Kids' advent calendar · 24 days · ages 7 to 11
Who Pinched the Christmas Pudding? A kids' advent calendar to print.
Grandma Badger's prize pudding is gone from the Bakery tent at the Snowdrop Wood Christmas Fair, and 12 animals are under suspicion. Each day in December, your young detectives solve one puzzle and use the answer to unlock a new lead. On Christmas Eve, a single suspect remains.
7.99 EUR for the printable calendar
Instant download · A4 and US Letter PDFs · print for your own household
A day's card opens with a few lines of story, short enough to read aloud, and then the puzzle. Once children have the answer word, they turn the card over and read the folded strip. On odd dates it holds a clue that takes one or two suspects off the board. On even dates it holds a square of the fair map, and they draw the next stretch of a trail of crumbs.
On Christmas Eve, with one animal left and the crumbs at an end, they open a sealed letter that says whether they solved it.
Siblings can share the story, because a card holds two puzzles with one answer. The Elf puzzle suits ages 7 to 8, and the Detective puzzle suits ages 9 to 11. Children can test an answer themselves with a check strip that confirms a word without printing it. You keep the answer file, which has 2 hints for each puzzle, in case someone gets stuck.
Is it the right one?
- You want a countdown with a story to follow instead of chocolate.
- Your children are 7 to 11 and like codes, mazes and word puzzles.
- You are sending it as a present. A gift card to fold and 24 tags for envelopes are included, and the color pages also come in a low-ink copy.
For one game instead of 24 days, The Sleigh That Wouldn't Fly is a Christmas escape room for ages 8 and up. Teens and adults may prefer After Hours at Halloway's, an escape room advent calendar.
Before you buy
Can two children of different ages share one calendar?
Yes. The Elf puzzle and the Detective puzzle on a card lead to one answer word, so they follow the same story and the same board. For a shared board, solve together. For a board each, print one per child.
How much does a grown-up need to do?
Printing and cutting at the start, and reading the story aloud if your child would like that. A setup page takes you through it. After that the only job is helping when someone gets stuck, and the answer file has 2 hints for each puzzle.
What if we miss a day?
Do two cards the next day and carry on.
Do we have to hide anything?
No. The cards can suggest a spot for a small treat if you want to add one, but the mystery works without it.
Which paper sizes do I get?
Both A4 and US Letter, as separate downloads in one purchase. Nothing is posted to you.