What do children really want for Christmas this year?

If you’re still scratching your head with the present buying – Royal Mail has revealed this year’s top 10 most-wished-for gifts according to children's special letters to Father Christmas.

For more than 60 years, postal staff have been managing the mailbags destined for the North Pole and with weeks to go until the big day, the most authoritative survey of wish lists has taken place.

And unlike most top toy charts in the run up to Christmas – which are put together by adults and toy industry experts – these findings have come directly from children themselves.

The 2023 list, compiled by those in charge of organising Santa’s letters and his replies, is a mix of new entries and firm favourites.

Lego, Playmobil and Barbie dolls all make it into the top 10 most requested toys – the latter perhaps bolstered by the hugely popular Barbie movie released earlier this summer.

But there is a new entry in the number one spot for 2023 with the L.O.L Surprise Magic Flyers Range – a collection of tiny dolls with fashionable wings who are said to ‘really fly’.

Parents hoping for budget-friendly requests might be disappointed to see that a games console has rejoined the list of items children long for – having not been seen since in the rankings since 2019.

This year it’s the turn of the Nintendo Switch Console, which takes second place in the top 10 and costs more than £300, followed by reqests for Lego in third.

And there’s also some retro fun in the Furby, which has appeared on numerous 2023 top toy lists from retailers this Christmas, and it seems children really do agree it’s one worth asking for.

The electronic, interactive creature – first released back in 1998 - is in ninth place on the Royal Mail list and costs around £55.

Gerry Teggart from Royal Mail said: “For 60 years Royal Mail has played a special part at Christmas working with Santa and his elves. We are proud that children across the UK trust us with delivering their treasured letters to Santa so they can receive the gifts they really want.”

As last posting deadlines near Royal Mail opened one Kent sorting office for longer this weekend as part of efforts to clear a growing backlog.

The Snodland office extended its opening hours on December 8 and 9 amid claims that people in Medway, Malling and Maidstone have been going without deliveries.