JOHN Lewis has revealed what it has billed to be the top toys for Christmas this year.
A wooden replica of a Waitrose supermarket, a Batman v Superman Scalextric and a Lego Elf house are among the those tipped to be big for Christmas 2021.
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John Lewis conducted a focus group test to come up with the top 10 list.
Five children under 12 spent hours playing with hundreds of toys.
Included in the shortlist is a mix of classics like the retro Scalextric set starring Batman vs Superman, as well as new toys such as the Waitrose Market.
They are suitable for a range of ages, and they shouldn’t break your budget either as even the ones that made the top spots start from just £12.
Five toys landed a 10 out of 10 from the tiny testers and many parents now want wooden toys as they are considered more sustainable than plastic.
Rachael Larkman, John Lewis toy buyer, said: “This year we’ve seen a huge surge in the popularity of traditional toys and games that can be enjoyed by the whole family.
“For example sales of construction toys and puzzles such as Lego have risen 50% in the last 12 months, and we predict this trend will continue for Christmas 2021.”
Despite this though, the store predicts that the Scalextric will be the toy of the season.
It was a firm favourite with the toy testers who said it was their favourite game, and would definitely be going on their Christmas lists this year.
But before your little ones set their hearts on the toys from John Lewis’ shortlist, make sure you shop around first as you may find a better deal elsewhere.
Here are the top toys billed for Christmas 2021:
Scalextric Batman vs Superman
- Price: £39.99
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The set is exclusive to John Lewis and it got a 10/10 from the tiny testers.
The toy itself is actually a retro classic but this year John Lewis has brought it out with a modern twist, basing it on the DC characters of the Justice League that kids today will be able to relate to.
All their favourite characters are involved including Batman and Superman and the toy is the top billed for Christmas this year.
If you are a DC fan you’ll be able to buy a Batman V Joker set from Robert Dyas for £50, it’s a tenner more than John Lewis’ deal but it is available to buy now.
Lego Elf Clubhouse
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You’ll be able to recreate your favouite Christmas movie with this Lego Elf Club House.
John Lewis describe it as the ideal way to enjoy quality time with a sugar-sweet DIY project.
Fully assembled, the club house measures over 22cm high and 13cm deep and it includes 1197 bricks.
The set costs £85 to buy from Lego’s official site too so you won’t necessarily make a saving buying it at John Lewis.
John Lewis FSC Wooden My 1st Train Set
- Price: £20
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A full wooden train set is just £20 at John Lewis this Christmas.
If this set isn’t for you, the department store is also selling options of varying size and tech levels with prices varying accordingly.
For example, the battery powered Brio My First Train set costs £49.99.
But we also found an even cheaper deal than £10 with Argos selling a wooden train set for just £12.
Space Puzzle Ravensburger
- Price: £39.99
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Spend Christmas putting together all eight planets in the solar system with this 3D puzzle set.
John Lewis is selling the Ravensburger set for just £39.99, which is the best price we found by far.
The next best deal we found was at Selfridges for £50.
So you can save £10 if you buy the toy at John Lewis this Christmas.
John Lewis FSC Wooden Waitrose Supermarket
- Price: £65
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John Lewis is selling a wooden version of its partner brand Waitrose.
The beautiful toy supermarket will set you back £65 this Christmas.
While we couldn’t find a wooden toy supermarket was nearly as cheap as this one, John Lewis is also selling a plastic Waitrose for much less.
You can pick up this version now for just £49.99, saving you £15 compared to the wooden supermarket at Christmas time.
Gravi Pro Starter Extreme
- Price: £89.99
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You can get this Gravi toy set from John Lewis this Christmas, complete with 185 pieces for £89.99.
This particular set will be exclusive to the department store so you won’t be able to pick it up anywhere else.
However, we found that Argos was selling a small version for £65.
The set has 143 piece, so far fewer than the John Lewis set, however you can save a massive £24.99 if you want to make the compromise.
Kaloo My first Doll
- Price: £19.99
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Pick up this Kaloo doll for just £19.99 this Christmas at John Lewis.
The brand has a whole range of different dolls to choose from.
We struggled to find a better deal for the dolls at any large retailers but online toy store Little Whispers is selling similar Kaloo dolls for less at £18.50.
Harry Potter Games Compendium
- Price: £59.99 – buy now
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There may be no better Christmas activity than playing Harry Potter board games with the family.
You can pick up this magical version of the classics like scrabble and Pictionary at John Lewis for £59.99.
If the whole compendium is too much, then you can already pick up Harry Potter Pictionary for just £18 on its own from John Lewis.
Tonies Soft Cuddly Friends – Hoppie Rabbit Audio Play
- Price: £29.99
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You’re little one can cuddle this hoppie rabbit toy while listening to it going on adventures with the audio play.
The John Lewis deal on the soft toy from the German brand Steiff with Tonies audio play for just £29.99.
This is the best deal we could find on the set that’s available in the UK.
At the moment you can buy the bunny individually for £38 from John Lewis so its well worth the wait till Christmas to get the set for £8.01 less.
Secret garden book
- Price: £12
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The classic Secret Garden story has been given a John Lewis makeover in time for Christmas.
You’ll be able to buy this version will specially created imagery for the store in time for the festive season.
The original story follows Mary Lennox who discovers a hidden magical garden after being sent to live with her uncle on his remote country estate deep in the Yorkshire moors.
You can buy a more classic telling of the story in a book from WHSmith for only £2.25 meaning you could save almost £10 compared to John Lewis’ version.
If Christmas isn’t at the front of your mind right now, there are toys you can buy for the summer instead like Lidl’s bargain bouncy castle for £35 that will keep the kids entertained for hours.
We’ve also got a list of the 18 best Lego gift sets for kids of all ages.
But for one for the parents, Wowcher’s £21 Swarovski jewellery Advent Calendar is back this year and you can buy it now.
Mum-of-22 Sue Radford shows off daughter’s sixth birthday present haul worth HUNDREDS including £130 ice cream van toy
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