A “fart blaster” with a repertoire of 15 sounds that blasts “fog fart rings” and a waddling mother duck are among the toys destined to appear on Christmas lists as experts predict a “record-breaking” year for sales.
At £30, the Despicable Me 4 spin-off toy promises to be a talking point on Christmas Day. It comes with two scents: banana and “fart”. Mercifully, on a day when the nation eats brussels sprouts, the latter smells more like burnt popcorn.
With the cost of living crisis in the background of yet another year’s celebrations, the Toy Retailers Association’s annual DreamToys list of the 20 “hottest toys” includes 14 under £50. Compiled by an independent panel it provides a crib sheet for shoppers seeking both value for money and play value.
Whereas previous lists included sets costing well over £100, this year’s priciest is FurReal’s interactive pet monkey, Peanut, at £80. Paul Reader, the chair of the selection committee, said it was “very conscious” of the level of disposable income people had. “Parents are spending a little bit more on toys but not looking for one iconic item.”
Monthly spending by parents on gifts for children has increased steadily from £61 a month in 2021 to £82 in 2024, according to new research by the Insights Family. This showed “despite financial pressures … toys are still an essential part of the Christmas magic in households across the UK”, according to Insights Family chief executive Tom Williams.
The list includes several interactive toys. The £30 Pets Alive Mama Duck and Baby Surprise set features a duck that waddles and quacks and is soothed when her ducklings line up behind her. At the pricier end is a £70 animatronic puppet of Disney’s Stitch capable of more than 100 actions and sounds.
Evergreen brands such as Lego and Hot Wheels also feature, as does battle tops brand Beyblades, which is enjoying a resurgence thanks to a new anime series.
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But toys are not just for children, with the fortunes of the UK’s £3.4bn toy industry increasingly linked to a growing army of deep-pocketed kidults (buyers aged 12 and over) who account for almost 30% of toy sales. On the list for them is the £50 Miniverse Potions Classroom Kit, aimed at millennial Harry Potter fans, with Hogwarts fantasies, as well as a £60 Lego Stitch model.
“The UK toy industry is seeing a remarkable resurgence, driven by the kidult trend,” said Melissa Symonds, executive director of UK Toys at data company Circana. “As we enter a pivotal final quarter, with 25 December falling midweek, we’re set for a record-breaking season that captures the magic of play.”