John Lewis turns to traditional toys for Christmas

This year John Lewis claims that the most popular Christmas toys will be the traditional ones, such as wooden train sets and teddy bears.

The popular department store has already chosen its top ten toys list for 2009, and has composed most of the list out of classics that most grandparents will recognize from their childhood.

Among the classics on the list are a wooden train set that comes with fifty wooden pieces for £25, a jack in a box, easy to use sewing machine, and a painted wooden dolls house for £59.

The highest priced item on the list weighs in at £109 for a wooden kitchen for young children who want to play house, which comes complete with a dishwasher and adjustable dials.

The most popular item on the list will probably be the Steiff German Christmas bear that costs a mere £20, which is the lowest priced toy from the company available in Britain.

John Lewis does admit that the bear is not as expensive as other Steiff products, but say it is still a great bear for most children.

Elaine Whiteman the toy buyer for John Lewis stated that the low priced bear means every child can get a toy that is collectible this year, even in the midst of the recession.

Top 5 Christmas toy selection

This year’s top Christmas toys for 2009 are all about robots, animals, and creativity. If you are looking for the top gifts for the special children in your life, you may want to consider these five top toys that are expected to be the shopping rage this season.

Zhu Zhu Pets- No matter what top five Christmas toy list you check out this season you will see the cute Zhu Zhu Pets at the top of the list. The best thing about these cuddly, furry, little dolls is that they can give your child the perks of actually getting a pet from Santa this year without any of the grief such as smelly Christmas cages and feeding responsibilities.

Dora Links Doll- For the child who loves Dora the Explorer and playing online, the Dora Links Doll is the perfect fit. Simply plug the Dora doll into the computer and your child can get to work playing with her character online, exploring the web, or solving Dora’s little mysteries in an interactive format. As a plus, when you need your laptop back your child can still play with the Dora doll as a toy.

Crayola Crayon Town Sets- Colouring has never been as fun as this new craft by Crayola makes it since children get to not only colour some of their buildings and the town map, but then they get to construct their town, horse ranch, zoo, airport, or construction set. The set guarantees hours of fun plus plenty of creative stimulation for your child.

Rocky The Robot Truck- Rocky may look like he is just a dump truck, but he can also stand up and take on the look of a robot, although he isn’t technically a transformer. He also comes fully loaded with plenty of fun features, such as motorized movements, various sensors, and an assortment of phrases that number about 100.

Printies- Every child loves stuffed animals, which is why printing out their own stuffed animals using special fabric sheets from MyPrinties.com can be even more fun. Once the animals are printed, they can be stuffed and sealed shut so that your children get their own personalized stuffed animals.

Online toy shops will have much less stock this Christmas

Due to the fact that last year’s credit crunch left many online toy shops with unsold stock at the end of the year, many online shops have decided to order fewer retail items than last year, mainly of the best selling items.

IRMG member David Smith said that last year retailers were burnt with leftover stock, causing them to be much more cautious this year. For consumers, the news may not be good, due to the fact that online stores may sell out of the most popular items this year.

This year gadgets are expected to be the largest sellers, including items such as robotic Legos, a Jedi mind-training toy, and electronic books.

Smith continued to say that retailers will be nervous this year when it comes to pricing, waiting to see who will reduce their sale prices first, before making a move.

Stuff magazine writer Tom Wiggins said that while it will be a Christmas largely based on gadgets, the good news for parents may be that most of the consoles will not be very expensive. On the other hand, the Sony PSP Go is expected to sell well this year.

The PSP Go will compete with the iPhone only it will be targeted by Sony at the game market.

Apple is also expected to have one of the top items with the iPod nano that can now accommodate video.

Computer and an update to Wii Fit are also expected to do well this year.

Christmas Present Ideas from Supporting Donkey Welfare Organisation

With a pivotal role in the great Christmas story, if there’s any animal that deserves a star turn at Christmas, it’s the humble donkey.

Sadly today, too many donkeys are neglected but if you want to give one a happy Christmas then support the work of NEDDI (New European Distressed Donkey Initiative Ltd.)by purchasing a lovely Christmas gift from their website.

NEDDI has some perfect Christmas present ideas, including some particularly aimed at children. Highlights include:

* BUTTONS the donkey soft toy – a big cuddly donkey (40 cms. high) which will be cherished by your child as they grow up. £10.95

* ADOPT A DONKEY gift pack – teach children the value of caring for animals by adopting them a donkey. You will receive a picture of your donkey, certificate of adoption, donkey toy and a newsletter. You are also welcome to visit your donkey at the sanctuary anytime. From just £27.50.

* NED the donkey soft toy – A great stocking filler (5cms high) to remind children of the Christmas story. £1.25

Donkey Soft Toy

* THE DONKEYS’CHRISTMAS TALE story book – delight your children with the story of Christmas from the point of view of the donkeys in Jesus’ stable. A beautiful book which will appeal to children and help them to understand the Christmas story. £3.75

More information at www.neddi.org