Christmas Jumper Day 2026 is on Thursday 10 December. Save the Children asks everyone taking part to wear a festive jumper and donate, with a suggested £2 for adults and £1 for children. If your school or office has already sent the reminder, the real question is usually a practical one: where do you get a jumper that won't cost more than the donation?
This guide covers the confirmed details, what a Christmas jumper actually costs at the main UK retailers right now, and how to take part for next to nothing — including options that don't involve buying anything new at all.
Christmas Jumper Day 2026 at a glance
| Detail | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Date | Thursday 10 December 2026 |
| Organised by | Save the Children UK |
| Suggested donation | £2 per adult, £1 per child |
| Can you pick another day? | Yes — groups can hold it on a date that suits them |
| Where to sign up | jumpers.savethechildren.org.uk (free) |
| Raised in 2025 | £2.6 million, according to Save the Children |
| Raised since 2012 | More than £42 million |
Details above are taken from Save the Children's official Christmas Jumper Day page, checked on 18 October 2026.
How Christmas Jumper Day works
The idea is simple: you wear a Christmas jumper on the day and give a small donation to Save the Children. Most people take part through school, nursery or work, but you can join in at home too.
- Sign up for free on Save the Children's Christmas Jumper Day site. You don't have to, but signing up gets you the fundraising pack.
- Get the free resources. The pack includes posters (plus a template you can edit), games, a quiz, decoration guides and assembly presentations. Schools can also download lesson plans for Key Stages 1 to 4.
- Wear your jumper on the day — or on the date your school or workplace has chosen.
- Donate, either by collecting cash or through a JustGiving fundraising page.
If your child's school has asked for a different amount, go with whatever the school has set. Some groups run their own twists, such as asking for 50p to request a song.
How much does a Christmas jumper cost in 2026?
Prices vary enormously. You can pay less than the £2 donation for a second-hand jumper, or more than £400 for a designer one. For most families, the high street and supermarket clothing ranges are where the sensible money is.
Primark: the cheapest new option we found
Primark's Christmas jumper range is the clearest benchmark for a low-cost new jumper. On 18 October 2026, its UK Christmas jumpers page listed 33 styles priced between £6 and £18:
- Kids' jumpers start at £6 (a Fair Isle jumper for ages 7–15), with plenty of £7 and £8 styles for ages 1–9, including Santa, bauble and slogan designs.
- Baby jumpers and cardigans (0–18 months) were mostly £8.
- Adult jumpers started from around £7–£8, with most women's and men's styles between £14 and £16.
- Licensed character jumpers (for example Winnie the Pooh and The Grinch) sat at the top of the range, at £18.
Primark also sells "twinning" family ranges, so you can match adults, kids and even the dog without paying premium prices. Bear in mind that stock moves quickly in late November and early December, and popular sizes go first.
ASOS: wide range, sale prices worth watching
ASOS carries a huge range — on 18 October its women's Christmas jumpers page started at £7.49 (an ASOS DESIGN jumper reduced from £22) and went all the way up to a £425 designer knit. That spread is the point: ASOS is good for finding a reduced own-brand style, but it's easy to drift upwards if you filter by brand rather than price. Sort by "price low to high" first.
Before you order, check the latest ASOS voucher codes — a student discount or a percentage-off code can make an already reduced jumper cheaper still.
Supermarkets: George, F&F and Tu
Asda (George), Tesco (F&F) and Sainsbury's (Tu) all run Christmas clothing ranges, including jumpers for kids and adults and matching family sets. They're handy because you can pick one up with the weekly shop rather than making a special trip. Prices change through the season and these ranges often go into multi-buy offers, so it's worth checking in store or online in late November rather than buying the first one you see.
If you shop at Tesco, you can see current offers on our Tesco voucher codes page.
Department stores: better quality, higher prices
M&S and John Lewis offer more traditional knits, often with higher natural-fibre content. They cost more, but they're a better bet if you want a jumper that will last several Christmases rather than one that will be outgrown or pilled by January.
Quick price comparison
| Where | Typical price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Charity shops / Save the Children shops | Often a few pounds | Cheapest option, and the money goes to charity |
| Vinted / eBay | Varies — often low for kids' sizes | Specific sizes or designs, used once |
| Primark | £6–£18 (checked 18 Oct 2026) | Cheapest new jumpers, family matching |
| Supermarkets (George, F&F, Tu) | Varies; watch for multi-buys | Convenience, kids' sizes |
| ASOS | From £7.49 on sale (checked 18 Oct 2026) | Choice, adult styles, sale bargains |
| M&S, John Lewis | Higher | Better quality, re-wearing for years |
Prices change frequently and depend on stock. Always check the retailer's site before you buy.
Six ways to do Christmas Jumper Day for less
1. Don't buy one at all — "Christmas-ify" a jumper you own
There's no rule that it has to be a shop-bought Christmas jumper. Save the Children's own resources include decoration guides, and a plain jumper with felt shapes, a bit of tinsel or a few safety-pinned pompoms counts. For younger children, this often goes down better than a bought one — and it costs pennies.
