With Christmas less than a month away, many last-minute gift-givers are starting to feel the pressure of finding the perfect gift or toy this year.
To help those struggling to find the right gift, toy review website TheToyZone analyzed data from around the world to determine the most popular toys in each country.
Utilizing keyword searches from 161 countries, TheToyZone found that the top five most widely searched toys are video game consoles and Lego—which is globally searched over 6 million times monthly.
Which Toys Are Popular in America?
In the United States, the most searched game console was the Xbox Series X—a shift away from the PS5 the year prior. Globally, the Nintendo Switch dominated Google searches in 29 countries.
The analysis found that the PS5 received the most monthly searches with an average of 15 million global searches.
But what came as a surprise to many was that the most popular toy in the U.S.—a shift from the predictable PS5 in 2021 to Lincoln Logs in 2022.
"It goes without saying that Lincoln Logs are also the most popular building toy brand in the U.S.—and nowhere else," Managing Editor of TheToyZone James Booth told Newsweek. "In terms of why Lincoln Logs are more popular than the likes of electronics and LEGO this year, we've seen retro wooden toys making a comeback in 2022."
While the team was surprised by the findings, they told Newsweek that they've noticed "an increased appetite" for "traditional" toys and a shift away from screens and technology.
"Lincoln Logs are about as vintage as they come, with original sets fetching hundreds of dollars second-hand online!" Booth said.
What's The Most Popular Doll?
As for popular dolls, the results were less surprising. With an average of 100 dolls being sold per minute, Barbie reigns queen as the most uniquely popular doll in 75 countries.
She has also earned the title of the most popular toy overall in 32 countries including 17 countries in Africa.
Following behind Barbie are Bratz dolls with the most searches in 38 countries and L.O.L. Surprise dolls dominating in 10 other countries including Brazil and Ukraine.
However, the analysis found that cabbage patch kids were the most popular search in 2022 in America compared to American Girl Dolls in 2021.
Other Popular Toys
Analysis also found that the most searched board game globally is Ludo—receiving over 1 million monthly searches.
Ludo, also called Parcheesi in America, is based on the ancient Indian game Pachisi and was patented in England back in 1896 and remains a family game night favorite in 2022.
Other top games included Scrabble, Monopoly, UNO and The Game of Life.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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