Argos will continue producing its Christmas gift guide, having scrapped its twice-yearly catalogue earlier this year. 

Argos has announced the 12 toys it thinks will be topping Christmas wish lists this year, with licensed plush, construction sets, collectibles and tech toys all making an appearance.

Lego, a perennial Christmas best-seller, has two products in the list – the Adventures with Mario Starter Course and the Technic Lamborghini – while it should come as no surprise that Baby Yoda from the Star Wars spin-off the Mandalorian also makes an appearance, in the form of Hasbro’s The Child Animatronic Edition.

Interactive pets are again proving popular; Character Option’s Little Live Pets Gotta Go Flamingo and MGA Entertainment’s Dancing Poopsie Unicorn have both been featured, alongside tech toys such as the Fisher-Price Rollin’ Rovee from Mattel, and the VTech KidiZoom Studio. Argos says sales of the vlogging equipment have been driven by the rise of TikTok this year.

Toys from L.O.L. Surprise! (L.O.L Surprise! OMG Fashion Dolls Series 3, MGA Entertainment) and Paw Patrol (the Paw Patrol Dino Rescue Dino Patroller, Spin Master) have made the list for a third and fourth year in a row respectively, joining Kid Kreation’s Design A Friend Sienna Doll, Character Options’ Laser Battle Hunters, and Spin Master’s Hatchimals Pixies Crystal Flyers.

Rather than presenting children with vast sacks of presents on Christmas morning, research conducted by Argos shows that parents appear to have become more selective with their toy choices, opting for quality, long-lasting items. A quarter of Brits (25%) expect to spend over £200 on their most expensive toy this year, says Argos, while sales of toys costing over £300 have risen 60% year-on-year. Nearly a third (29%) of parents say they would buy a toy worth more than £100 if they felt they could also enjoy playing with it, and 59% said they consider a toy’s longevity before making a purchase.

Juliet Ward, head of toy buying at Argos, said: “With so much time spent inside during lockdown, the nation has rekindled its love for toys, turning to them now more than ever to keep themselves entertained during what has been a difficult time for many. This year’s top toys list offers a huge variety of new products, ranging from toys inspired by the biggest TV and gaming franchises to bizarre – but crucially, fun – pooping animals.

“When we craft the list of our top toy predictions for the year, we always try to accurately gauge the ‘toy crazes’ that are set to make thousands of wish lists. This year it’s heartening to see so many toys that will encourage families to spend time together, whether that’s putting together a Lego Lamborghini or reminiscing over the Mario games of the 80s and 90s.”

The Argos Top 12 Christmas Toys

• Lego Technic Lamborghini – £350 (Lego)
• L.O.L Surprise! OMG Fashion Dolls Series 3 – £32 (MGA Entertainment)
• Lego Adventures with Mario Starter Course – £50 (Lego)
• Poopsie Dancing Unicorn – £50 (MGA Entertainment)
• The Child Animatronic Edition – £45 (Hasbro)
• Paw Patrol Dino Rescue Dino Patroller – £65 (Spin Master)
• Little Live Pets Gotta Go Flamingo – £33 (Character Options)
• Fisher-Price Rollin’ Rovee – £60 (Mattel)
• Design A Friend Sienna Doll – £35 (Kid Kreation)
• Kidizoom Studio – £60 (VTech)
• Hatchimals Pixies Crystal Flyers – £30 (Spin Master)
• Laser Battle Hunters – £60 (Character Options)