2. Buy second-hand first
Save the Children itself suggests buying a second-hand knit rather than a new one, and points people towards its charity shops and online shop. Charity shops tend to fill up with Christmas jumpers from November onwards, as people clear out last year's. If you'd like to know where second-hand genuinely beats new prices (and where it doesn't), our guide to saving money buying pre-loved covers it.
3. Swap with other parents
Kids outgrow Christmas jumpers almost every year. A quick message in the class WhatsApp group or a box at the school gate in late November can turn last year's jumpers into this year's — for free. Some schools and PTAs run swap rails specifically for this.
4. Size up for children
If you're buying new for a child, consider going one size up so the jumper lasts into next December. Sleeves can be rolled for a year. Our UK children's clothing size guide explains how to measure properly rather than relying on the age on the label.
5. Time your purchase
Black Friday falls on 27 November 2026, roughly two weeks before Christmas Jumper Day. Clothing retailers commonly include Christmas ranges in their Black Friday and early-December promotions, so if you need to buy new, that's a sensible window — early enough to get the right size, late enough to catch an offer. Don't leave online orders until the final week: you'll be competing with the wider Christmas rush, which our Christmas delivery deadlines guide explains.
And if you're happy to plan a year ahead, Christmas jumpers are usually among the first things reduced once Christmas is over.
6. Use a code or cashback if you're ordering online
If you're buying online anyway — especially a full family set — check for a discount code before you pay, and see whether a cashback site will track the order on top. Our guide on how to stack discount codes and cashback explains the order to do it in so neither one fails. You can browse current offers on our fashion voucher codes page, or the baby and child category for kids' clothing.
Watch out for very cheap marketplace jumpers
Some of the lowest prices you'll see are on overseas marketplaces and social-media ads. A few things to keep in mind before you order:
- Delivery times. If it ships from abroad, it may not arrive before 10 December.
- Sizing. Non-UK sizing is often smaller than expected. Check the measurements in centimetres, not the size label.
- Copycat sites. Seasonal products are a favourite for fake shops. If a site has prices that seem too good and no clear returns address, read our checklist on how to spot a fake shopping website first.
Is a new Christmas jumper bad for the environment?
It's a fair question, and one that comes up every year. Research by the environmental charity Hubbub in 2019 checked 108 Christmas jumpers from 11 high street and online retailers and found that 95% were made wholly or partly of plastic fibres. The same research found two in five Christmas jumpers are worn only once over the festive period, and estimated that 12 million would be sold that year despite 65 million already sitting in UK wardrobes.
Those figures are a few years old, so treat them as a guide rather than a current measure. But the practical takeaway still holds: the cheapest jumper is usually the one you already own, and the next cheapest is someone else's. If you do buy new, choosing one you'll genuinely wear again — or one a younger sibling can inherit — makes it better value as well as less wasteful.
Ideas for schools and workplaces
If you're the one organising, Save the Children's suggestions include:
- A boss vs headteacher (or manager vs team) jumper challenge — the most outrageous jumper wins.
- A cake sale on the day.
- Song requests for a donation, such as 50p a track.
A few low-cost additions that work well: a jumper swap rail the week before, so nobody has to buy one; a "best home-made jumper" category to encourage decorating rather than buying; and a contactless donation link for staff who don't carry cash.
Frequently asked questions
When is Christmas Jumper Day 2026?
Thursday 10 December 2026. Schools and workplaces can choose a different day if that suits them better, so check with your child's school.
How much should you donate on Christmas Jumper Day?
Save the Children suggests £2 for adults and £1 for children, but any amount helps and some schools set their own figure.
Do you have to wear a proper Christmas jumper?
No. Any festive top works, and decorating a jumper you already own is encouraged. Save the Children's free pack includes decoration ideas.
Where can I buy a cheap Christmas jumper in the UK?
For new jumpers, Primark had styles from £6 for kids and around £7–£8 for adults when we checked on 18 October 2026. Charity shops, Vinted and eBay are usually cheaper still, and supermarket clothing ranges often run multi-buy offers closer to December.
Who does Christmas Jumper Day raise money for?
Save the Children UK. According to the charity, the 2025 event raised £2.6 million, and Christmas Jumper Day has raised more than £42 million since it began in 2012.
Is Christmas Jumper Day the same as Children in Need?
No. They're separate events run by different charities. Christmas Jumper Day is Save the Children's appeal, held in December; BBC Children in Need is a separate November appeal.
The bottom line
Christmas Jumper Day is meant to cost you a couple of pounds, not a new outfit. Decorate something you already own, borrow or swap if you can, buy second-hand next, and if you do buy new, a £6–£8 high street jumper bought around Black Friday — sized up for the kids — is all most families need. Then put the money you've saved towards the donation.