With her long blonde hair, tiny waist and pure pink wardrobe, Barbie is an icon. She may be only 11 and a half inches tall, but this cultural giant has occupied a prominent position in little girls’ toy boxes for over half a century. In 2014, Barbie was knocked off the top spot on most the popular girls’ toy list. But is Barbie’s reign really over?

Barbie is getting a digital makeover. In addition to her fierce sense of style and diverse work history, she'll soon be able to partake in two-way conversations with her owner. Barbie sales have been falling. But now that Barbie can talk back, is her reign really over?

It wouldn’t be Christmas without a must-have toy. But when it comes to girls, the essential gift for 2015 isn’t from Barbie, Disney or Lego, but from Shopkins; miniature figurines of items you’d find in a supermarket. How are these tiny, cute, plastic characters fuelling girls’ imaginations?

Generation Z has grown up with a smartphone in one hand and an iPad in the other. So how come a craze for weaving plastic bands has taken playgrounds by storm? Where yo-yos and football stickers have gone before, loom bands are the kids’ craze of 2014. What exactly makes a Gen Z craze?