Puzzle Advent Calendars: From LEGO to Logic

A magical calendar that’s sure to get the kids excited, the LEGO Harry Potter Advent calendar features 6 new minifigures including Aberforth Dumbledore and 18 mini builds of notable locations in Hogsmeade including The Three Broomsticks, the Hogs Head Inn, Zonko’s Joke Shop and Honeydukes.

Suitable for ages 7 and up, the minifigures and mini builds can be combined with other LEGO Harry Potter sets so the creative possibilities extend well beyond the Christmas season.

Not quite an Advent calendar as it covers the 12 days of Christmas rather than the traditional 24 days of Advent but all the same, this beautifully packaged calendar features 12 jigsaws, each made up of 80 pieces, featuring original illustrations by Louise Cunningham.

The puzzles are suitable for all ages so get the whole family involved. Cunningham’s illustrations are both quirky with a retro charm so you could even frame the finished pieces for some unique artwork for the house!

This calendar is a combination of a puzzle book and Advent calendar. Read the book and tackle the 24 riddles on your smartphone by scanning the QR codes on the pages. The puzzles themselves are brainteasers of all varieties but there are hints available for each, making it suitable for all solving abilities.

Whether you tackle the puzzles as a family or on your own, the main challenge will be sticking to one per day!

Another take on the escape room idea but without the digital component. In this calendar’s storyline, you are one of the chief toymakers in Santa’s workshop but a terrible storm hits, you need to find your way out of the workshop by solving a set of puzzles.

Each door in the calendar reveals a riddle, the solutions will help you work out which door to open the next day and ultimately towards your escape. Can you make it through the 24 challenges and locate Santa so he can deliver presents on time? Put on your thinking caps and save Christmas!

A build-it-yourself electronic games Advent calendar where you collect a new electronic component each day which can then be used to build 24 different games such as Code Breaker, Memory, Wire Maze, Whack a Mole and more.

The perfect gift for anyone who loves tinkering with electronics, with playable puzzles at the end!

With this calendar you’ll wake up each morning to a brand-new game to play! There are 25 different games available including Gift Runner, Arctic Adventures, Bauble Shooter, Penguin Runner, Holiday Jigsaw, TetriX-mas, Winterpong and Christmas Match 3.

Many of the games can also be played against others (indefinitely) so you can share the Christmas fun with friends and family well beyond the festive season.

A classic novelty gift found in Christmas crackers, the metal disentanglement puzzle is trickier than it looks at first glance. This Advent calendar features 24 metal puzzles to test your lateral thinking and logic every day.

Suitable for children and adults alike, it comes with drawings to help anyone who gets into a twist!

This calendar features a base jigsaw featuring irregular shaped pieces for an added challenge. It also features 25 stand up pieces which you collect and insert in to create a 3D masterpiece.

No reason why the family pooch should miss out on the fun — with this snuffle mat, you could create the Advent experience for your furry friend. Simply hide a tasty treat in different parts of this mat to encourage your dog to start puzzle solving too!

An advent-ure in 24 episodes, this calendar is one for the whole family as it’s suitable for 1-6 players, and ages 14 and above.

You’ll find 24 envelopes, each containing a letter that will help you solve the puzzle and work out which envelope to open the next day — can you crack the crime before Christmas?

Why not create your own puzzles-themed countdown? Invest in a fill-your-own Advent calendar and it can be reused every year, reducing waste and allowing you to customise the experience each time.

This one from Not On the High Street is made of wood, and doubles up as a lovely piece of Christmas decoration on your mantelpiece. You simply need to fill it with gifts of your choice.