educational gifts 8 year old boy

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• Gifts for babies and kids

The 38 Best Gifts for 8-Year-Olds

By Ellen Lee and Wirecutter Staff

At age 8, many kids are ready to level up to more-advanced toys and activities. A lot of 8-year-olds are playing team sports, getting involved in clubs or hobbies, and tackling increasingly challenging projects on their own.

Many engineering toys are recommended for kids ages 8 and older specifically because they have the dexterity to manipulate small pieces, the logic and reasoning skills to follow instructions, and the ability to focus on tasks for longer periods of time. Art supplies, craft kits, and creative games can also be a key part of the mix at this age, since many educational researchers have noted the importance of expanding STEM to STEAM , to include an emphasis on art, design, and humanities.

We relied on input from experts and members of our staff to find all kinds of gifts that are likely to engage and delight the 8-year-old in your life. We also offer more gift ideas for kids here .

How illustrative

How to Draw All the Things for Kids

This approachable book shows kids how to sketch 42 charming illustrations, such as a unicorn, a submarine, and a turtle.

Buying Options

As the saying goes, never judge a book by its cover. However, in the case of How to Draw All the Things for Kids , it’s probably safe to do just that. The inviting images on the front of this how-to guide prompted me to pick it up as a birthday gift for my son’s friend; once we heard it was a hit, we got our own copy. The author, Dallas-based visual artist Alli Koch , demonstrates how to draw various things (an astronaut, a butterfly, a strawberry) by breaking them down into their most basic, approachable steps. The resulting illustrations are streamlined and satisfying. (They’re also simple enough to allow room for individual embellishments.) I appreciate that the book is fairly short, with only 42 projects, so kids aren’t overwhelmed by trying to figure out what to draw. The series also includes books that show kids how to draw animals , magical things , and sea creatures .

Learn a new trick

Juggling for the Complete Klutz

This tried-and-true juggling set is great for beginners, with velour cubes that are easy to handle.

Juggling for the Complete Klutz —an instruction booklet, first published in 1977, accompanied by a set of three red beanbags—appeared under my family’s tree one year when I was a kid. My three younger brothers and I tossed the cube-shaped bags around for months until we became fairly proficient jugglers. To say that this set changed our lives would be an overstatement, but I’m proud to say that all four of us can still juggle. (To this day, my dad has hung on to our original set.) Klutz still makes the classic kit, which is recommended for ages 8 and older, and my 9-year-old is just gearing up to take on the challenge. The velour cubes are easy to grip, and the clear-cut instructions lay out the steps to successful juggling (the toss, the drop) with expertise and a dash of humor. Juggling is great for hand-eye coordination, but more than that, it’s one of those hard-won skills that help instill the joy—along with the inevitable frustration—of mastering something new. And it’s not a bad party trick, either.

Black heroes

Black Heroes: A Go Fish Card Game

In this beautifully illustrated take on Go Fish, each card features a historical or contemporary Black figure.

Black Heroes: A Go Fish Card Game is a 44-card game that introduces historical and contemporary Black figures across 11 categories: activism, art, exploration, fashion, film, literature, music, politics, science, space, and sports. Each card has the hero’s name at the top, a symbol representing the family the card belongs to, and a portrait of the person. Players trade cards and try to collect all four in a family. I love the excitement when my son recognizes key figures—like Serena Williams—and begs me to quiz him on James Baldwin’s birth year (1924). The deck also features under-discussed individuals, such as multimedia artist Faith Ringgold and Kenyan political activist Wangari Maathai , the first Black African woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize.

Paper folding art

Fun & Easy Origami Animals

This book comes with 20 origami sheets and instructions for making 19 creatures.

By around age 8, kids have more dexterity and patience, making origami an entertaining and creative challenge. Fun and Easy Origami Animals , one of our favorite origami supplies , is a great kid-friendly book for beginners, offering illustrated step-by-step instructions for a penguin, bat, swan, and more. It also comes with 20 sheets of ready-to-fold paper. If you need more, we like the affordable Toyo 50 Colors Origami Paper , which is available in two sizes (we recommend the 9.4-inch sheets for those starting out).

