Children say happiness is important

Youngsters also reckon terrorism is the worst thing in the world, and that the Queen and Harry Potter are more famous than God.

If they ran the world, children would most want to ban knives and guns and have more school holidays, a survey of 1,800 under-10s by the sponsors of National Kids' Day found.

Asked how much money they would need to be rich, the children gave answers ranging from £500 to £1 billion. The youngsters said the main reason they liked their best friend was that they were funny, while their favourite day was Saturday as there was no school and they could stay up late, watch football and tune in to TV all day.

While having money and being rich was considered the very best thing in the world by youngsters in a 2005 survey and being a celebrity topped the poll last year, being happy was first in the latest survey. This was followed by being famous, being healthy, being rich and families.

Terrorists topped the worst-thing list, followed by drunk people, being fat, bullies, illness and dying. Drunk people was the worst thing in 2005 and killing people topped the list last year.

God was considered the most famous person in the world in the 2005 and 2006 surveys, but the Queen and Harry Potter pushed the Almighty down to third place this year. Father Christmas was fourth, Simon Cowell fifth, Jesus sixth and England rugby star Jonny Wilkinson seventh.

England soccer superstar Wayne Rooney who was the second most-famous person in 2005 failed to make the top 10 for the second year running. Tony Blair was seventh in 2006, but the only politician to make the most-famous top 10 this year was Tory leader David Cameron (10th).

As many as 82% of the children said they would get married when they grew up compared with 76% in 2006 and 72% in 2005.

Luton First sponsors Kids' Day and which is a promotional consortium including Luton airport, Vauxhall and Whitbread