These are our best loved childhood toys - and guess which was voted tops..

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We all remember a treasured toy from when we were young, and as a recent poll reveals, many still hang on to a beloved cuddly animal, toy car or game from our earliest years.

Top of the most adored toys and games from our childhoods are, in fact, old-fashioned teddy bears. These furry friends took 33 per cent of a national vote.

As many as 10 per cent of adults admit they still sleep with their childhood teddy every night, while 67 per cent of the 1,500 adults surveyed reminisce about old toys, and three-quarters get nostalgic when thinking about them.

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Also among our very favourites, is the brain teasing Rubik’s Cube (31 per cent), the classic Barbie doll (28 per cent) and cuddly Care Bears (26 per cent), which all featured at the top of the score board.

Teddy bears hold a special place in the nation's hearts as the best loved childhood toyTeddy bears hold a special place in the nation's hearts as the best loved childhood toy
Teddy bears hold a special place in the nation's hearts as the best loved childhood toy

Polly Pocket (25 per cent), My Little Pony (20 per cent), Etch-a-Sketch (19 per cent), and Hungry Hippos (17 per cent) also made the final cut, as did Sylvanian Families (14 per cent), and games Mousetrap and Buckaroo (14 per cent each).

Scalextric (13 per cent), Spacehoppers (13 per cent), and the Operation Game (12 per cent) also made the list.

The research revealed that eight in ten parents feel emotional when they see their little ones playing with toys they loved themselves as children.

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And over a quarter can’t resist playing with their kids’ toys themselves, when alone.

Barbie dolls are remembered with fondness by many peopleBarbie dolls are remembered with fondness by many people
Barbie dolls are remembered with fondness by many people

Almost half of British parents (45 per cent) are hoarding mountains of kids’ old toys at home.

Over 80 per cent have a yearly spring clean to clear out older toys, with 24 per cent admitting they have binned many unloved toys, only to regret that they were not passed on to other children who would have appreciated them.

Geoff Sheffield, chief commercial and marketing officer of The Entertainer, who commissioned the study, said: “We are not surprised to find toys like teddy bears, the Rubik’s Cube and Barbie sit at the top of the list.

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“These timeless toys bring back wonderful childhood memories. Since 2019 we’ve rehomed 40,000 toys with The Salvation Army which may otherwise have ended up in landfill. We’re excited to announce this is returning for another year and we encourage everyone to bring in toys which are no longer played with to their local stores, so these can be loved by new families.”

Over two thirds of people think unwanted toys should go to charity, while 13 per cent aim to donate them to children’s hospitals or schools.

The 20 most loved toys and games from childhood, as voted by adults, are; teddy bears, Rubik’s cube, Barbie dolls, Care Bears, Polly Pocket, My Little Pony, Etch-a-Sketch, Hungry Hippos, Sylvanian Families, Mousetrap, Buckaroo, Sindy Scalextric, Space Hopper, Spirograph, Operation, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figures, Baby Born, Barbie Dreamhouse and

Gameboy Original.

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