Pom-pom projects

Klutz Mini Pom-Pom Pets

This craft kit lets kids make more than 20 adorable pom-pom critters.

My boys can’t get enough of cute little stuffies. So they were pretty excited to unwrap the Klutz Mini Pom-Pom Pets kit, which lets kids create their own diminutive animal friends from yarn pom-poms. My husband and I had to help with the first couple of critters, but the instructions are clear. And once the “body” is done—you wrap the included yarn around a fork to form a sort of ball, then clip the string loops, tie it off, and voilà!—the rest of the job, gluing on eyes and other features, is simple. The kids seemed to find satisfaction in envisioning and creating their own little bunny or chick, and one even gifted the resulting poofball to a friend who was going through a rough time. We liked the set with a variety of animals, but you can also focus on just pom-pom puppies or pom-pom kitties .

A speed cube

GAN 11 M Pro

This updated speed cube offers a smooth feel, adjustable tension, and a snappy magnetic core.

Rubik's Cube

This classic puzzle has solvers twisting, turning, and spinning the pieces until the colors match.

There are, apparently, 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 ways to spin a Rubik’s Cube , the legendary puzzle, invented in 1974, that continues to draw new fans to this day. YouTube videos of people solving it blindfolded (and underwater , while juggling , and on America’s Got Talent ) only add to the enduring allure. Know an avid puzzler with a need for speed? Consider taking things up a notch with the GAN 11 M Pro , our upgrade pick for the best speed cube . An expert kid puzzler I know who can solve it in under 45 seconds also gave it high marks (and recommends the smaller, easier GAN 251 V2 speed cube for novices). The GAN cubes have adjustable magnets, and you can twist the interlocking pieces at a dizzying pace.

An approachable intro to chess

Winning Moves Games No Stress Chess

The cards included with this simple chess set walk players through the rules and potential moves until they’re ready to navigate the board on their own.

The board game is cardboard; the pieces are lightweight plastic. The special thing about No Stress Chess is that one side of the board is marked to remind you where to put the pieces to set up a new game, and a deck of cards instructs you on which piece to move, in a sort of training-wheels approach to understanding the game well enough to eventually make your own choices. Of course, using the cards means that you miss out on much of the strategy, but when my son was suddenly interested in learning to play chess, I found that the method helped me to quickly teach him (and refamiliarize myself with) the pieces and the rules of how to navigate the board. After maybe a dozen games, we graduated to cardless play. (We also recommend Lakeshore’s The Chess Teacher , in our guide to gifts for grandparents , as a set for the two generations to play together.) The game is officially rated for ages 7 and up, but since the cards have diagrams as well as words, some pre-readers may be able to understand them. And as kids pick up the game, you can consider upgrading to one of our favorite chess sets .

Ultra-satisfying clay

Hey Clay Aliens

This air-drying-clay kit pairs with an app that walks kids through building jaunty, colorful alien figurines.

We also recommend Hey Clay in our gift guide for 6-year-olds . But we’ve found that our own kids can’t get enough of the stuff and that little kids who started out sculpting farm animals or birds may appreciate wackier aliens or monsters down the line. The molding mania begins with 18 cans of delightfully textured clay. Kids can either sculpt on their own or create figures with the help of a fun instructional app. Burgeoning sculptors learn useful techniques, such as how to introduce texture, and the clay dries completely in 24 hours, resulting in a figure that can be displayed or played with. Artistic-expansion opportunities aside, these kits are also excellent travel companions. One word of warning: Once the individual pots of clay are open, it’s a good idea to use up the contents within a couple of weeks. We’ve found that they dry out if left alone for much longer.

A book about differences

Different Differenter: An Activity Book About Skin Color

With thoughtful activities and prompts, this interactive book guides you through discussions about colorism and race.

