from our Christmas 2026 key dates page.
- Swap anything. These are our own ideas, not a rule. Move days around to suit your week.
More free tools for December
- Christmas 2026 key dates UK: Advent, Black Friday, Jumper Day, bank holidays and a live countdown.
- Stir-up Sunday 2026 cake and pudding schedule
- Christmas elf ideas generator and the elf arrival letter
- Secret Santa generator
Common questions
When does Advent start in 2026?
Advent Sunday 2026 is 29 November, but a standard Advent calendar with doors from 1 to 24 December starts on Tuesday 1 December and ends on Thursday 24 December, Christmas Eve.
What can I put in an Advent calendar without spending money?
Activities. This plan has a free idea for every one of the 24 days: things like a family film night, paper snowflakes, a kitchen disco, a kindness job or a quiz. Eleven of the days also have an optional low-cost swap, such as baking or buying a stamp, and you can leave those out.
What if we are too busy on some nights?
Tick Busy next to that date and the plan swaps in a five-minute version of the same idea, so the habit carries on without a big job.
Is this for a particular age?
The ideas are written for a family with children of primary school age, and they work for a mixed group. Pre-schoolers will want to do the simplest version, and older children can take charge of the planning.
Do I need to sign up or give an email address?
No. The list is built in your browser. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere, so print it before you close the page.
Activity ideas written by TCH Works. Dates for Christmas Jumper Day and Royal Mail posting come from the sources listed on our key dates page, checked 3 November 2026.