[slideshow]The 2010 annual ‘Dream Toys’ list from the TRA, the industry’s official prediction of Christmas best-sellers, is packed 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.
This year’s Dream Dozen, in alphabetical order:
City Airport, Lego UK (£84.99)Fireman Sam Deluxe Fire Station Playset, Character Options (£29.99)
FurReal Go Go Walking Pup, Hasbro (£59.99)
Jet Pack Buzz Lightyear, Mattel UK (£39.99)
Kidizoom VideoCam, VTech (£59.99)
Monopoly Revolution, Hasbro (£29.99)
Moon Dough Barn, Spinmaster Toys UK (£19.99)
Nerf N Strike Stampede ECS, Hasbro (£54.99)
Paper Jamz Guitar, Wow Wee Europe (£24.99)
‘Pumpaloons’ – action game, Drumond Park (£19.99)
Sylvanian Families Motorcycle and Sidecar, Flair Leisure (£24.99)
ZhuZhu Grooming Salon, Character Options (£22.99)
Gary Grant, Chairman of the TRA’s Dream Toys Selection Panel, comments: “This year, the toy industry has combined innovation and creativity to respond to the ever-changing demands of children. 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.”
“With licensed toys combining the fun and familiarity of popular characters as well as family games enjoying a resurgence, the top 72 list is a truly eclectic mix of the toys that will appeal to all age groups.”
Girls Top 12 Toys for Christmas
It’s all about animals this year in the Girls category as the Sylvanian Families Motorcycle and Side Car (Flair Leisure) follows the highly successful launch of their Meerkat Family, Barbie Puppy Swim School (Mattel UK), and ZhuZhu Grooming Salon (Character Options) for those delightful hamsters, all make their way onto the ultimate wish list. The Ocean in My Pocket Coral Reef (Corinthian) comes with a whale mother and three baby whales making it perfect for sea life enthusiasts.
The closest many kids can get to owning a real-life puppy, girls will love the FurReal Go Go Walking Pup (Hasbro) and AniMagic Tender Care Twins (Vivid) which are sure to make much loved furry friends.
Dolls are must-have too this year with Bratz 10.10.10 (MGA Entertainment UK), Moxie Girlz Art-titude Dolls (MGA Entertainment UK), Baby Alive Bouncing Babbles (Hasbro) and Baby Born Magic Feeding Doll (Zapf Creation) all set to be at the top of every girls’ Christmas list. Mini fashionistas will have fun with the Barbie A Fashion Fairytale Doll (Mattel UK) and prepare for some screaming when girls unwrap the new JLS Collector Dolls (Vivid).AniMagic Tender Care TwinsVividRRP £19.99
Baby Alive Bouncing BabblesHasbroRRP £24.99
Baby Born Magic Feeding DollZapf CreationRRP £34.99
Barbie A Fashion Fairytale DollMattel UKRRP £21.99
Barbie Puppy Swim SchoolMattel UKRRP £21.99
Bratz 10.10.10MGA Entertainment UKRRP £9.99
FurReal Go Go Walking PupHasbroRRP £59.99
JLS Collector DollsVividRRP £14.99
Moxie Girlz Art-titide DollsMGA Entertainment UKRRP £14.99
Ocean In My Pocket Coral ReefCorinthianRRP £19.99
Sylvanian Families Motorcycle and Side CarFlair LeisureRRP £24.99
ZhuZhu Grooming Salon Character OptionsRRP £22.99
Boys Top 12 Toys for Christmas
The Boys category is set for another bumper year with the Top 12 packed full of TV and film licenced toys as well as action packed battle sets and games.
This year’s favourite film, Toy Story 3, has been brought to life with the Jet Pack Buzz Lightyear (Mattel UK) and Sheriff Woody (Vivid) whilst Star Wars has seen a revival with the Clone Wars General Grievous Lightsaber (Hasbro) and Hoth Wampa Cave (Lego UK). Doctor Who devotees will love the Eleventh Doctor Sonic Screwdriver (Character Options) and fans of Halo will have hours of fun with the UNSC Arctic Rocket Warthog (MEGA Bloks).
Let the battle commence with the Armouron Action Set (Bandai UK), Beyblade Super Vortex Battle Set (Hasbro) Kung Zhu Battle Arena (Character Options) and Bakugan® Maxus Dragonoid 7-in-1 (Spinmaster Toys UK). No wish-list would be complete without something for the young car enthusiasts and both Ben’s Mark 10 Car (Bandai UK) and Hot Wheels Dr Bones Colour Lab (Mattel UK) are sure to excite them.