Few books eloquently tackle the subject of race for kids while also offering something for adults. Different Differente r , by Jyoti Gupta, goes a step further, addressing a topic that, it turns out, is critical for kids to grasp before taking on racism: colorism. The beautifully illustrated Different Differenter introduces children—pictured with different skin colors, body types, and physical abilities—to terms such as melanin and genes, as well as cultural differences among families and family traditions. Because it’s also an activity book, it’s full of instructions on how to learn and interact with children on these topics through play. My then 5-year-old son often asked to make the book’s recipe for laddoo, a popular Indian dessert. My teen took on one of Different Differenter ’s more serious activities: making a one-minute anti-bullying video. Between its art activities and the theatrical prompts, this is a book that our family refers to often to kick off authentic conversations that are both warm and thoughtful.

A box for keepsakes

Singing Nightingale Treasure Box

Kids can store jewelry and other special treasures in this lovely musical box.

As my children age, they’ve begun to collect more special items that need safekeeping. The Singing Nightingale Treasure Box has two small compartments, one that opens at the top and a pull-out drawer at the bottom, which are great for hiding small mementos such as jewelry, little notes, or even random mini collectibles like special coins. This elevated jewelry box’s eye-catching artistic details also stand out—it almost looks as though each box is painted by hand. And a small gold crank in the back prompts the box to play a classic Italian folk song loudly and clearly.

Circuit construction

Elenco Snap Circuits Classic

Kids can use this circuitry kit’s color-coded pieces to build radios, alarms, doorbells, and other electronic gadgets.

E-Blox Circuit Blox Build Your Own Sound Machine & Radio

This circuitry kit includes wire blocks, switches, and other gizmos to make 120 electronic projects.

From a toy house that lights up to a working radio, the Elenco Snap Circuits Classic and E-Blox Circuit Blox Build Your Own Sound Machine & Radio building sets allow kids to explore the fundamentals of electronics and circuit design with easy-to-use pieces that snap together. The Snap Circuits Classic set, one of our recommended STEM toys , comes with basic components such as power sources, switches, and wires. The E-Blox Circuit Blox pieces are similar to Snap Circuits pieces but resemble—and are compatible with— Lego bricks . STEM education expert Elizabeth Gajdzik told us that she likes both sets for kids who are interested in exploring the basics of circuitry, though she found that the E-Blox pieces could be easier to manipulate for kids with a little less dexterity.

A storytelling game

Players of all ages can enjoy this simple storytelling game with its stunning art and open-ended structure.

My daughter came home from a friend’s house one day raving about “a bunny game.” The bunnies turned out to be from Dixit (players are represented by bunny-shaped game pieces), one of Wirecutter’s favorite board games for both kids and adults and a past winner of the Spiel des Jahres prize for general-audience games. Dixit players each receive six wordless cards that bear provocative and interesting illustrations (though my daughter and I noticed that the humans represented in those illustrations could be more diverse). In each round, a “lead player” chooses one of their cards and makes a short statement—a sentence, poem, story, song, even a single word—about what’s on it, without revealing what it is. The other players respond by selecting a card of their own that they think best fits with the statement, and then everyone votes on which card is the closest match. Rather than rewarding speed or dexterity, Dixit is all about creativity, provocation, and storytelling.

Balls that keep the game going after dark

GlowCity Light Up LED Basketball

Two motion-activated LED lights inside this basketball allow kids to keep shooting hoops after dark.

GlowCity Light Up LED Soccer Ball

This light-up soccer ball, available in multiple sizes, is ideal for evening play.

Even in places where winter nights are temperate enough to spend time outdoors, it can be tough for kids to play their favorite sports once the afternoons grow short. Backyard or driveway lighting helps, but it can still be difficult to see a ball well enough to avoid the occasional face shot. GlowCity’s Light Up LED Soccer Ball (available in regulation size and smaller) and Light Up LED Basketball solve this problem because they light up from the inside, allowing kids to keep the game going as late as they want to—or at least as late as you let them. The company also makes a football , but we haven’t tried it.

Bigger adventures ahead

REI Co-op Tarn 18

This versatile daypack has comfortable shoulder straps, an adjustable waist belt, ample room for water, and plenty of space for other assorted treasures collected along the way.

