Educational toys more popular than bicycles, board games

With 48 hours to go to Christmas, shoppers are rallying to snap up gifts while shops will be eagerly waiting to capitalise on the traditional last-minute Maltese shoppers.

And one of the biggest headaches for shoppers is to what to get kids - who these days seem to have everything irrespective of how young they are. But if you're one of those adamant against purchasing a tablet to you daughter, grandson or niece - well you better think twice.

Because once again, the learning tablet Leap Frog V Tech Tablet has topped the list of the most bought gift this Christmas. In fact, judging by what shoppers have opted for, the most popular gifts are the so-called 'learning toys'.

This obviously does not exclude the more 'traditional' gifts such as dolls, cars, scooters and board games.

Contacted by MaltaToday, six established shops around Malta and Gozo said this year's Christmas sales were encouraging but all were equally concerned over the increase in online shopping.

Together with the sales of tablets, online shopping was deemed as the main contributor to a fall in sales.

The Leap Frog V Tech Tablet, a learning tablet designed for children aged between 3 and 9, was the most sought after toy.

Board games, battery-operated cars and educational toys retained their popular post.

Valletta-based Handkrafts said the tablet was the most popular among shoppers, but said that notwithstanding the increase in technological use, classical and traditional toys remained popular amongst shoppers.

"Dolls, building blocks and LEGO are very popular among children aged under 7, while classic board games such as Monopoly, Scrabble and Cluedo are perfect for those aged over 7," a spokesperson for Handkrafts said.

Judging by its sales, Mark's Toy Shop in Hamrun said that "despite the increase in the sale of children's toys, trends nowadays dictate that children aged over 9 no longer see toys as the ideal gift, instead looking forward to seeing tablets and gaming consoles under the Christmas tree."

"This was aptly proven by the demand for the most popular item: the Leap Frog V Tech Tablet."

Admitting that competition with online shopping was hard, the Hamrun shop forecasted a sharp increase due to last-minute shopping.

The trend however seems to be different on sister island Gozo, where reportedly shoppers tend to plan ahead.

"Gozitan shoppers normally plan ahead and shops see steady sales during the whole month rather than a surge in the final days," said Kidzland, which is based in Gozo.

Similar to Maltese shoppers, Kidzland said Gozitans saw educational toys as the ideal gift for children with the Leap Frog Ultra Pad by far the most sold item.

"The sales of fitness and physically-engaging toys were also considerably higher than previous years. Bicycles, balls and pogo sticks were the most sought after toys for children aged under nine years old."

Meanwhile, established St Paul's Bay toyshop Mecca Enterprises said ride cars, electric cars, ride-ons as well as slides were the biggest hit for children aged between 2 and 6, while board games remained the favourite for older children.

RC World said that the Space Scooter, an outdoor fitness toy, was the most sought after gift, particularly for children aged 8 and above.

But no matter how many years pass, certain traditions remain and, like as many of you readers can remember, Mickey and Minnie Mouse remain the most favourite characters for toddlers.

Junior's in fact said that various Mickey and Minnie items were selling like hotcakes.

While toyshops remain confident that the last few days will result in a surge in their sales, they were equally concerned over the competition they face from the selling of gaming consoles.