There’s no denying that businesses are incredibly busy and overworked during the holiday season. The holiday’s are a perfect opportunity to buy dozens of presents for loved ones. There’s also no denying that kids enjoy holidays more than anybody else. They definitely don’t get the short end of the stick. Parents all around the world are spending their whole paychecks in an attempt to please their children.  So, despite hundreds of thousands of toys being bought, which toys have been the most popular in the past ten years? 

2010: The iPad. IPads were first released in April of 2010, and they were immediately a hit. Kids from all over the planet were at their parents feet, practically begging for one. They were simply the newest and coolest thing back then. Apple sold over 300,000 iPads on their initial release date, and the numbers just kept rising,

2011: the LeapPad Explorer. LeapPad Explorers were basically small tablets that, unlike the iPad, were specifically designed for children. They were full of educational, yet entertaining, games for kids to play. It made perfect sense to get this for any toddler at the time. Fun games that are teaching kids life long skills, what more could one ask for?

2012: The Wii U. The original Wii console was released in 2006, so it made sense that they would have to one up themselves. While the Wii originally only had a remote, the Wii U had a handheld controller with a touch screen. People of all ages were all over it. By the end of 2012, over 3 million units of Wii U’s had been sold.

2013: The Big Hugs Elmo. Most kids who were born in the late 90’s or early 2000’s are very familiar with Sesame Street and it’s whole cast. Arguably the most popular character from the show, Elmo, was made into many toys over the years. Well over two decades ago, the famous ‘Tickle-Me Elmo’ was released. The ‘Big Hugs Elmo’ was sort of an homage to this. Instead of laughing when tickled, he would simply hug kids back when hugged. How sweet!

2014: Elsa dolls. Though Frozen was released in November of 2013, it truly dominated all over toys and minds of young children in 2014. Disney made over 4 billion dollars in sales in 2014, from Frozen toys alone. Anna dolls were also a huge hit alongside her sister Elsa, but Elsa dolls simply made more sales.

2015: BB-8 Toy Droid. Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released in 2015, so it seems fitting that the small, yet charming, BB-8 was loved amongst most who saw the film. As most would guess, almost every single child who saw the movie wanted a companion like BB-8. Though getting an actual small droid that listens and responds would be a bit of a difficult task, getting this toy was the next best thing.

2016: Hatchimals. It’s definitely no surprise that young kids like to take care of beings that are smaller than them in some way. Kittens, newborn babies, bugs, other pets, and the list goes on. Hatchimals are little eggs that you take care of for a few days, until it hatches a new friend. A mix between taking care of something, while having a companion. They really are the best of both worlds.

2017: Fingerlings. Fingerlings are little mechanical monkeys that you keep on your finger. They are incredibly interactive and in tune with their environment. They were also relatively cheap, compared to some of the other gifts on this list, which inspired parents to let their kids collect more.

2018/2019: These two years were pretty similar when it came to toy sales. L.O.L surprise dolls have been a huge hit over the past couple of years. They are little collectable dolls that come in surprise packages. The best part is that the dolls aren’t the only component to why children enjoy them so much. Houses, buildings, outfits, and much more can be bought separately to keep the spark alive

2020: Though the year is obviously not over, it is safe to say that the PS5 is going to be insanely popular this year. The PS5 console is sold out in almost every store imaginable, including online stores.