With store pickup or REI membership

The durable REI Co-op Tarn 18 is one of the best hiking backpacks for kids , though my own kids have used it for a lot more than just camping trips and mountain trails. Our family has also put it into service on cross-country flights and loaded it up for playdates and park outings. And more recently it has even been put to use as my third-grader’s school bag. (We pulled the now-years-old pack from our gear closet particularly for its rows of daisy-chain loops, which are ideal for attaching an army of tiny stuffies to the outside of the bag.) The 18-liter bag, which also includes a built-in whistle and a slot for a water bladder, is best for kids about 8 and up and is likely to fit them well into their early teen years. (Smaller kids will do better with the REI Co-op Tarn 12 .)

Friendly reminders

Loopdedoo Friendship Bracelet Maker

This nifty loom turns vibrant threads into bracelets, headbands, and other accessories.

Friendship bracelets are a nostalgic craft that have made a big comeback. “It’s a nice gesture for kids to be able to give something that’s homemade and that lasts,” said Debbie Imperatore, manager and buyer of Funky Monkey Toys & Books . The Loopdedoo Friendship Bracelet Maker kit includes a spinning loom, which twists the included brightly colored threads into bracelets that, Imperatore said, are not like the ones you might remember braiding in the ’80s or ’90s. (The current loom is an updated version of the one we tested.) “It makes these gorgeous, multidimensional designs that are truly gift worthy,” Impertore said. In 10 minutes, kids can weave bracelets, headbands, necklaces, and other accessories into designs as simple or as intricate as they want, thanks to a set of online step-by-step Loopdedoo video tutorials .

Fabulous watercolors

Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors 36-Color Set

The paints in this luxurious set dilute and mix like watercolors but have the rich vividness of acrylic paints.

Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors represent a step up from most watercolors, and a set makes a special and likely unexpected gift for a kid (or an adult) who’s interested in graduating to next-level artistry. Made by a 117-year-old sumi-ink manufacturer in Nara, Japan, this set features an array of bright colors to experiment with, and the large pans and quick-dissolving formulation make the paints easy to use, even for kids.

Mac B., Kid Spy: The First Four Books

This series follows kid-spy Mac B. on his top-secret assignments for the Queen of England.

City Spies Classified Collection

Traveling everywhere from Paris to Beijing, five globe-trotting kids take on daring undercover assignments in this thrilling series.

The Spy School vs. SPYDER Collection

Humorously hapless Ben Ripley gets into all sorts of misadventures at the CIA Academy of Espionage.

Book series, with their compelling characters and familiar worlds, can do an especially good job of drawing kids in and getting them excited about reading. I witnessed this firsthand when my son was in the third grade and got hooked on the spy-kid genre—he would finish one series and then immediately move on to the next. Lucky for him, there’s no shortage of options. The premise is often the same: some variation on the theme of an otherwise totally ordinary elementary schooler getting plucked from obscurity and thrust into the high-stakes world of international espionage. But how the authors spin their yarns is where you’ll find the secret sauce. The Mac B., Kid Spy books by Mac Barnett feature clever humor and lively illustrations. The City Spies Classified Collection by James Ponti is moodier and more self-serious. With 10 books and counting, the Spy School series by Stuart Gibbs keeps the formula fresh by constantly switching up the setting (think Spy Ski School and Spy School British Invasion )—they all sounded slightly like campy ’80s movies to me, and they all kept my kiddo negotiating for a later bedtime.

An explosive experiment

National Geographic Earth Science Kit

This science kit shows you how to build and blow up a volcano, as well as conduct other experiments.

If you know a kid who wants to tackle the classic science project of exploding a volcano, we like the National Geographic Earth Science Kit . Like other volcano kits, it comes with a mold, plaster, and paint to make the volcano. Unlike other kits we tried, it also comes with “eruption powder A” (sodium bicarbonate) and “eruption powder B” (citric acid) to create the lava. (You can also combine baking soda and vinegar for a similar effect). This set includes additional science projects, such as crystal growing and a dig kit, as well as thorough instructions and a learning guide.

Finishing touches for projects

Kid Made Modern Arts and Crafts Library

This maximalist craft kit contains more than 1,000 googly eyes, beads, jewels, and other supplies.

