Age eight is a time to cultivate a child’s creativity and encourage them to learn new skills. Dr. Lauren Gardner, a psychologist at the Center for Behavioral Health at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, recommends encouraging toys that have creative aspects to them and toys that allow children to feel like they’ve mastered a new skill.
“It’s important to consider both the child’s unique areas of interest and expose them to new things,” Dr. Gardner says. “Eight-year-olds are at a wonderful age where they can help guide you in selecting gifts for them by talking to them about what they like to do for fun, and if there are things they would really like to be doing that they aren’t now.”
With all these recommendations in mind, Scary Mommy has curated the best gifts and toys for the 8-year-old boy or girl in your life.
(Please note that Dr. Gardner and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital have not endorsed any of the specific products listed in this guide; they are entirely the selections of the Scary Mommy team and have not been reviewed or approved by Dr. Gardner nor Johns Hopkins All Children’s.)
For more gift inspo, check out our gift guides for 1-year-olds, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds, 5-year-olds, 6-year-olds, 7-year-olds, and 9 year olds.
STEM Toys (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math-based toys)
“Age eight is a time of tremendous cognitive change for children as they start to see themselves as individuals more capable of independent problem solving,” Dr. Gardner explains. They put more time and energy into completing tasks the “correct” way, but still prefer structured activities and continue to need consistent direction from their caregivers. STEM toys are geared toward curiosity, learning and education which allow children to engage in learning while having fun. Other options for toys that encourage learning while having fun include construction sets, large scale realistic trucks and cars, cooking and sewing equipment, puzzles, microscopes, telescopes and binoculars.
And remember, STEM toys are for boys and girls — let’s keep girls engaged in the sciences, shall we?
Think Fun Gravity Maze Falling Marble Logic Game
This combination logic game, marble run, and STEM toy helps your kiddo develops spatial reasoning and planning skills. It’s got 60 challenges from beginner to expert, a game grid, 9 towers, 1 target piece, and 3 marbles.
$29.95 AT AMAZON
Ravensburger Gravitrax Marble Run & STEM Toy
Featured on ‘Live with Kelly and Ryan’ as one of the best products shown at the 2018 New York Toy Fair, this set allows you to design and build your own race tracks and experiment with gravity, magnetism, and kinetics to propel your ball to the finish.
$59.95 AT AMAZON
Lego Boost 5 in 1 Robot Building Set
Got a robot lover at home? Building, learning, and programming them has never been more fun! This kit includes 847 LEGO pieces that your kiddos can build and rebuild into 5 cool multifunctional models.
$159.95 AT AMAZON
National Geographic Mega Crystal Growing Lab
Learn about crystal formation while magically growing crystals in 8 different colors! This STEM chemistry kit lets your kid start a rock collection while instilling a love of science.
$29.99 AT AMAZON
Snap Circuits Electronic Exploration Kit
This incredible kit includes 60+ parts — enough to create 300 experiments. The best part is there’s no soldering or tools! Just snap everything right into place and create projects like an AM radio, a two-finger touch lamp, and a lie detector (#whoateallthecookies).
$41.99 AT AMAZON
Board Games
“When considering the emotional and social development of the average eight-year-old, they are at a stage of development where they really enjoy being around their friends,” Dr. Gardner says. “They have increased abilities to interact with friends and engage in competition.” She recommends gifts that encourage social play with peers such as age-appropriate board games, checkers, chess, and card games. Let the healthy competition begin!
Hasbro Simon Air Game
This isn’t your parents’ Simon game, kids. The Simon Air game is a twist on the classic toy, a fast-action game where players need to watch, remember, and repeat patterns.
$10.00 AT AMAZON
The Game of Life
Remember playing this with your parents? Bring back your childhood memories while you share it with your own kids. This new edition includes interesting careers like ice cream flavor maker or a secret agent, which makes us wonder what other paths of life we could have wandered down.
$19.99 AT AMAZON
USAopoly Harry Potter Clue Board Game
Classic CLUE + Harry Potter = a total magical mystery tour. Play as your favorite Harry Potter character – like Harry, Ron, Hermione, and more. Your kids might be more willing to play as Harry than Professor Plum.
$38.83 AT AMAZON
Books
Cultivate a lifelong bookworm by choosing books that appeal to their specific interests. “This is also an age where many children become more interested in books and reading, so book series that are appropriate for their reading level will be excellent gifts,” Dr. Gardner says.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Complete 12 Book Collection
Plunge your young reader into the world of middle-school weakling Greg Heffley with this complete collection of ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid.’ It’s a great value and keeps kids wanting to read.
$64.99 AT AMAZON
Roald Dahl Collection 15 Fantastic Stories Box Set
Think Roald Dahl starts and stops with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Not even close. This amazing collection introduces your kids (and maybe YOU, too!) to some of the most imaginative characters and stories that side of the Atlantic (Dahl was British).
$42.98 AT AMAZON
Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone Illustrated Edition
Enter the world of Harry Potter in a whole new way, with this lavishly illustrated full-color edition. Great for kids new to the series, or even for older fans to collect!
$25.59 AT AMAZON
Sports Equipment
You don’t need to have the next Michael Phelps or Simone Biles on your hands (although hey, you might!) to encourage your kid to try out some sports. “Kids in this age range are increasing their coordination and strength,” Dr. Gardner says. “They are also at a stage of development where they become increasingly skilled in sports and active play.” She recommends giving the gift of equipment that they need to participate in their favorite sport such as a bike, skateboard, scooter, sports gear, jump rope, rollerblades or ice skates.
“Be sure to always include the right safety gear for these activities as well such as helmets, knee and elbow pads, life jackets, etc.,” Dr. Gardner adds. After all, a trip to the ER would put a serious damper on the holidays.
Merkapa Skateboard With Colorful LED Light Up Wheels
This super-cool skateboard’s wheels light up with kid power – the electricity is generated from the rotary motion of riding. It’s a quality board for beginners that keeps them on a roll.
$32.99 AT AMAZON
2PM Sports Adjustable Inline Skates With Light Up Wheels
Get them off their devices and moving around IRL in these sleek, light-up inline skates. The colorful lights keep glowing as long as your kiddos are moving – they operate on rotary power! And, with four sizes of adjustability, you won’t have to worry about sizing up for years.
$64.99 AT AMAZON
