The average kids Christmas wish list now costs £300 and consists of 16 items

New research has revealed the staggering sum of money the average child’s Christmas wish list amounts to and the eyeopening number of children who are left ‘disappointed’ with their festive haul. 

The poll, commissioned by toy manufacturer Hasbro, quizzed 2,000 parents of children aged between three and thirteen across the UK on what their children’s wish lists contain and how much they usually amount to.

Shockingly, it found that the average wish list contains sixteen items, all of which amount to an average price of £294.58. That isn’t very Christmassy…

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The research, which marked the launch of Hasbro’s ‘Love at First Play’ campaign, also found that 41% of youngsters have even been left unimpressed with a present that was even on their wish list, and are heavily influenced by items in shops, TV adverts and what their friends already have.

And while 33% of parents admitted they bought their child something they were indifferent about, 24% claimed the gift was from a friend and 23% a neighbour. Shameless!

It also revealed that two in five parents have struggled to know what to buy their children for Christmas, and that a quarter are actually expecting their kids to be disappointed with their gifts.

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Child Psychologist Dr. Laverne Antrobus spoke about the research on behalf of Hasbro and noted: “Science has shown us that a child’s play personality has a huge impact on the types of toys they will enjoy playing with and also the way they learn and develop.

“While for most adults, ‘work’ and ‘play’ are separate pursuits, for children play is their work – instead of being just a fun break, it is in fact how they learn, both about the world and themselves.

“By identifying a child’s most dominant play personalities, parents and gift givers may be more likely to choose a compatible present for their child this Christmas.”