Best Christmas toys 2023, including Barbie, Furby and Gabby’s Dollhouse
Worried about the cost of Christmas due to the cost of living crisis? Scroll down for where to buy preloved toys for your kids this year.
Christmas may still be five months away, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t already begun planning. After all, we're living through a cost-of-living crisis which makes spreading costs of large-scale events, such as the festive season, out a sensible plan.
If you have children to buy for, you can start your budgeting - or even shopping - now as today John Lewis has revealed its annual list of the best toys to buy for Christmas - including Barbie, Furby, and a racing car set.
The list follows months of sourcing toys by the department store's buyers, which were then tested by four kids aged five to 10. After hours of playtime, the young testers chose their favourite toys and whittled the list down to a top 10.
The retailer noticed a few trends amongst the list, with Barbies and Furbies suggesting a 90s resurgence. Largely thanks to the new film, Barbie sales at John Lewis are already up by 31% compared to this time last year.
The list also includes a toy Cockapoo dog (one of Britain's most popular pooches), a DJ mix and learn deck, a barber role play set and a wooden cafe.
While many of the toys aren’t available to buy just yet - most are slated for an end of August release - you can scroll through the top 10 below.
John Lewis' top toys for Christmas 2023
1. Gabby’s Dollhouse Girl Doll | £14.99 from John Lewis (available end of August)
2. Barbie Convertible Doll Car | £27.99 from John Lewis (available now)
3. Le Mieux Puppy, Cockapoo | £29.95 from John Lewis (available end of August)
4. Melissa & Doug Barber Role Play Set | £34.99 from John Lewis (available end of August)
5. John Lewis Wooden Café Set | £40 from John Lewis (available end of September)
6. Fisher-Price Mix and Learn Music Table | £54.99 from John Lewis (available beginning of August)
7. Little Live Pets Mama Surprise | £64.99 from John Lewis (available September)
8. Hasbro Furby | £74.99 from John Lewis (available end August)
9. Lego Holiday Main Street | £89.99 from John Lewis (available now)
10. Scalextric John Lewis vs Waitrose Car Racing Set | £129.99 from John Lewis (available September)
How much do parents spend on Christmas presents?
A survey from OnePoll in 2022 that parents spend an average of £88 per child on Christmas presents each year in the UK.
However, more data from YouGov found that 60% of parents of kids under 10 were looking to spend less on Christmas due to the rising cost of living.
Of these parents, 86% said they were looking to spend less on presents.
Where to buy second-hand toys
For many families this year, buying new toys for Christmas won't be feasible due to the current financial climate.
While many car boots and charity shops sell second-hand toys, some retailers you can buy from online include:
Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree are also brilliant online destinations for finding local preloved toys. Elsewhere, Little Pickles Markets - which are held in various destinations across the UK - allow parents the opportunity to buy and sell used products, specifically for children, throughout the year. An indoor car boot, if you will.
Additionally, many communities use forums to advertise toys for sale so ask other parents if they know of anything like this in your local area.
