Parents share the toys which are the worst value for money – with one item top of the list

Research has revealed that children’s books offer the best value for money, costing parents just 31p per use, whereas devices like tablets cost nearly £5 per use before kids lose interest.

A survey of 1,000 children aged 12 and under found that bicycles, electric toys, and fantasy playsets have a high cost-per-play ratio, averaging over £4 per use, with a novelty racing track costing almost £4.96 per use.

The study found that 67% of parents believe their children have around six expensive toys that are no longer played with regularly. As a result, two thirds of parents have regretted buying an expensive toy.

The research was conducted by children’s audio platform Yoto, which creates screen-free audio players for kids.

Yoto’s CEO, Ben Drury, commented: “Christmas can be quite a costly time; so naturally parents are going to be weighing up what items are going to offer them ‘true’ value while keeping the kids entertained.”

“One important thing parents have to consider is whether a purchase is a ‘fad’ or a longer term investment. So often, a child can obsess over a character or particular toy for a short period before moving onto something else leaving parents with an expensive product to store away.”

It was revealed that educational toys such as shape sorters worked out at only 69p per play, with water toys such as super soakers or pool toys at 72p.

Outdoor toys such as scooters or skateboards came in at £1.25 per use, while sports equipment averaged at £1.37.

According to the averages, novelty toys such as light up yo-yos, slime or a whoopee cushion were engaged with least, followed by science kits.

The main reasons for not using pricey purchases were losing interest quickly, preferring other toys, or items requiring batteries becoming a hassle.

As a result, 43% would be happy to hand them onto friends and family to use, while 32% will hang on to them in the hope younger siblings will have more interest.

So, when it comes to buying gifts for children, parents consider the child’s specific request, the toy’s educational benefits, and its entertainment value as top priorities.

Data from Yoto reveals that over 75% of their customers continue to use their audio players regularly three years after purchase, which works out to an average cost of 9p per day.

Ben Drury from Yoto commented: “There are different ways to balance out the value you feel you can get from a present for a child.”

“Items such as books and art supplies are low cost and high engagement, but may not deliver the biggest ‘wow factor’ on Christmas morning.”

“While some products cost more, parents need to consider the amount of actual time a child plays with a present. If kids are engaged with a gift for a long time and on a regular basis while learning and developing it can pay itself off tenfold.”

“And if it can help a child use their imagination, even better – bringing books and stories to life can really feed a child’s creativity and you can’t put a price on that.”