Regardless of whether your kid is especially arty, the Kid Made Modern Arts and Crafts Library is an appealing toolkit for a wide array of creative endeavors. It’s the finishing touches like those found here—beads, stick-on jewels, pom-poms—that take a project from good to great. (We also recommend the 300-piece Kid Made Modern Rainbow Craft Kit in our guide to the best gifts for 7-year-olds .) And when the treasure trove begins to dwindle, the 10-by-16.5-inch cardboard box itself can serve as a space to store miscellaneous arts-and-crafts items your kid already owns.

A trip to the theater

TheaterWorksUSA Tickets

TheaterWorksUSA produces popular kid-focused musicals and plays that tour around the country.

A few years ago, my sister gave my son tickets to see Dog Man: The Musical , based on Dav Pilkey’s ridiculously popular series about a cop with a dog’s head and a human’s body. The production was good, cheeky fun, and I found it gratifying to see my son perk up to a spectacle unfolding IRL instead of on screen. But what I love most about this gift, and any gift of theater, is the built-in opportunity to spend time together. We had lunch beforehand and then talked about the show for days afterward: Which actor was funniest? Was Petey the cat more evil in the book or onstage? Many cities have terrific kid-focused playhouses (such as the New Victory Theater in New York) and play host to touring shows, including those supported by TheaterWorksUSA , which brought us Dog Man and produces a number of other kid-focused musicals featuring beloved characters and stories, such as Charlotte’s Web , Pete the Cat , and The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System. But options exist in small towns, too—nights out with my parents to see a local school production remain among my favorite childhood memories.

An invention kit from MIT

JoyLabz Makey Makey

This STEM kit can turn household objects into electronic devices—like a pumpkin keyboard.

Developed at the MIT Media Lab, Makey Makey is an “invention kit” that connects to a computer via USB and allows kids to turn household objects into a keyboard, a controller, or a touchpad. (If this is hard to visualize, check out this video or this project guide , which shows some of the things that kids can create with Makey Makey, including a banana piano and a Play-Doh gaming controller.) The possibilities are endless, which is why Makey Makey is recommended by Lisa Regalla, the head of on-site and digital experiences at the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito, California, at the time of our interview. “You can hook up fruits, vegetables, flowers, anything that mildly conducts electricity,” Regalla said.

Marvelous marbles

Ravensburger Gravitrax Starter Set

This elaborate marble-building set comes not only with tracks and junctions but also special pieces such as a magnetic cannon and marble vortex.

My then-8-year-old spotted this next-level, build-it-yourself marble run at a local toy store and requested it from his grandparents for the holidays that year. The toy, which has you stack and arrange plastic disks to build complex marble-racing routes, incorporates concepts of gravity, magnetics, and kinetics, and it feels far more refined overall than the taller, tubular plastic marble runs we encountered when my son was younger. (This GraviTrax set was one of the top picks in Inspire Research Institute’s past gift guides .) I’ve found that it’s the sort of thing he pulls out and focuses on for a few days and then doesn’t play with again until a number of months later. But each time my son rediscovers GraviTrax in the game closet, he seems ready to take his marble chutes to the next level of complexity.

A baller gift

Spikeball Standard 3 Ball Kit

This lawn game can be as active and competitive as players desire, involving everything from casual volleying to aggressive diving.

My sister has five kids, so finding a single gift that appeals to the whole lot has always been both a challenge and a moving target. The wildly physical Spikeball backyard game has been a hit with the entire crew, their friends (ages 8 and up), and parents. Spikeball is played a little like volleyball but with a much smaller ball and a net pulled taut over a mini-trampoline base (instead of stretched between poles). Two teams of two gather around the net, volleying the ball back and forth to one another before spiking it down onto the net at the other team. It’s fun and exhausting for all, yet it doesn’t take up a large amount of space in a backyard. This game is also easy to pack down for travel to the beach or park.

A super sled

L.L.Bean Polar Slider DLX Sled

This speedy plastic toboggan is comfortable, extremely durable, and easy to load into a car.

