Online Advent Calendar 2026

What’s behind the doors

Seven puzzles take turns, and the same one never comes up two days running:

• Tango with ornaments and snowflakes in place of suns and moons
• Zip, where the line you draw is a candy cane
• Wend, with only Christmas words hidden in the letters
• Mini Sudoku, and a full 9×9 Sudoku behind three of the doors
• Patches in wrapping-paper colours
• Pips, the domino puzzle

Doors 1 to 7 are easy. Doors 8 to 16 are a step up, most of the last eight are hard, and door 24 is a 9×9 Sudoku for Christmas Eve.

How it works

• Tap today’s door to open it. Doors whose day hasn’t come yet stay shut.
• Finish the puzzle and the door shows your time. You get a card to send to the family chat, with a little box for every door you’ve opened so far.
• Play on the day and you build a run of days in a row. Missed one? Go back and open it anyway; it just won’t count toward the run.
• Every door has a Hint button. Reveal shows the whole answer, but then the door doesn’t count as opened.

Waiting for December? Try today’s daily puzzles, a Christmas word search, Christmas trivia, or draw names for Secret Santa.

Questions

Is it free?

Yes, all 24 doors, with no sign-up.

When does a door open?

At midnight on its day, in your own time zone.

Can I open a door early?

No, that’s what makes it an advent calendar. The practice door is open now if you want to see how the puzzles look.

I missed a few days. Can I catch up?

Yes. Every door stays open once its day has come, so you can do three in one sitting on a Sunday.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. The puzzles are made for touch screens and work just as well with a mouse.

Can children play?

The first week suits older children who like Sudoku. For younger ones, the Christmas word search for kids is a better fit.

Where is my progress kept?

In the browser you play in, on that device. There is no account, so open the calendar on the same phone or computer each day to keep your row of opened doors.