In the lead-up to Christmas, a new survey from the Swiss Toy Association has revealed which toys and games are in the highest demand this festive season. The report noted that despite the promise of innovative and technologically advanced games, shoppers in Switzerland are still sticking with the classics.
According to the report - which asked Swiss supermarkets and stores like Migros, Manor and Galaxus about their most sold toys and games - Lego is by far and a way the most popular toy to purchase this Christmas. Interestingly, the association found that this latest push is being driven not by young children but by adults.
In recent years, the Danish company has released more and more large Lego sets designed with adults in mind, from a 1.953-piece X-Wing Starfighter from Star Wars to a 10.000-piece Eiffel Tower. It turns out that, once they have the financial means, many older people still swing by the toy aisle to pick up their next big building project.
Alongside Lego, the study found that plush toys and film characters are also incredibly popular gifts. Despite the fact the film was released in 2002, Stitch from Disney film Lilo & Stitch is still a favourite in 2024.
Even though the thought of video games and mobile phones typically spark fears of a Christmastime glued to screens, collaborative physical board games also remain very popular. Speaking to SRF, game researcher Rainer Buland noted that little pieces moving around the board still bring families together like no other, and help groups of friends get to know each other when in the throws of both victory and defeat.
He added that board games are one of the few occasions when adults and children are given equal footing: "It is exciting for the daughter or son to see how their father reacts when they are thrown out of the field. Because here he cannot say 'you are not allowed to do this or that'." In Switzerland, cooperative board games are becoming increasingly popular as families prefer collaboration over competition.
Finally, those who feared the advent of modern entertainment would spell the end of family game nights need not worry. Alongside an increasing number of elderly, Buland concluded that "the younger generation now also plays board games with their children. The more digital we become, the more interesting analogue games become."
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