The Christmas gifts for kids Aussies are dropping $546 million on

Christmas is just around the corner, and many Australians aren’t holding back when it comes to dipping into their savings or whipping out the credit card to buy presents for loved ones. 

New research from online retailer eBay has revealed Australian parents are expected to spend nearly $546 million in total, or $200 per child, on gifts for the festival season. 

According to eBay Australia’s Head of Communications, Sophie Onikul, parents aren’t flocking to the electronics aisle of stores while Christmas shopping - instead, they’re getting their kids more hands-on or educational toys.

“We’re seeing three key trends emerge - driven by kids moving away from screens,” she said. 

“The classics we all remember from our childhood such as building toys, books and board games are enjoying a resurgence, while we’ve seen a huge shift towards soft skill development with smarter interactive toys that require nurturing and patience to unlock the fun. We’re also seeing a focus on science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) toys.” 

Which toys have made it onto kids’ wishlists? 

So which toys have wiggled their way into wishlists this Christmas? Let’s take a look: 

1. Building toys: 

LEGO Star Wars BOOST Droid Commander set

Construction and brick toys are making a comeback, with eBay-commissioned data showing over 1 in 3 parents want to buy toys that encourage hands-on creative play. In fact, LEGO sales on eBay are 60% higher than last year. 

2. Books: 

The days of reading a page-turner under the covers aren’t over, with 38% of parents saying they’re considering books over cuddly toys when picking out Christmas gifts for their kids. This year alone, eBay has seen more than 2.3 million searches on the site for children’s and young adult books. 

3. Board games: 

Monopoly Voice Banking  

You may remember board games as just a way to pass time on rainy days, but they’re becoming more and more of a hit these days. eBay has seen a 27% year-on-year increase in board game purchases, with Monopoly Voice Banking, Pictionary Air and Plumber Pants likely to become new family favourites. 

4. Nurturing toys: 

Owleez, the baby owl

Nurturing toys are another popular present category this Christmas, designed to help kids learn about love, care and patience. eBay even listed a nurturing toy, Owleez, as its hottest toy of 2019 - kids can interact with this baby owl to teach it how to fly. Another one is Rizmo, which grows from a ball to a fluffy monster based on how much you nurture it. 

5. Coding toys: 

Artie 3000 the Coding Robot

With STEM jobs expected to grow quite significantly over the next few years (11% by May 2023, compared to 6% for non-STEM jobs), eBay said coding toys could be another great gift for the kids. In particular, little coders are expected to be big fans of Artie 3000 the Coding Robot.

From board games to robots, parents have plenty to choose from when gift-shopping this Christmas. Looking for a way to pay for these presents, without building up sky-high debt? Check out these low-rate credit cards, or head over to our credit cards comparison table to compare even more options.