A favorite in our guide to the best sleds , this zippy, nimble, and long-lasting plastic toboggan is an impressive all-round sled. Because it can be steered, the Polar Slider DLX is suited to a greater variety of hills than the somewhat-faster snow tubes we recommend for wide-open, straight sledding hills (and in our guide to the best gifts for 6-year-olds ). Among the otherwise-flimsy plastic toboggans we’ve tested (some of which have shattered on the first day of testing ) this sled’s thick, flexible plastic stands out. Rider-friendly upgrades—including a grippy, lightly padded sitting area and a convenient pull strap—help to justify the higher price. Our only complaint is its small(ish) size: We managed to squeeze an adult and a kid (or two kids) into the 48-inch “extra large” size; the 36-inch version is definitely a one-person ride.

Sleek headphones that sound as they should

Puro Sound Labs BT2200-Plus

These comfortable, stylish headphones, which can work wirelessly or with a cord, limit volume to kid-safe levels.

Though a lot of headphones for kids claim to keep volume to safe levels for developing ears (under 85 decibels), many fail to actually do so. The Puro BT2200-Plus headphones, one of our picks in our guide to the best kids headphones , remain within safer listening levels when used properly—and were the favorite of all of our kid panelists. While other kids headphones are made of breakable cheap plastic, the BT2200-Plus set has a well-constructed aluminum frame. The Bluetooth connection lets kids use these headphones wirelessly or with a cord. (Puro also makes a version with active noise cancelling, called the PuroQuiets , which we also recommend.) The BT2200-Plus headphones come in a range of appealing colors, and they’re sleek and fun without looking like a toy.

A cozy comforter

Pottery Barn Kids Solar System Glow-in-the-Dark Duvet Cover

With patterns like glow-in-the-dark solar systems, Pottery Barn Kids’s comfy duvet covers are out of this world.

Utopia Bedding Quilted Comforter

This affordable comforter is fluffy, warm, and breathable.

If your 8-year-old is still sleeping with a comforter from their preschool days, they may be ready for an upgrade. Pottery Barn Kids duvet covers represent a nice middle ground between little-kid bedding and adult linens. The covers come in more than 50 colors, prints, and patterns , including glow-in-the-dark solar systems , Minecraft, and ballerinas. The more classic options, such as checkered, floral, or solids, could grow with a kid through their teenage years. Our family chose a pastel, watercolor-like rainbow print for three of our kids’ beds, and I’ve often remarked to my husband that the silky cotton fabric feels softer and finer than that of our own duvet cover. The Pottery Barn Kids covers have handy corner ties that attach to a comforter insert to keep it from shifting around. Pair your cover of choice with the inexpensive but ultra-fluffy Utopia Bedding Comforter Duvet Insert , Wirecutter’s pick for the best down-alternative comforter .

A doll to pass along

American Girl Truly Me Doll and Accessories

This popular line of 18-inch dolls comes in a range of skin tones, hair colors, and styles.

I can think of no single toy that I coveted more fiercely as a child than an American Girl doll . They were expensive then (around $80 in the early ’90s), and they’re still expensive now. (They’re also a pick in our guide to the best dolls .) But for my sister and me, they were a long-term investment in imagination and love, in more ways than I could have realized at the time. We cherished and played with our dolls through adolescence, amassing a collection of outfits and high-quality accessories. Years later, my stepmother rescued our dolls and their belongings from the attic and sent them off for a restorative stay at American Girl’s Doll Hospital . A quarter-century after we first got them, we presented the spiffed-up American Girls to my two daughters when they were right around the same age. They now love their dolls, just as I remember my sister and I having loved ours.

When I was a kid, American Girl offered just five dolls, each from a different time period. The company has since expanded that line of historically themed dolls , but nowadays it also has a much wider, more diverse, and more inclusive slate of dolls , allowing your child to choose one that looks like them. To my delight (and awe at the march of time), American Girl introduced a new historical doll in 2020: an ’80s girl named Courtney .

An easy read

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids (11th generation)

This e-reader is waterproof, has a two-year warranty, and comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+.