Armouron Action SetBandai UKRRP £29.99
Bakugan® Maxus Dragonoid 7-in-1Spinmaster Toys UKRRP £39.99
Ben’s Mark 10 CarBandai UKRRP £29.99
Beyblade Super Vortex Battle SetHasbroRRP £24.99
Doctor Who Eleventh Doctor Sonic ScrewdriverCharacter OptionsRRP £14.99
Hot Wheels Dr Bones Colour LabMattel UKRRP £39.99
Jet Pack Buzz LightyearMattel UKRRP £39.99
Kung Zhu Battle ArenaCharacter OptionsRRP £29.99
Star Wars: Clone Wars General Grievous LightsaberHasbroRRP £34.99
Star Wars: Hoth Wampa CaveLego UKRRP £39.99
Toy Story Collection Sheriff WoodyVividRRP £39.99
UNSC Arctic Rocket WarthogMEGA BloksRRP £19.99
Pre-School Top 12 Toys for Christmas
The pre-schoolers will be spoilt for choice this Christmas with a mix of fun and exciting treats that cover all key stages of development.
Toddlers will have hours of fun playfully developing their skills with the Play To Learn Pic ‘n’ Pop (Tomy) walker toy and they can sing along with the friendly My Pal Scout (Leapfrog Toys UK) who also learns your child’s name.
Budding young firemen will enjoy getting to grips with the action packed Fireman Sam Deluxe Fire Station Playset (Character Options) and they can save the day with the brilliant Fire Engine from Playmobil (UK).
There’s lots of exciting toys for train fanatics too with the All Around Chuggington Train Set (Learning Curve), Thomas Zip, Zoom & Logging Adventure (Mattel UK), and DUPLO Toy Story The Great Train Chase (Lego UK) all making it onto the wish list.
As your child develops, Play To Learn Mr Colour Maker (TOMY) is a great way for children to understand how to create colours and the Storio (VTech) e-book reader makes reading easy, fun and exciting. How about treating your kids to a Kidizoom VideoCam (VTech) so they can capture all of the Christmas Day festivities on film and much more?
Finally, after a great day of present opening and family time, children can cuddle up to new friends such as super soft Toy Story Collection Lots ‘O’ Huggin Bear (Vivid), who even smells of strawberries, and Peppa Pig Lullaby Peppa (Character Options) that sweetly sings a lullaby to help kids calmly drift off to sleep.
All Around Chuggington Train SetLearning CurveRRP £59.99
DUPLO Toy Story The Great Train ChaseLego UKRRP £34.99
Fire EnginePlaymobil (UK)RRP £39.99
Fireman Sam Deluxe Fire Station PlaysetCharacter OptionsRRP £29.99
Thomas Zip, Zoom & Logging AdventureMattel UKRRP £54.99
Kidizoom VideoCamVTechRRP £59.99
My Pal ScoutLeapfrog Toys (UK)RRP £19.99
Peppa Pig Lullaby PeppaCharacter OptionsRRP £19.99
Play To Learn Mr Colour MakerTomyRRP £24.99
Play To Learn Pic ‘n’ PopTomyRRP £39.99
StorioVTechRRP £59.99
Toy Story Collection Lots ‘O’ Huggin BearVividRRP £39.99
Games Top 12 Toys for Christmas
There’ll be no opportunity for post-Christmas snoozes this year as the Games group is jam packed full of great games for all the family to enjoy.
Old favourites have seen epic changes as Monopoly Revolution (Hasbro) now includes popular songs from over the last 7 and half decades; new Boggle Flash (Hasbro) features five electronic freestanding tiles; everyone gets involved on every go of Trivial Pursuit: Bet You Know It (Hasbro); and break the rules with the new Scrabble Trickster (Mattel UK).
Why not test your national knowledge with the ‘Best of British’ board game (Drumond Park) or try your ‘expelliarmus’ spell this Christmas with the Harry Potter Hogwarts Game (Lego UK)?
Little ones will have hours of fun catching butterflies with Elefun (Hasbro), mastering a hole in one with the exciting Gator Golf (Hasbro) and racing one of the family to blow up a 3ft tall inflatable character with the ‘Pumpaloons’ – action game (Drumond Park).
This year, be prepared to get addicted to Cuponk (Hasbro), a bouncing ball game of skill and patience, test the whole family’s nerves with a hilarious game of Jolly Octopus (Ravensburger) and brilliant Pig Goes Pop…kids action game (Drumond Park). All sure fire hits this Christmas.
