Dream list for Santa as top toys revealed

AS Christmas approaches it’s the most important question vexing the minds of the nation’s adults - getting their hands on this year’s must-have gifts for their kids.

In previous years desperate parents have led stampedes of leading toy shops trying to avoid tear-stained Christmases for their offspring.

Now the country’s toy retailers have taken the bold step of second guessing this year’s favourites by publishing a list of the top stocking fillers.

And it looks like hi-tech children’s versions of adult favourites are set to dominate with youngsters set to emulate their parents with junior versions of video cameras and electric guitars, the Toy Retailers Association (TRA) said today.

The TRA compiled separate “Dream Dozen” lists for boys and girls, suggesting that gender stereotypes remain as strong as ever.

The girls’ list features the AniMagic Tender Care Twins, Baby Alive Bouncing Babbles, the Baby Born Magic Feeding Doll and the Barbie Fashion Fairytale doll.

In contrast, boys are expected to add the Armouron Action Set suit of armour, the Beyblade Super Vortex Battle Set, the Kung Zhu Battle Arena and the Star Wars General Grievous Lightsaber to their Christmas list.

Despite the financial difficulties facing many families this year, the TRA’s overall annual top 12 Dream Toys list features an 84.99 Lego airport and the FurReal Go Go Walking Pup and VTech Kidizoom VideoCam, both retailing for 59.99.

Meadowhall was one step ahead yesterday and gave exclusive access to families from across the region to come and give their verdict on this year’s chosen toys.

Richard Pinfold, the marketing director at Sheffield’s giant shopping complex, said: “Christmas can be an expensive time for parents, so parents want the reassurance that the presents they spend their hard earned cash on will still be as popular on March 25 as they were on Christmas day and that they are not consigned to the bottom of the toy box.

‘’The Toy Retailers Association introduced Dream Toys to give parents advice and guidance on getting it right, and at Meadowhall we have joined forces with them to go one step further to give parents the chance to actually see the toys in action for themselves.

“This event not only allows parents to see how children interact with the toys, but also gives them a chance to see the quality for themselves – an important aspect for any parent.”

Creativity and role play are that the very heart of this year’s Dream Dozen, with the list full of kiddie versions of adult must-haves.

From children’s video cams to electric guitars to even the most realistic of toy puppies and grooming parlours, children are able to emulate their parents, friends and family like never before and with much more fun.

Gary Grant, chairman of the TRA, said: “The technological advancements used in many of the toys we reviewed this year were simply amazing, and demonstrate how forward thinking manufacturers are.

“In what has been a challenging yet extremely positive year for the toy industry, it is also refreshing to see the industry’s faithful brands continuing to perform well to keep classic toys in the hearts of children everywhere.”

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