Survey Shows Children Want Game Systems, iPads for Holidays

Non-traditional items are finding their way onto children’s wish lists this year, according to a National Retail Federation (NRF) survey conducted by Prosper Insights and Analytics. For the first time, iPads are among the most popular gifts for both girls and boys, with slightly higher demand among the former.

Among the other results from NRF’s 2013 Top Toys survey: 44.3 percent of holiday consumers plan to buy toys as gifts this holiday season; children are still asking for timeless items such as Barbie and dolls (No. 1 and 2 among girls, respectively) or Lego and toy cars (No. 1 and 3 among boys, respectively). And the younger generation is clearly technologically savvy, asking this year for tablets/iPads, smartphones (girls’ No. 11), and game consoles like Xbox One (boys’ No. 5) and PlayStation 4 (girls’ No. 10, boys’ No. 6).

Other popular toys for girls include Monster High Dolls, Disney Princess, and American Girl. The hot new item for boys this year is Skylanders, a hugely popular interactive video game that allows kids to play with a toy action figure at the same time.

The survey results are as follows:

2013 Top Toys for Boys

1. Lego
2. Video games
3. Cars and trucks (generic)
4. Hot Wheels
5. Xbox One
6. PlayStation 4
7. Skylanders
8. Remote controlled vehicles
9. Action figures
10. Bicycle (T)
    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (T)

2013 Top Toys for Girls

1. Barbie
2. Dolls (generic)
3. Monster High Dolls
4. Disney Princess (T)
   Tablet/Apple iPad  (T)
5. American Girl (T)
   Lalaloopsy (T)
6. Furby
7. Lego/Lego Friends
8. Elmo/Big Hugs Elmo
9. Hello Kitty
10. My Little Pony (T)
    PlayStation 4 (T)