The top 12 ‘dream toys’ for 2020’s Christmas lists have been revealed
The clocks have gone back, the temperatures have dropped, the nights are drawing in, and the festive season is just around the corner.
And for children all across the UK, it’s time to start thinking about preparing those Christmas lists, to be sent off to Santa ahead of the big day day, but what are those lists likely to include?
Which presents are this year’s ‘must have’ gifts?
For children struggling to narrow down their top picks, and for parents keen to get a heads up on what gifts to buy in for the little ones this year, the Top 12 ‘Dream Toys’ for Christmas were revealed today in an announcement by the Toy Retailer Association UK.
The DreamToys list is the UK’s “most authoritative predictive list” of what will be hot this Christmas.
Selected by a panel of retailers and industry experts, the list is independent of toy manufacturers and makers, and this year’s Top 12 is dominated by the big classic toy brands and licenses that have entertained children for generations – such as Barbie, Monopoly, Harry Potter, Lego and Star Wars – as well as the massively popular Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, Pokémon and L.O.L Surprise.
The announcement of the list has been brought forward this year due to the rising concerns that many retailers have expressed about meeting demand in the lead up to Christmas which centre around supply and retail issues as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Shoppers are thus being encouraged and advised to “buy early or risk missing out”.
Gary Grant – Chair of the DreamToys Selection Committee – said: “We implore consumers not to leave their Christmas shopping to the final few weeks of the year [as] due to COVID-19 restrictions across the country, retailers will simply not be able to service as many people in store due to social distancing.
“In addition, couriers are already overloaded and will struggle to meet the demand to get presents to people before Christmas [and] added to this is the limited availability of stock compared to previous years.”
The Top 12 ‘Dream Toys’ 2020
(Listed in alphabetical order w/ RRP – Prices may vary with retailer)
- 5 Surprise Mini Brands Mystery Capsule by Zuru – £6.99
- Barbie 3-in-1 DreamCamper by Mattel Toys – £79.99
- Harry Potter Hedwig by LEGO – £34.99
- L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. Remix Fashion Doll by MGA Entertainment – £39.99
- Laser Battle Hunters Vehicle by Character Options – £59.99
- Monopoly For Sore Losers by Hasbro – £22.99
- PAW Patrol Dino Rescue Dino Patroller by Spin Master Toys – £64.99
- Peppa Pig Peppa’s Shopping Centre by Character Options – £39.99
- Pokémon Carry Case Playset by Character Options – £39.99
- Present Pets (Asst) by Spin Master Toys – £54.99
- Star Wars The Mandalorian – The Child “Baby Yoda” by Mattel Toys – £29.99
- Super Mario Adventures With Mario Starter Course by LEGO – £49.99
Throughout the course of lockdown, toys have been a constant source of joy for children during this difficult time and have brought families closer together, with statistics from NPD showing that toy sales have increased by 6% on the first nine months of 2020, while Games and Puzzles have seen an increase of 32%.
On top of that, a survey conducted by the Toy Retailers Association of 2,000 parents revealed that 56% of parents have spent more time playing with their children since lockdown, and 88% said they felt that toys had helped them bond more closely with their children.
There’s no doubt that Christmas may feel a little different this year, but there’s still lots of fun to be had, and plenty of memories to be made.
The Top Toy of 2020 from this shortlist is set also to be announced in due course, so stay tuned.