May be out of stock

Some folks get skittish at the prospect of introducing an e-reader to kids, and I understand where they’re coming from: The last thing children need is another screen to suck them in, right? I was skeptical about buying one for my then-second-grade son, remembering how much I had loved the tactile delights of real books when I was growing up, and wanting the same for him. But after a year and a half of regular use, I can happily report, the benefits of my son’s Kindle far outweigh the sacrifices. (We have an earlier model, but the Kindle Paperwhite Kids is waterproof, offers adjustable light, and is a variant on Wirecutter’s upgrade pick for the best e-reader ). Two of the obvious perks—as adult e-reader converts can attest to—are the convenience (an unlimited library that’s lightweight and portable) and the long-term cost-effectiveness (thousands of titles are included with a monthly $5 subscription to Amazon Kids+ for Amazon Prime members). I also appreciate how low-fi the whole experience feels: Unlike tablets, with their videos and apps and untold rabbit holes, the Kindle serves up only black-and-white words on a page. And I’ve noticed that as soon as my son finishes a book on his Kindle, he rushes to find the next one—the rare example of a kiddo’s desire for instant gratification having a healthy by-product.

A lunar landing pad

Lego City Lunar Research Base 60350

This 800-piece Lego set includes everything necessary to live and work on the moon, including a research lab, a rover, and even a tiny microscope.

The Lego City Lunar Research Base set imagines life on the moon, from a moon buggy for getting around to a habitat with sleeping quarters and a tiny garden. One of our favorite Lego sets for kids , it comes with large pieces for easy construction, as well as small pieces that add charm and fun details, such as a petri dish and beaker for the lab. Six brave Lego figurines live on the base (and come with the set). The set is also compatible with Lego’s other space-exploration playsets; it includes a docking point for the Lunar Roving Vehicle .

A fun first smartwatch

Verizon Gizmo Watch 3

Kids can call, text, and video-call up to 20 designated people with this smartwatch.

Verizon’s Gizmo Watch 3 is a fun smartphone alternative for kids who are ready to venture out on their own a bit—it’s a pick in our guide to choosing the best first smartwatch for your kid . The Gizmo Watch 3 can make phone calls, send simple preset text messages (such as “Where are you?”), and produce silly fart sounds, in addition to telling the time. It’s a tool that allows school-age kids to communicate simply but easily with their parents or other caregivers, potentially contributing to their own growing independence. It also uses GPS to track a kid’s location, which parents can see on a smartphone app; this feature may help some people feel better about their kids’ first solo ventures.

Crash landing

Skil-Care Crash Pad

This large, squishy foam pad is great for belly flops, roughhousing, and lounging.

The Skil-Care Crash Pad is like a supersize beanbag, except that it’s filled with ultra-absorbent pieces of foam, and rather than encouraging kids to chill out, it practically begs them to summon their inner Hollywood stunt double. An occupational-therapist mom friend first told me about the Crash Pad; she keeps a bunch of them in her office gym for pint-size patients to gleefully topple into. My son primarily uses the cushion for doing epic belly-flops, horseplaying with his friends, and (way less frequently) curling up to read. We keep it in his room, and when my husband and I do our nightly bedtime rounds, we both make a beeline for it—this pad may be the most comfortable spot in the house. It comes with a nonnegotiable royal-blue nylon cover. (Note: I like the extra-large, 35-pound, 5-by-5-foot model because it provides a lot of runway for shenanigans, but it’s definitely huge. Skil-Care also makes a more scaled-down, 3-by-4-foot version.)

Take them out to the ball game

Tickets to a professional or collegiate sports game (price varies)

Eating cotton candy may have been my son’s favorite part of going to baseball games, but he still loves reminiscing about all the games he’s been to with his dad. Taking a kid to a live sports event can be a special shared experience, whether they’re witnessing a series-winning home run or cheering for a breakaway shot. And it doesn’t have to be a high-profile game: For an 8-year-old, a minor-league hockey game can be just as fun and memorable as the Stanley Cup playoffs. (Your closest pro team’s website should have a link to its minor-league affiliate, or you can search for the minor-league affiliates by sport, such as baseball .) You could also check to see whether any professional soccer games, women’s basketball games, or ultimate tournaments are hosted in your area. If you have your heart set on tickets to a matchup that will be on the front of the sports page, keep in mind that the “nosebleed seats” are less expensive and may actually deliver a more relaxed experience. Yes, you might have to catch some of the action on the Jumbotron, but if your kid gets tired or overwhelmed by the noise of the crowd or the blaring music (as my son has in the past), you won’t feel as bad about leaving early.