‘Best of British’ board gameDrumond Park£29.99
Boggle FlashHasbro£24.99
CuponkHasbro£12.99
ElefunHasbro£14.99
Gator GolfHasbro£14.99
Harry Potter Hogwarts GameLego UK£24.99
Jolly OctopusRavensburger£16.99
Monopoly RevolutionHasbro£29.99
Pig Goes Pop.. kids action gameDrumond Park£16.99
‘Pumpaloons’ – action gameDrumond Park£19.99
Scrabble TricksterMattel UK£19.99
Trivial Pursuit: Bet You Know ItHasbro£29.99
Creative Play Top 12 Toys for Christmas
The Creative Play Top 12 is filled with inspiring gifts that will keep minds and hands busy long after Christmas Day.
Keep kids enchanted for hours on end with the Disney Princess Snow Globe Maker (John Adams & Toy Brokers) and they can keep all kinds of secrets hidden with the super cool Noteez (Flair Leisure). Budding fashioning designers will love the Harumika Designer Dress Form Set (Bandai UK) and they can even create their own jewellery with the Zubber Jewellery Maker (Flair Leisure).
Watch kids release their artistic streak with the Crayola Color Explosion™ Glow Dome and the Crayola Color Wonder™ Magic Light Brush (both Vivid). Perhaps they would prefer to create their own farm with the Moon Dough Barn (Spinmaster Toys UK) or even make their own cute puppies with the Play-Doh Puppies Playset (Hasbro).
The 3D revolution has now hit the Creative Play category with the Bendaroos Creativity Centre (Spinmaster Toys UK) plus Woody & Buzz to the Rescue (Lego UK) allowing kids to enjoy even more of the Toy Story action.
Prepare to be amazed with the City Airport (Lego UK), the only airport where you want to stay for hours, and don’t forget to get all the freight to the airport with the City Cargo Truck (Lego UK).
Bendaroos Creativity CentreSpinmaster Toys UKRRP £19.99
City AirportLego UKRRP £84.99
City Cargo TruckLego UKRRP £24.99
Crayola Color Explosion™ Glow DomeVividRRP £24.99
Crayola Color Wonder™ Magic Light BrushVividRRP £19.99
Disney Princess Snow Globe MakerJohn Adams & Toy BrokersRRP £24.99
Harumika Designer Dress Form SetBandai UKRRP £21.99
Moon Dough BarnSpinmaster Toys UKRRP £19.99
NoteezFlair LeisureRRP £19.99
Play-Doh Puppies PlaysetHasbroRRP £14.99
Toy Story 3 Woody & Buzz to the RescueLego UKRRP £14.99
Zubber Jewellery MakerFlair LeisureRRP £19.99
Cool Toyz Top 12 Toys for Christmas
This year’s new category, Cool Toyz, celebrates the coolest, hippest toys on the market. Kids will become rock stars in an instant with the amazing Paper Jamz Guitar (Wow Wee Europe), and they can test their musical memories with Loopz from Mattel UK. Or take the ultimate rhythmic challenge with the latest Bop It! (Hasbro) that promises hours of fun.
Budding film makers will love the ‘Animatazz’ – animated movie-making kit (Drumond Park) and for the girls, the Barbie Video Girl (Mattel UK) will get them enjoying life both in front and behind the camera.
There is nothing cooler than a remote controlled toy and Cool Toyz has selected the very best. Choose from Air Hogs® Laser Zero Gravity, Air Hogs® Vectron Wave (both Spinmaster Toys UK), Bladez Micro Helicopter (Bladez Toyz), Zibits (Flair Leisure) and Battle Machines (re:creation).
Challenge your kids to construct the Technic Buggy (Lego UK) or alternatively treat them to the ultimate action toy, the Nerf N Strike Stampede ECS (Hasbro).Air Hogs® Laser Zero GravitySpinmaster Toys UKRRP £39.99
Air Hogs® Vectron WaveSpinmaster Toys UKRRP £24.99
‘Animatazz’ – animated movie-making kitDrumond ParkRRP £24.99
Barbie Video GirlMattel UKRRP £59.99
Battle Machinesre:creationRRP £59.99
Bladez Micro HelicopterBladez ToyzRRP £13.99
Bop It!HasbroRRP £19.99
LoopzMattel UKRRP £34.99
Nerf N Strike Stampede ECSHasbroRRP £54.99
Paper Jamz GuitarWow Wee EuropeRRP £24.99
Technic BuggyLego UKRRP £27.99
Zibits Flair LeisureRRP £9.99
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