By Spencer Dixon

news@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — It’s the holiday season, which means parents and relatives are trying to find the perfect gifts for children.

Shoppers are projected to spend an average of $967.13 this holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation. That’s a 3.4 percent increase over last year, with most of that money going toward gifts for family members.

Spending on toys is on the rise, with roughly 40 percent of adults saying they plan to buy toys this year, up from 29 percent five years ago, according to data from Deloitte.

Christmas is just days away. If you’re still trying to find a gift, here are five of the most popular children’s toys for 2017. This unscientific list is based on online popularity and children’s wish lists.

• L.O.L Big Surprise: This is the “it” toy of this holiday season. It’s described as the “ultimate unboxing experience” because the ball unwraps to reveal 50 different surprises. The surprises include dolls, accessories, bath bombs and more. The original package can be used as a purse once all the surprises have been found. The L.O.L Big Surprise is for children ages 6-10 and ranges from $99.95 to $110.
• Nerf Rival Nemesis MXVII-10K Blaster: Nerf has released its first fully automatic toy gun, which has a lot of young boys excited. In addition to rapid-fire abilities, the blaster has an easy load hopper and holds up to 100 rounds. The Nerf Rival Nemesis includes 100 high-impact rounds and instructions. The gun comes in either blue or red and runs on batteries or the Nerf Rival rechargeable battery pack. The Nerf Rival Nemesis is for children 12-15 and ranges from $79.99 to $100.
• Fingerlings: A toy that is becoming increasingly popular is WowWee’s Fingerlings. The toys’ slogan “Friendship @ your fingertips” is appropriate since these tiny robotic monkeys can literally hang from your fingers. The monkeys respond to sound, motion and touch and contain 40 different animations. The creatures can open and close their eyes, make monkey noises and blow kisses. Fingerlings are for children ages 6-13 and ranges from $15 to $45.
• Cozmo: This is a gift for any tech-savvy child who has in interest in computers or programming. The robot has lots of personality — he pouts if he isn’t played with and gets excited when he sees a familiar face. Cozmo uses AI (artificial intelligence) and computer vision to map out rooms, avoid obstacles and play games. The Cozmo robot comes with a USB charging station, Code Lab, and three power cubes that he uses to play. A free app is needed to program Cozmo as well as unlock new games as the robot develops. Cozmo is for children age 8 and older and ranges from $139.99 (on sale) to $199.99.
•  Hatchimals: This was the “it” toy last year, but it remains popular this Christmas. This year, Hatchimals released its Surprise egg, which hold twin hatchimals that interact with one another. The twins come in a speckled egg that must be nurtured in order to hatch. Once the egg hatches, the twin hatchimals begin to interact with one another by telling jokes, playing games, saying “I love you” to one another and more. Hatchimals Surprise requires 2 AA batteries and 3 LR44 batteries, which are included with the package. The new Hatchimal Surprise is for children ages 5-10 and ranges from $64.82 to $79.95
• The Washington Post contributed to this article.