Children toy with plans for a classic Christmas

But the classics never get old, a newly-compiled list of this year’s top 10 most in-demand presents shows.

Old favourites Monopoly and Lego will both be topping children’s Christmas lists this year, according to an independent forecast from the Toy Retailers Association.

Its predictions – widely regarded as the most accurate in the industry – were revealed at its Dream Toys event at Meadowhall in Sheffield yesterday.

Parents can expect to be begged for Monopoly Empire, it said, a new, shorter version of the notoriously lengthy board game which was made for decades by Waddington’s of Leeds.

The updated game, made by Hasbro, which bought Waddington’s in 1994, sees players compete to buy famous brands such as McDonald’s and Coca-Cola instead of the classic London addresses English players are accustomed to.

Children will also be pestering parents for the Lego City Coast Guard patrol playset, according to the list, which is compiled by a panel of buyers representing 80 per cent of toy retailers from stores including Selfridges, Hamleys, The Entertainer, Argos, Toys R US, TK Maxx and Toymaster.

Dan Barker, area manager for The Entertainer and representative of the Toy Retailers Association, said: “Whilst technological toys are in demand, so are the more traditional toys such as Monopoly and Lego.

“The Lego range includes contemporary themes such as superheroes and Star Wars figures, but the City Coast Guard 60014 reflects real people and a real job.

“Kids still like to build and make things and this is a super toy as it will be something most parents will remember playing with as children themselves – this way they get a second chance.”

Lego’s ranking comes as little surprise – the popular Danish construction sets have twice been named toy of the century, first by Fortune magazine and later by the British Association of Toy Retailers, which also named Monopoly its Game of the Century.

Other toys to have developed classic status over the years include the Rubik’s Cube. Invented in 1970, the puzzle’s popularity peaked in the 1980s and it is widely considered the world’s best-selling toy.

That decade also saw Cabbage Patch Kids become wildly popular and they are now one of America’s longest-running doll franchises.

It remains to be seen whether the rest of the toys on the list will achieve the same longevity, but one making a comeback is the Furby Boom! The original robotic, owl-like creature, programmed to gradually learn to speak, first appeared under Christmas trees in 1998. More than 40 million were sold worldwide before the fad eventually fizzled out.

Now, after being revived last year, it comes with its own smartphone and tablet app through which owners can interact with it and feed it.

Tablets themselves are also set to be a popular gift, with the LeapPad Ultra device making an appearance in the top 10.

Specially designed for children aged four to nine, it enables parents to download from 500 educational games, apps, eBooks and videos as well as featuring a child-safe web browser, camera and mp3 player.

“The tablets are and will be very popular as children want to copy their parents,” said Mr Barker.

“This is a safe way for children to learn technological skills – something they need and do very easily these days.

“These particular tablets have been developed in the last two years to incorporate new additions and functions such as wi-fi and come with full parental control.”

Mr Barker said many of the toys expected to be in demand were already popular in America such as the Flying Fairy doll by Flutterbye.

The top toys were displayed at Meadowhall throughout the day ahead of its Christmas lights switch-on last night. The sold-out event featured performances from X Factor boyband Union J, R&B singer Little Nikki and indie pop band The Vamps.

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