Asking a five- to eight-year-old what they want for Christmas can be dangerous. With no concept of money, they’re as likely to ask for something that costs a fiver as a Lego set in the hundreds. They could have seen something fleetingly on an advert but not quite know what it is, leaving you Googling “blue flashing monkey toy with wings” for days. And they’re old enough to be very insistent – and remember what they asked for come Christmas Day. No pressure.
So, we bypassed all the “top toys of 2024” lists created by marketing departments and went to the source for you, asking 21 kids what they really want for Christmas, from slime to a load of Lego.
***
The best gifts for five- to eight-year-olds
***
Slushy van
Lego City penguin slushy van building set, £17.99
lego.com
johnlewis.com
I want it because I like building Lego and I love slushies. I want to pretend to make slushies for people in the city. Leo, five, York
***
Lookalike doll
Miranda doll, £26.99
smythstoys.com
The Our Generation Heals on Wheels set, £52.12
amazon.co.uk
I love that the doll looks like me with her hair, and I like that these dolls are bigger than Barbies. The wheelchair looks fun to push around and it’s got lots of accessories. Grace, six, Manchester
***
Dial up the glam
Claire’s purple rainbow bling mobile phone makeup set, £8
claires.com
Makeup Revolution, flip phone eyeshadow palette, £5.59
amazon.co.uk
I love that it looks like a phone to play with, but really it’s makeup! I’d feel fancy when I put the makeup on. Grace, six, Manchester
***
Self-build project
Lego Creator modern house, £89.99
lego.com
£72
johnlewis.com
I like that you can make three different houses from the same set. I love building on Minecraft and Roblox, but it’s fun to do it in real life with Lego too. I used to play with it a lot when I was younger, but I still like it now as it makes me feel calm and relaxed. George, eight, Manchester
***
Light it up
LED strip lights, £14.99
amazon.com
Various LED strip lights, from £19.49
argos.com
I would like these lights in my room because I think they will make it bright and colourful and make it standout. My older cousins have them too. When I get rid of my mirror on the wall, I’m going to put a [Real Madrid footballer] Vini Jr mural there instead with LED lights around it. George, eight, Manchester
***
Cute cuddly
Original Squishmallows Pikachu 14-inch, £30
argos.co.uk
£32.99
amazon.co.uk
Reason one, it’s giant. Reason two, it’s really squishy. Reason three, it’s Pokémon. Reason four, it’s so cute. Nathaniel, six, Stroud
***
Football kit
England football kit, £35.74 with code THREELIONS
englandstore.com
£64.99
nike.com
I really want an England football kit because I love England and I love football. Tom, six, Essex
***
Trendy toys
Galt slime lab, £16
johnlewis.com
£14.99
amazon.co.uk
Joyin mochi squishy toy set, £9.99
amazon.co.uk
Squish-a-longs mini-squish-pack of 8, £10
argos.co.uk
I love slime and my friend Poppy is getting slime too. I love squishies because they are so sweet. Sophia, eight, Essex
***
For the great outdoors
Subea kids’ swimming mask, £24.99
decathalon.co.uk
Flyboo snorkel mask, £20.99
amazon.co.uk
SwimFin buyonacy aid, £34.10
decathlon.co.uk
Shark fin swimming aid, £9.60
amazon.co.uk
Jumbo doodle chalk, £4.80
johnlewis.co.uk
Giant pavement chalk, £5.76
amazon.co.uk
I want a snorkel so I can breathe underwater and a plastic fin with a string so it can wrap around my body and point up like a shark. And I’d like some chalk for outside. Chase, six, Yorkshire
***
Spinning toy
Beyblade starter kit, £7.99
smythstoys.com
Various Beyblades, from £5.45
amazon.co.uk
I want a Beyblade because they spin! Ava, six, London
***
New wheels
Electric ride-on Mercedes GT4 AMG, £129.99
manomano.co.uk
Various models, from £149
riiroo.com
I want a car that I can drive – with gears! Those are the best things in the car. Oh, but that will be really expensive, won’t it? Fred, six, Kent
***
For horse lovers
Squishmallows horse, £21.22
amazon.co.uk
I want a horse, but if I really can’t have a horse, then I guess a giant Squishmallows one is the next best thing. Fleur, six, Amsterdam
***
Cosy onesie
Super Mario onesie, £25.99
amazon.co.uk
£28.99
debenhams.com
I want a Mario fleece onesie so I look cool and can stay warm after swimming. Harrison, six, Cirencester
***
Speedy skates
Olyspm roller skates, £39.99
amazon.co.uk
smythtoys.com
I want roller skates and I like these ones because they look really cool. Eva, five, Essex
***
Hogwarts bedding
Harry Potter glow-in-the-dark duvet cover and pillowcase, from £22
dunelm.com
Harry Potter reversible duvet cover and pillowcase, £32
johnlewis.com
I would like a Harry Potter duvet because I’m obsessed with Harry Potter! Emily, eight, Essex
***
Animal onesie
Lion onesie, £16
dunelm.com
£24.99
amazon.co.uk
I want to be cosy on the sofa, and also be able to pretend I’m a lion when I feel like it. Lila, seven, Bristol
***
Building imaginations
Minecraft game for various platforms, from £19.99
argos.co.uk
Minecraft: Standard Edition for PC and Mac, £17.20
amazon.co.uk
I want to build my own secret underground lair! Ezra, seven, Bristol
***
Rev it up
Hot Wheels monster truck remote control car, £37.99
amazon.co.uk
£67
argos.co.uk
I want a remote-controlled monster truck that goes brrrrummmmm brrruuummmmmm. Zandy, five, London
***
First mobile device
VTech KidiZoom device, £44.99
amazon.co.uk
£45
argos.co.uk
My older sister has one and I want to take photos on it – it has some games on it too. Thea, five, Essex
***
Building with dad
Lego City downtown streetcar and station, £79.99
lego.com
£62.99
amazon.co.uk
I love building Lego with my dad. Oscar, five, Essex
***
Cuddly Disney character
Stitch soft toy, £24
disneystore.co.uk
£24.99
amazon.co.uk
I’m really into Lilo and Stitch. My friends and I love it! Lovisa, seven, Essex
***
Marble fun
John Lewis marble run, £20
johnlewis.com
Chad Valley marble run, £11.25
argos.co.uk
I love playing with the marble run at school. You put the balls in and they go down, down, down – it’s fun. Blake, six, London
***
Sweet joy
Choc On Choc chocolate animal making kit, £14.99
amazon.co.uk
Chocolate lolly making kit, £16.99
smythtoys.co.uk
When I go to the Natural History Museum, I like to get a chocolate dinosaur lolly. I looked on the internet with my mum and liked these animal ones. We can make them together at home. Blake, six, London
