Christmas is rapidly approaching and parents will know all about those mad dashes to get the gifts their children desire ahead of the big day. Of course there is always one or more items that fly off the shelves faster than others – so what can we expect to be the “must have” Christmas toys of 2011?
Turn the clock back to the 1960s and the leading toys at Christmas time included Action Man in 1966, Sindy in 1968 and Hot Wheels in 1969. In the 1970s it was the likes of Plasticraft in 1972, Lego in 1974 and Peter Powell Kites in 1976; while the 1980s saw the Rubik’s Cube (1980), Star Wars (1982) and Sylvanian Families (1987) take centre stage. It was in the 1990s however, when the “hot Christmas toy” fads really took off with Thunderbirds Tracy Island in 1993, Power Rangers in 1994 and the infamous Furbys in 1997. The trend continued over the last decade too with Beyblades in 2002, Robosapien in 2004, IgglePiggle in 2007 and Ben10 in 2008.
What’s hot for 2011?
This year it is expected that some traditional favourites will return to the spotlight, alongside some interactive fluffy toys. The Toy Retailers’ Association has issued a top 12 featuring items ranging from £19.99 to £89.99.
Among the items revealed at an event in London were: the Doggie Doo; Fijit Friends; the Fireman Sam Pontypandy Rescue Set; Kidizoom Twist; LeapPad Explorer; Let’s Rock Elmo; Milky the Bunny; Monster High Lagoona’s Hydration Station; Moshling Tree House; Nerf Vortex Nitron Blaster; Ninjago Fire Temple; and the Star Wars Ultimate Force Tech Lightsaber Assortment.
According to Gary Grant, the chairman of the Dream Toys selection panel, this year there have been some significant technological advances in the toys industry. However, rather than making toys too technologically focused, the advancements have instead been used to enhance the playing experience. There has also been notable progression in toy safety after stricter rules were introduced in July aimed at making it easier for consumers and authorities to trace the origin of the products. Importers are now also responsible for ensuring the safety of products brought into the European Union.
Toy voucher codes
Anyone planning ahead for Christmas can avoid the shopping centre rush and also potentially make significant savings by shopping online. Most retailers offer cheaper deals online due to the savings they make on overheads and by ordering now you shouldn’t have any concerns about delivery dates.
In addition, look to take advantage of voucher codes for toys. Moneysaver.ie has an entire section devoted to baby, kids and toys voucher codes – so why not see what savings are available?
Photo by Hannah Rodrigo on Unsplash