It may still be October but the toy store Hamleys is already predicting that a Star Wars drone and a caterpillar designed to help toddlers develop their critical thinking will be among its bestsellers this Christmas.
About 25% of all toys sold in the UK each year are purchased in December and buyers at the retailer, famous for its main store on Regent Street in London, think the Star Wars “quadcopters”, which can fly at more than 35mph, will be a big hit when they are released next month, despite the £199 price tag.
Another gadget that is expected to be in demand is the £43 VTech smartwatch that helps children learn to tell the time as well as get fit by tracking steps and setting fitness challenges.
For preschoolers Fisher-Price’s Code-a-pillar is also predicted to sell well. The caterpillar’s body can be assembled in different sequences to dictate the direction in which it travels, a feature the manufacturer advises parents can foster skills such as sequencing and critical thinking. The new owners are expected to be more impressed by the bug’s flashing lights and blinking eyes on Christmas morning.
Games that families can play together are also expected to find their way under Christmas trees, with Hamleys singling out Pieface Showdown, a £25 game that smacks players in the face with either cream or a wet sponge. In a similar vein, Bean Boozled dares players to eat jelly beans that look the same but could either taste of juicy pear or “booger”.
