Top-selling Christmas gifts for kids on P.E.I.

In the early 1980s it was Cabbage Patch Kids. Decades later there were Beyblades. A few years ago, it was battery-driven hamsters called Zhu Zhu Pets.

Every year, there's a hard-to-find, must-have gift for kids. Nowadays,tablet computers of one sort or another top everyone's gift list.

But call it human nature: we hanker after what we can't have, or what mom and dad can't find. We asked the Balderston family, who run independent P.E.I. toy emporium Owl's Hollow, what their top sellers have been leading up to Christmas.

1. Playmobil

Remember Playmobil? The little plastic tubular figures have been popular since the company came out in the 1970s with its figures on generic themes like knights and construction workers.

This season, Playmobil seems to have struck gold with its very first licensed product line featuring what else? NHL hockey.

The arena sells for $69.99. Kids especially like the Playmobil zamboni, which sells for $18.99.

2. Stinky Pig game

What kid can resist a farting plastic pig?

This game is a take on hot potato: it starts when you press the pig's belly and he starts to play music. He's handed around from person to person until wait for it he farts. Hilarity ensues.

Unfortunately, the $16.99 game is hard to come by, but Owl's Hollow hopes to receive another shipment before Christmas.

3. Pie Face game

It's like Russian roulette, only with whipped cream. Players load the arm of the game with whipped cream and take turns sitting in front of it as each spins to win (in this case, losing might be better?).

Anyway, someone ends up with whipped cream on their face and everyone laughs and jockeys to be next.

This game by Hasbro retails for $24.99, but is unfortunately sold out at Owl's Hollow.

"We sold 60 in two or three days [in late November] and would have loved to get another 60," said Steven Balderson.

4. Shopkins

With the tag line, "Once you shop, you can't stop," and a lineup of tiny animated plastic foodstuffs including cupcakes, green peppers and Swiss cheese, Shopkins may be a little too commercial for some parents.

But four- to 10-year-olds love to collect as many as they can.

Owl's Hollow has been busy constantly re-stocking them this holiday season. The sets range in price. The medium-sized set above is $14.99

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5. Anything Star Wars

With a new movie in the franchise just released,Star Wars is hot again, almost 40 years after the first film became a worldwide hit.

Owl's Hollow still has everything from key chains to talking Yoda toys to colouring sets, games, action figures and more.

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6. Nursing Nina

The super-soft plush mother cat Nina comes with three tiny kittens, each with a magnet in its nose that attaches to Nina so they can nurse in a row.

Owl's Hollow also sells a dog version (Nursing Nana) and a sheep (Nursing Nola) but hasn't been able to keep Nina in stock, and don't expect more shipped before Christmas.

It's made by Manhattan Toy Company and sells for $30.00.

7. Harry Potter official colouring book

This one is selling well with teens and adults at Owl's Hollow, and offers hours of blessedly silent occupation at $19.99 from Scholastic.

8. Other popular gifts

Believe it or not, one of the top-selling items at Owl's Hollow continues to be wooden crokinole boards, a game of Canadian origin with a history that dates back to the late 1800s.

Magformers magnetic building blocks bill themselves as "intelligent magnetic construction set for brain development," and are in the top 10 sellers at Owl's Hollow.

9. For Adults: those naughty card games

The wildly popular game Cards Against Humanity, a self-proclaimed "party game for horrible people," is not available in stores. You can buy it on their website or download it for free.

However a similar game, Personally Incorrect, is available at Owl's Hollow and is extremely popular with adults, as is Crabs Against Humidity, which offers additional cards for either game.