Spend on toys increases to almost £100 per child this Christmas
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Parents plan on spending £279.49 on average this Christmas, with £95.58 expected to be spent on toys per child, up from £89.79 per child in 2023. Now, as Christmas creeps closer, the toy experts at Very have analysed sales data from the last 12 months across the top 100 toys to reveal the most popular toys.
The UK’s Most Popular Toys
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Hide AdAccording to sales figures from Very over the last 12 months, the most popular toy purchased across the UK is the Dobby the House Elf set from the LEGO Harry Potter collection.
Dobby is not the only member of the LEGO family in the top 10, with the magical Hogwarts Castle set from the Harry Potter range also featuring, alongside the Up House from the LEGO Disney collection which was the second most popular toy.
A survey of 1,000 parents across the UK commissioned by Very uncovered that LEGO is the toy that people most enjoyed playing with as children, with more than 30% of respondents choosing LEGO ahead of any other toy - the popularity of the collection remains evident in 2024.
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Hide AdNaturally, Barbie accessories were another favourite, with a number of her iconic transport options featuring within the top 10. The Barbie Dream Boat, Barbie Dream House Playset and Barbie Dream Camper have all been popular with Barbie owners, no doubt encouraged by watching them in action in last year’s Barbie blockbuster at the cinema.
Hot Wheels, Crayola items and the Bitzee Interactive Digital Pet also made the top 10 list based on the number of sales across the UK in the last 12 months.
Nostalgic Toys and Games
The survey also revealed the favourite childhood toys and games of parents, as well as their toy-buying habits now that they have children of their own. It was revealed that while two thirds (66%) of those surveyed said that their favourite toy is still available today (namely LEGO and Barbie), there are a few childhood favourites that are missing from today’s toy shelves.
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Hide AdAmongst the nostalgic toys that parents wish were more widely available today is the Tamagotchi, with 15% of those asked saying they would like to see this toy more. Power Rangers figurines are another childhood favourite that parents wish they could still buy today, with 10% of respondents saying they miss this toy the most.
Despite many childhood favourites no longer being available to buy, almost two thirds of parents (63%) said that they plan to purchase (or have already) some variation of their own favourite toy for their children.
Choosing and Buying Toys
Educational toys are more important to parents than anything else, with 47% of parents saying this is their major consideration, followed by whether it is interactive (37%), if it encourages creativity and imagination (33%), and that the toy should be age appropriate for safety (32%).
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Hide AdWhen it comes to buying toys, the main focus for parents is making sure that the toy matches the interests of their child (76%), while many also rely heavily on reviews and recommendations with 65% agreeing that they are more likely to buy toys that have been recommended by other parents, while 60% check the online reviews when choosing toys.
The price of the toy is the fifth consideration for 30% of parents, followed by whether it is colourful (27%).
Of the parents surveyed, average spend for LEGO this Christmas per child will be £50.79, the most of any other toy brand analysed, while Hot Wheels placed second with an average expected spend of £37.59 followed by Marvel character dolls with an average of £37.36 being spent this year. Another Hasbro favourite, Furby, is also high on Christmas wish lists this year with an average expected spend of £30.96 per child for this interactive toy, according to the 1,000 parents surveyed.
Toys and Social Skills
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Hide AdThe majority of parents think it’s important that toys encourage their children to be active and let their imaginations run wild, with 90% agreeing that playing with toys is an integral part of childhood development. More than 8-in-10 of those surveyed think playing with toys leads to better focus and creativity, and 85% think that toys help kids to develop social skills and learn how to interact with others.
When it comes to bonding between parent and child, 88% of those surveyed said they cherish the moments of bonding and play they share through toys.
Qualified child counsellor and Sunday Times best-selling author of There's No Such Thing As Naughty, Kate Silverton explains the importance of developmental play for familial bonding.
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Hide Ad“I always recommend parents say ‘yes’ to play as often as they can. Play has a key role in our children’s lives for good reason. It helps with your child’s emotional growth... And, it can help us to de-stress too, given there is a very powerful, important play system within us all.
“Children KNOW how to play! So they will tell us what to do. It helps if we can resist the urge to organise or suggest things that WE might enjoy, rather it’s actually lovely to be able to sit back and go with the flow. Simply follow your child’s lead and let them choose the games that appeal to them.
“You might be surprised by their choice of what they enjoy, it's often the simplest things… Children have wonderful imaginations.”
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Hide AdKate’s advice for parents when choosing toys this Christmas:
Let your children show you what things they are interested in.
“With older children you can plan a fun shopping trip or hop online, and discuss together what toys they feel drawn to, and even explore why!
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Hide Ad“If you can show me the things you really like playing with, so I can get to know what you like doing and then I can get you the gifts I know you will enjoy’.”
Observe what toys they seem drawn to.
“Or when they are at friends’ houses, or at pre-school. We might observe ‘wow I can see how you REALLY love that purple monster ! Hmmm… ok mummy/daddy sees that!’ And make a note for Christmas!
“It's really important to give our children the freedom to choose toys that appeal to them, whether it’s dolls, cars, building blocks or dress-up costumes. Play helps to inform a child’s sense of self – toys are tools for learning and emotional expression, and children benefit most when they have the space to explore them in their own way.”
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Hide AdKate finishes by adding: “Play should be a positive, nurturing experience without us enforcing our own adult ideas about behaviour, roles or values. Overall, toys and playing help our children of all ages make sense of their world. I always say the best gift we can give to our children is our time, given time with us is what our children crave more than anything in the world – bringing the two together is magical.”
The research comes off the back of Very unveiling its new toys campaign, ‘Daydreaming’, which has been designed to inspire families to start their Christmas toy shopping early. The new campaign is being launched today as research from the online retailer reveals more than three fifths of people think about Christmas in October. What’s more, when it comes to prioritising Christmas shopping, almost two thirds of Very’s customers say they buy gifts for children first, with the retailer’s sales for toys increasing by 67%, on average, in October when compared to September.
Jessica Myers, chief customer officer at The Very Group, which operates Very, said: "We are thrilled to launch our ‘Daydreaming’ campaign, centred around our ‘Let’s Make It Sparkle’ proposition. We know how important Christmas is to our families and our latest toys campaign showcases an array of the most anticipated and popular toys and brands for 2024, curated by our category specialists.”
For more information on the UK’s most popular toys, please visit: https://www.very.co.uk/most-loved-toys.page
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