Top 15 Christmas Toys 2014: Best Gifts For Children

15 Of The Best Children's Christmas Pressies
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Parents: if you're feeling overwhelmed by the thousands of toys your department store catalogue has to offer this Christmas, you've certainly come to the right place.

From tech toys - we're looking at you Boomer the robot dinosaur - to Disney merchandise - we reckon the Elsa doll (from Disney's Frozen) is a sell-out waiting to happen - there's plenty to get excited about.

Then again, there's also plenty to be stressed about. The joys of parenting...

Christmas Gift Guide: Best Children's Toys
Snow Glow Elsa (£34.99)(01 of15)
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With the touch of her magical snowflake necklace, hear Elsa talk to her Frozen friends and watch entranced as her dress lights up in a flurry of sparkling lights. If you raise her arm, Elsa’s dazzling snowflake necklace beams as she plays the world renowned and Academy Award®-winning song "Let it Go" and her dress glitters with a luminous light show. Price: £34.99 / Buy it here (credit:Smyths Toys)
Cra-Z-Loom Ultimate Bracelet Maker (£7.49)(02 of15)
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This is the ultimate rubber loom band bracelet and accessory maker that turns ordinary rubber bands into amazing jewellery. The simple loop, weave and wear design lets you create unique bracelets, necklaces, rings and more. Price: £7.49 / Buy it here (credit:Toys R Us)
Children's Baking Set (£13.99)(03 of15)
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Introducing children to the pleasures of baking this kit contains all the basics for a budding baker, thoughtfully designed for smaller hands. There's everything you need for a mini Great British Bake Off.Price: £13.99 / Buy it here (credit:Lakeland)
Little Live Pets Bird & Cage (£18.49)(04 of15)
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Want to have your very own interactive pet bird but without the mess? Little Pets Bird is a colourful bird friend that responds to your touch and sings, chirps and tweets just for you with over 30 different bird calls. Price: £18.49 / Buy it here (credit:Toys R Us)
PL-UG Medium Den Making Kit (£25.00)(05 of15)
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What child doesn't love to build dens? Brand new this year, PL-UG is the extremely cool construction toy, which makes dream dens possible. The clever concept promises to ignite the imagination as the little ones attach PL-UG to the world around them. Price: £25 / Buy it here (credit:PL-UG)
Kidizoom Smart Watch (£28.99)(06 of15)
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A new and amazing smart watch just for children! This easy to use watch with an intuitive touch screen features lots of different analogue and digital watch faces for you to choose from. It has a camera for taking photos and videos with fun stamps and effects, along with a photo gallery. There is also an alarm, stop watch, timer, games and you can also record your voice with different voice effects.Price: £28.99 / Buy it here (credit:Toys R Us)
Sew Cool Sewing Studio (£29.99)(07 of15)
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This is perfect for a first time sewing experience, the Sew Cool Sewing Studio is a revolutionary threadless machine with everything you need to start sewing right away. It helps you create a series of projects from start to end and includes patterns and pre-cut shapes for purses, pouches, characters and plenty more. Price: £29.99 / Buy it here (credit:Toys R Us)
Football Manager 2015 (£29.99)(08 of15)
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Football Manager 2015, the latest in the award-winning and record-breaking series, is coming to PC, Macintosh and Linux computers in November 2014. Featuring a new look and feel to the user interface with a left-hand navigation bar makes management easier and more intuitive. Player’s personalities and characters replicate today’s football world where player power rules.Price: £29.99 / Pre-order it here (credit:Sega)
Children's Accordion (£38.00)(09 of15)
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This accordion from Vilac is made from wood and plastic, generating notes through the movement of the bellows. 14 different notes can be played by combining the ten keys. Price: £38 / Buy it here (credit:Vilac)
LINDT Santa 1kg (£39.99)(10 of15)
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With his jolly smile and dazzling red and gold foil wrapping, this 1kg LINDT Santa is sure to make a big impression under the tree this Christmas. This festive show stopper is the perfect gift for friends or family. Price: £39.99 / Buy it here (credit:LINDT)
My Friend Cayla (£59.99)(11 of15)
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The world’s first ‘live’ interactive doll designed to Sync with an online Smart device to recognise a child’s speech. Aided by Google’s speech-to-text technology, children are able to access controlled information from the internet. Cayla can also be played with independently via a free downloadable app. Price: £59.99 / Buy it here (credit:My Friend Cayla)
Spy Net RC Recon Video Bot (£59.99)(12 of15)
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As seen in the new series of ‘24’ currently showing on Sky 1, the RC Recon Video Bot (RRP £59.99) is the ultimate in covert ops. Simply throw the RC Bot over any wall obstructing your vision where it instantly transforms into a discreet roaming vehicle that can be controlled remotely. Price: £59.99 / Buy it here (credit:Smyths Toys)
Dino Zoomer Robotic T-Rex (£59.99)(13 of15)
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Meet Boomer, a pre-historic robotic T-Rex pet for the modern age. Boomer can chase, chomp, guard and roar. His eyes change colour with his mood, so make sure you give him all the attention he needs. Price: £59.99 / Buy it here (credit:Toys R Us)
The Sims 4 (£59.99)(14 of15)
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The Sims 4 is the highly anticipated life simulation game that lets you play with life like never before. Control smarter Sims with unique appearances, personalities, behaviors, and emotions. Experience new levels of creativity when you sculpt Sims with the powerful Create A Sim and design beautiful homes with tactile, room-based Build Mode. Rated 12+Price: £59.99 / Buy it here (credit:Electronic Arts)
LEGO City Arctic Base Camp (£69.99)(15 of15)
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This Lego Playset has plenty of cool features and role play. Head out into the wild and set up the hi-tech Lego City Arctic Base Camp to explore the secrets of the ice. Set out on major expeditions with the snow scooter and husky sled team. Investigate the secrets of the ice with the powerful tracked exploration vehicle and more...Price: £69.99 / Buy it here (credit:Toys R Us)

Top tips for children's Christmas shopping:

:: Don't go overboard with toys - next year you'll just have to beat this year's number (Dudley Dursley-style).

:: Balance out the gifts - invest in a couple of really special toys and then bulk out the rest with a selection of stocking fillers. Kids love unwrapping things so even small packets of chocolate, glow in the dark stars and sticker sets are exciting.

:: If you're buying online, don't leave it until last minute. Order them by the first week of December at the latest.

:: Search for voucher codes before you buy online - you'd be surprised at how much money you can save.

:: Don't rule out joint presents for your children - that garden swing set, playhouse or Xbox could be the best present they receive. Plus it encourages sharing.