Christmas 2016: Star Wars, Lego and Nerf blasters among predicted top toys

The Toy Retailers Association said a mixture of well-loved brands and increasingly popular collectable ranges dominated its annual DreamToys list of predicted top sellers.

The £60 Nerf N-Strike Elite Hyperfire foam dart blaster, £90 Wheels Ultimate Garage and the £100 Thomas & Friends TrackMaster Sky-High Bridge Jump are among the most expensive toys on the list.

Lego's £70 Star Wars Rebel U-Wing Fighter and £90 Friends Amusement Park Roller Coaster also make the list, as does the £40 Paw Patrol Air Patroller. The recently launched £60 Hatchimals and £50 'no mess' Snuggles My Dream Puppy are predicted to be big sellers, as is the Shopkins Chef Club Hot Spot Kitchen, all highlighting collectibles as a driving force for the toy market.

The £20 SelfieMic, which features an adjustable selfie stick with karaoke microphone and allows users to create their own music videos, and the family games Speak Out and Silly Sausage, round out the top 12.

The list is decided by a panel of leading toy retailers in the UK including Argos, Boots, Selfridges, Smyths Toys, The Entertainer, TK Maxx and Toys R US. DreamToys selection committee chairman Gary Grant said: "The one unifying thing I see in the DreamToys selection this year is a sense of real family fun at the heart of many of the toys represented. It's also great to see that, in these uncertain times, this is a very affordable DreamToys list."

Frederique Tutt, toy industry analyst for The NPD Group, said analysis of the top selling toys this year showed the sheer variety of concepts driving the sector, from low-priced collectables to entertainment-driven hot toys.

"We're forecasting a very merry Christmas for the toy industry, expecting annual sales to reach 400 million toys , which will potentially see the industry achieve arecord highgoing over the £3.3 billion mark," she said.