Traditional games, squishy toys, and building sets are helping to drive a strong year for toy sales in the United Kingdom, figures show, the BBC reported. The data come ahead of the Christmas run-in, which peaks at 23 toys sold every second in the UK. The number of toys sold up to October was 17% higher than in the same period last year, and growth is at a 10-year high, according to research firm Circana. The increase has come despite cost-of-living pressures, and some of the biggest growth is in toys priced between £5 and £10.
The sector has also been buoyed by "kidults," a term for toys and games aimed at people over 12, including adults buying for themselves. That market grew 22% by value in the first half of the year, after relatively low sales in recent years. But Melissa Symonds, UK toys director at Circana, said toys for children, which still represent the majority of sales, have also had a good year so far. Growing debate about children's screen time has helped squishy toys, stickers, and building sets such as Lego. "Connected toys account for less than 1% of market sales, showing that traditional, hands-on play remains overwhelmingly popular," she said.
Concerns remain about some connected devices. A BBC investigation found an AI teddy marketed as "perfect" for children as young as three produced an alarming, garbled reply after seemingly mishearing a question. Debate has also intensified about keeping youngsters free from smartphones during the school day. Retailers and experts told the BBC that parents wanted to engage with their children's play. "Nothing beats a board game with that. Nothing beats a bit of interaction," one industry figure said. A trade panel has selected a list of toys expected to be among this year's most popular, including slime, a soft tiger that roars and grows, and a shark that breaks out of an egg.
Symonds said that despite rising sales so far, nearly half of toy sales still come in the Christmas build-up, and families are watching costs closely. Significant growth in the £5-to-£10 range reflects that. Shoppers looking for bargains were urged to buy from reputable traders so toys are genuine and safe. The verified picture is a rebound in traditional, relatively cheap toys, not a claim that every child is putting screens away, and not an endorsement of any single product on a Christmas list.