Please Santa ... what Kiwi kids want for Christmas

More than 70,000 New Zealand children have sent written and online letters to Santa Claus' North Pole home via NZ Post. Photo / Thinkstock

Many kids are begging Santa for Lego, iPads and iPods or a new dog or cat for Christmas in letters they have written, New Zealand Post says.

But others are hoping Father Christmas won't be too hard on them for being naughty and some are complimenting him on his reindeer or are asking if he can help those facing hard times.

More than 70,000 New Zealand children have sent written and online letters to Santa Claus' North Pole home via NZ Post - up from the 65,767 Father Christmas received last year.

The correspondence includes large letters with pictures and messages written in braille that NZ Post staff have waded through around this time every year since it first allowed postal delivery to the North Pole in 1998 as part of its popular Letters to Santa programme.

Aside from the inevitable requests for Disney merchandise - anything from the Frozen movie is the most popular gift choice for girls while boys want Nerf guns - some children were just hoping to get on to Santa's delivery list after a year of mischief.

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One wrote: "I have been very naughty this year. I have hit my brother, yelled at mum and broken and spilt sand everywhere. But I have also been good too."

Another unnamed child said: "My Mummy doesn't want to tell me that my little brother ripped up my letter that I wrote to you along with the Xmas tree I drew for you."

For some kids it was all about getting even with their siblings: "Dear Father Christmas, please can I have a pet monster in real life because my sister is being naughty."

But others took a more humanitarian view, including a child who asks Santa to help a friend who had lost her possessions in a fire.

"Please get my friend - lots of cool toys her house was on fire and now she has no toys."

Slow start to the big spend-up

Silly season spending is off to a slow start with consumer spending growth slower than at this time last year.

Paymark figures showed spending increased 4.9 per cent in December's first week, well below last year's growth rate of 8.6 per cent for the same time.

Mark Spicer, head of Paymark customer relations, said lower fuel prices probably affected figures. He expected spending to shoot up in coming weeks.

Figures also showed 6.5 per cent more transactions last month than in November 2013.

Most requested toys

1. Lego
2. iPad/iPod
3. Pets
4. Bikes
5. Robo fish
6. Trampolines
7. PlayStation & Xbox games
8. Leapfrog/Leap pads
9. Disney toys (Frozen merchandise)
10. Nerf toys.