The top-selling toys this Christmas

Parents were today give first sight of the amounts they may have to forking out to please Junior as the Toy Retailers Association (TRA) said a mixture of well-loved brands and increasingly popular collectable ranges dominated its annual DreamToys list of predicted top sellers.

The £60 Nerf N-Strike Elite Hyperfire foam dart blaster, £90 Wheels Ultimate Garage and the £100 Thomas & Friends TrackMaster Sky-High Bridge Jump are among the most expensive toys on the list.

Lego’s £70 Star Wars Rebel U-Wing Fighter and £90 Friends Amusement Park Roller Coaster also make the list, as does the £40 Paw Patrol Air Patroller. The recently launched £60 Hatchimals and £50 “no mess” Snuggles My Dream Puppy are predicted to do well, as is the Shopkins Chef Club Hot Spot Kitchen, all highlighting collectibles as a driving force for the toy market, the TRA said.

The £20 SelfieMic, which features an adjustable selfie stick with karaoke microphone and allows users to create their own music videos, and the family games Speak Out and Silly Sausage, round out the top 12.

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.

DreamToys selection committee chairman Gary Grant said: “The one unifying thing I see this year is a sense of real family fun at the heart of many of the toys represented. It’s also great to see that, in these uncertain times, this is a very affordable DreamToys list.”

Frederique Tutt, toy industry analyst for The NPD Group, said: “Analysis of the top selling toys this year shows the sheer variety of concepts driving the sector - from low-priced collectables to entertainment-driven hot toys. We’re forecasting a very merry Christmas for the toy industry - expecting annual sales to reach 400 million toys for the first time.”