It's that time of year again when kids are eagerly anticipating a visit from Father Christmas in the hope he will bring them a new batch of toys and games. With that in mind Ellen Nicholls spoke to four Norwich toy stores to find out what's been flying off their shelves this year.

John Lewis

John Lewis Norwich said that activity based toys were their best sellers this winter, with other classic toys like LEGO Ninjago continuing to remain popular.

'Toys that entertain, engage and inspire are topping children's wish lists this year,' said department manager Mark Leftley. 'We hope they bring children hours of joy and imaginative play.'

Sylvanian families and LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon continue to remain popular with Norfolk children, with toy sales on the whole remaining steady.

John Lewis listed their top 5 toy sales as:

1. Hexbug Nano

2. Mini Micro Scooter

3. Sylvanian Families John Lewis department store

4. Lego Ninjago

5. FurReal Cookie

Jarrolds

Jarrolds' toy department, in London Street, list the digital toy Milky the Bunny as their top selling item this year, while also reporting a general increase in demand for more traditional toys.

'It has been a good year for sales this Christmas,' said trading director John Adams. 'The store has been particularly busy this December with a 20 per cent increase in queues for our Father Christmas grotto and a rise in demand for traditional hand-held puppets.'

Mr Adams also explained how sales had increased online with Jarrold offering more items than last year on their website.

Jarrolds listed their top selling items as:

1. Milky the bunny

2. Playmobil Farm

3. LEGO Harry Potter and Star Wars

4. Sylvanian Families

5. Hand puppets

Langleys

City toy store Langleys, in the Royal Arcade, named Ninjago LEGO as its best performer this winter, suggesting kids were opting for more classic toys over the Christmas period.

'The key to keeping the toy business afloat is finding exciting new products which the supermarkets do not yet stock,' explained managing director John Fielding.

'LEGO is consistently a strong seller because it doesn't over subscribe the market with lots of different brands.'

Mr Fielding explained said around a third of Langleys' toy sales were ordered online.

Langelys' listed their top 5 best sellers as:

1. LEGO Ninjago

2. Sylvanian families

3. Moshi Monsters

4. Puckett

5. Lego Star Wars

Great Eastern Toys and Models

LEGO was also the best seller for family run business Great Eastern Toys and Models, on Plumstead Road, with the Star Wars LEGO topping their best sellers list.

'Business seems a lot slower this year,' said manageress Helen Hockey. 'More and more customers are ordering through the postal service and many are starting their Christmas shopping much earlier.'

Ms Hockey explained how toy sales were generally lower than last year, listing Great Eastern's top 5 sales as:

1. Star Wars LEGO

2. Playmobil Campervan

3. Hornby digital train sets

4. Ertl Thomas the Tank Engine

5. Digital Scale Electrics