Nielsen’s latest report on consumers took a look at what kids were asking for as holiday gifts this year, and once again Apple’s iPad was king of the hill. In fact, Apple took the top three slots of most desired products, with the iPod touch and iPhone claiming numbers 2 and 3.

Though the iPad was most desired last year as well, demand for Apple’s tablet shot up to 44 percent of kids surveyed from the 31 percent who wanted one this time last year. The iPod touch and iPhone were on 30 percent and 27 percent of kids’ lists this year, while “non-iPad” tablets were on 25 percent of Santa letters.

Twenty-one percent claimed to want a smartphone other than the iPhone, but no single Android model had any mindshare among kids under the age of 13. Of those older than 13, 24 percent had the iPad at the top of their lists, while 17 percent wanted a non-Apple tablet.

A word of advice to parents doing holiday shopping this season? Skip over that bargain-bin, no-name Android tablet, even if that means kids won’t get a tablet at all this year. A kid that is sad for a week is better than one that hates you for a year for buying the wrong tablet.

via Apple iPad, iPod touch, iPhone top kids’ holiday wishlists this year.