WITH just 23 days until Christmas, parents are turning their minds to Christmas and it seems the Hatchanimal is the 'must have' on every Swindon child's wish list.

The furry toy hatches out of an egg and is able to speak, talk and dance.

But parents have struggled to get their hands on the popular toy. Hayley Palmer was searching for a special present for her daughter Caitlin, 3 at the town's Toys R Us store yesterday.

“She wanted a Hatchimal, but there’s no chance of getting one ”said a disppointed Hayley.

Shopkins and Minecraft were also popular toys of choice yesterday afternoon.

Other top toys include the childhood-staple Lego. It’s a top seller at Ducklings Toy Shop, Wootton Bassett.

Colin Pattison, 50, owner of the Borough Fields shop, said: “The Star Wars set is popular because of the film obviously. It’s like two toys in one, because you build the set and then you’ve got something to place with.”

Traditional toys like wooden railway sets and the games still account for around a fifth of the store’s business.

Colin who says his favourite childhood toy was his Raleigh bike, said: “Customers like wooden toys because they’re solid.”

Hayley Durston, 46, a bookseller at Waterstones’ Swindon store, said that books are still big Christmas sellers amongst parents.

The books that children want this Christmas include David Walliams’ The Midnight Gang (RRP £12.99), Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down (RRP £12.99) and screenplay of J.K. Rowling’s Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them (RRP £16.99).

Jenny Nimmo’s The Snow Spider, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, is also proving popular.

The classic tale of Welsh boy magician Gwyn’s journey to find his missing sister Beth was Waterstones’ book of the month in November.

The Adver spoke to some parents leaving Toys R Us:

Selina Wells, Nantwich, Freshbrook

I’ve bought Monopoly Avengers. It’s a really good price in here: £9.96 each. It’s for a special needs boy and for another family.

I’ve got a disabled child of my own, so I know how hard it is. She’s got Angelman Syndrome, which is quite rare. Even though she’s 20 she’s got a mental age of about three. Christmas is particularly hard for us. I’m buying for a three year old every year. It gets considerably harder to buy something that she doesn’t have.

This year I’ve got her an Amazon Fire tablet because she goes through them like wildfire. She’s not very delicate with things. She also loves puzzles and I’ve got some sweets.

Joanna Rudnichi, 30

We’ve been looking for some travel strollers for Alexander, who’s three months. I need to have a look online and compare the size and price. I don’t think the price is as important as the quality.

I’ve also got surprise gift for my nephew: a Lego ninja toy.

This year, because we’ve got a newborn he needs to meet his grandparents. He’s like a present. But we’ll have to get him a junior savings account for Christmas.

Pavel Rudnichi, 33

We’ve been preparing ourselves for Christmas because we want to go and visit our family in Poland. We don’t want to take this pram. It’s too heavy. We want to find something much lighter.

Normally we celebrate Christmas in England, but this year we’re going to Poland. It’s totally different. Hopefully we’ll get snow; it will be like a proper Christmas from a Hollywood movie.

I think my little son, Alexander, will be the best Christmas gift ever.

Emma Symons, 33, Rushy Platt

I’m here buying Christmas presents for my children. I’ve got a couple of games, a bouncy space ball, a toy microphone and a Spirograph. Some of it they’ve asked for, some are stocking fillers. It’s stuff I think they’ll like.

My children write a list. I get a couple of catalogues and they flick through them all.

For Christmas we either stay at home with the children or go to see family. Ours is a small Christmas – some food, some drink. My children are at their Dad’s this year, so I’m not sure whether to go to my dad’s or stay at home with my partner.

Anna Jefferd, 46, Hinton Parva

Today I’ve got some Shopkins and Minecraft toys for my children, 11 and 7. They’re things that I know they like – not things that they’ve asked for. My son is just nuts about Minecraft. And my daughter’s room is full of soft toys. She likes teddy bears – Build-a-Bear. You name it.

This year it’s my parents’ turn to celebrate Christmas at ours. It’s a traditional Christmas. I cook dinner and my husband takes the children and my father up to the pub, and then we go and have a big Christmas lunch and then a walk and that’s it really.

When I was a child the best present I received was probably a giant sized teddy bear. It was orange and brown and my sister had the pink and brown one. I had no idea that it was coming.

Hayley Palmer, 30, Upper Stratton

I’m looking for a My Little Pony doll called Rainbow Dash. It’s a Christmas present for my daughter Cerys, 3. She’s desperate for it. But it’s a present that I can never get because it’s always sold out.

I even tried to buy it in London. I went to London the other day to Winter Wonderland and we walked all the way around London looking for an Argos and they’d sold out as well.

You feel really bad. I keep saying: “Father Christmas might not be able to make it. Not for everybody.” She wanted a Hatchimal, but there’s no chance of getting one of those.