Remember when the simply must-have, can't-do-without, absolutely-essential Christmas gift for the kids was Buzz Lightyear? Or Fifi the Flowertot? Or Barney the Dinosaur, or Shrek or...
As each year passes, the must-have toy from last Christmas gets replaced by the popular toy-of-this-year and the cycle goes on. We could think our children are fickle about their toys and resist...but resistance is pretty futile when you consider the rapidly changing trends and interests that seize their adorable little imaginations. Besides, what could be more delightful than their happy faces as they scramble to shred the Christmas wrapping and discover the contents, are "Just what I wanted!" Now that's Christmas cheer, and it makes all the months of planning, saving, buying and wrapping worthwhile - which may take up more time than the toy does in your child's attention span!
Sylvanian Families
So here we are approaching another Christmas and paying close attention to each enthusiastic squeal of delight as the children see their favourite toy or character in catalogues, shops, online and adverts; in the hope of knowing what will be the must-have toy this year. Children's worlds move as fast as the stock exchange on a frantic Monday and what they love this morning could well change by this afternoon!
Finding the 'trend' is a tough call but inevitably you will find you are down to a few clear front-runners as Christmas day approaches. The top few items on Santa's wish-list stay roughly the same even if the rest changes more often that you change your pants.
Looking at the up-and-coming toys of the year, so far, the top toys for Christmas seem likely to include these 10:
-Top Gear Robin Reliant Rocket - The Ultimate Toy Gadget Gift
-Lego Advent Calendar Pirates
-Tween Barbie
-Dave the Funky Shoulder Monkey
-Modern versions of Trivial Pursuit, Boggle, Monopoly, and Bop It!
-Talking Buzz Lightyear (again!!)
-Ben 10 Alien Force Kevin's DX Action Cruiser
-Fisher-Price My Stroll & Play Walker
-Sylvanian Families Regency Hotel
-VTech Kidizoom Plus Multimedia Digital Camera
Some toys enjoy a revival - look at Buzz Lightyear - back on the must-have list years after his initial popularity.
Classic games such as Trivial Pursuit or Monopoly will never diminish as they bring out new editions that keep up with changing trends - so don't forget the games section of the shopping site or toy store you're visiting this Christmas.
You may think that the glorified piece of plastic that is costing the best part of fifty quid a complete waste of money but if it makes your child happy, most parents would buy it anyway. We could lament that Christmas has become too commercial but the majority of us still race round the shops buying as much as we can.
What I remember most fondly from my childhood are the fantastic Christmas dinners my mum used to serve up and all the family playing games or larking around. The only present I remember receiving from all my younger years was a new bike, and this was probably because it lasted into my teens. The others gifts I received all those years back will have been just as impressive but strangely I cannot remember them.
So when you're devastated that the toy of the year has sold out before you've had chance to bag one of them - just remember that a little disappointment from your child will soon be forgotten amongst their other fabulous gifts and that the memory he will retain will be of happy times with his family and the anticipation of Santa's visit.
The Top Gifts for Children This Christmas
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