Top toys certain to be on Christmas lists this year

Parents to spend average of £121 on each child

The latest Nerf blaster, the original Stretch Armstrong action figure and the sequel to last year’s Hatchimals are the must-have toys this Christmas as British parents prepare to spend an average of £121 on each child.

Family games, collectibles and movie blockbuster characters also dominate the Toy Retailers Association (TRA) annual DreamToys list of predicted top sellers.

Lego’s £84.99 Star Wars BB-8 and the £69.99 Paw Patrol Sea Patroller make the list, as do the £49.99 high tech tag game Laser X and the £74.99 Hatchimals Surprise.

The relatively inexpensive £9.99 collectible LOL Surprise dolls are predicted top stocking fillers, while the most expensive toy on the list is Hasbro’s £134.99 FurReal Roarin’ Tyler tiger featuring 100 sound and movement combinations.

This season’s must-have family game is the £17.99 Toilet Trouble, which sprays unfortunate players with water.

The list is decided by a panel of leading toy retailers in the UK including Argos, Boots, Selfridges, Smyths Toys, The Entertainer, TK Maxx and Toys R US.

Frederique Tutt, global industry analyst for the NPD Group’s toy division, said: “The £3.5 billion-strong British toy market is holding on to its position as the largest market in Europe and the fourth biggest worldwide.”

He added: “All year, affordable collectibles have topped the best-seller lists, with seven out of the top 10 bestselling toys since the beginning of 2017 retailing for under £10.”

Picture: Getty. Children play with a selection of toys, including a Fisher-Price Batbox Extreme, during a media event announcing the top 12 toys for Christmas at St Mary’s Church in Marylebone.

Pictures: Getty. From top to bottom: A Fingerling, My First Drone, Barbie and horse, FurReal Roarin’ Tyler, the Original Stretch Armstrong and a Nerf Nitro Longshot Smash.