This article was edited by Kalee Thompson.

Meet your guides

My focus includes school gear such as water bottles and backpacks, technology such as kids smartwatches and parental controls, and gifts for kids.

Wirecutter Staff

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• We spent more than 30 hours trying 35 recommendations from experts, educators, and parents to pick the best learning and STEM toys. Here’s what we found. Learning Toys and STEM Toys We Love  
• We spent 20 hours researching nearly 50 board games for kids. Read on to find out our favorite games for preschoolers, elementary-school kids, and families. Board Games We Love for Kids and Families  
• Our board game picks include options for new gamers, more-advanced players, and those looking for party, travel, cooperative, dexterity, or two-player games. The Best Beginner Board Games for Adults  

Further reading

The 36 Best Gifts for 4-Year-Olds

by Kelly Glass, Caitlin Giddings, and Wirecutter Staff

Toys that encourage building, puzzling, role-playing, and creating will engage curious 4-year-olds.

The 33 Best Gifts for 1-Year-Olds

by Caitlin Giddings and Wirecutter Staff

Some of the best gifts for 1-year-olds are those that engage kids’ rapidly developing motor skills, sensory exploration, and boundless curiosity.

The 42 Best Gifts Under $10

by Samantha Schoech

Great gifts don’t require great sums of money. We’ve found dozens of perfectly pleasing picks for 10 bucks or less.

The 39 Absolute Best White Elephant Gifts Under $25

by Samantha Schoech and Mari Uyehara

Quirky and quippy Wirecutter-approved gifts for laughs, not landfills.

31 Gifts for 8-Year-Old Boys to Encourage STEM Skills and Creativity

There’s a big world out there to discover. Help them dive in.

If you buy something from the links on this page, we may earn a commission. Why Trust Us?

There’s something about 8-year-old boys that’s truly unique. They’re delightfully chaotic little eccentrics who rarely, if ever, think through the consequences of their actions. Basically, inside every 8-year-old boy is a mad scientist — with an emphasis on the “mad.” And, like mad scientists, they’re also creative and insightful. They find inspiration absolutely everywhere, probably because the world is still sort of new to them. We wanted to pay homage to this weird, well-meaning sense of wonder with our round-up of gifts for 8-year-old boys.

We’ve made sure to include a lot of STEM toys and projects in this roundup (this is such a good age to get them really interested in STEM), but also art, literature, and games that encourage family bonding and strategic thinking. Again, they’re so curious and enthusiastic at this age, so there’s not much out there they won’t find interesting. Besides, crafts, building, critical-thinking skills, and a healthy dose of haphazard whimsy are just as much a part of the whole “mad scientist” vibe as STEM skills. No matter what your sweet little weirdo enjoys, there’s something on this list we know they’re going to love.

More Gifts for Boys:

• Gifts for 7-Year-Old Boys That Will Inspire New Hobbies
• Gifts for 9-Year-Old Boys That Will Educate and Entertain
• Gifts for 10-Year-Old Boys to Make Him Look Cool Around His Friends

Klutz Book of Paper Airplanes

If you’re like me, you never actually learned how to make a proper airplane, so your attempts leave something to be desired when it comes to gliding through the air. But with this book, your 8-year-old boy will know how to make 10 aerodynamic designs! Includes 40 sheets of folding paper.

More: Best Toys for Kids

Flybar Pogo Ball

Generally speaking, 8-year-old boys are in a constant state of bouncing, wanting to bounce, or trying really, really hard to keep from bouncing. For times when bouncing is OK, this pogo ball is perfect to get all that energy out in the most fun, entertaining way possible.

GOTRAX Fluxx FX3 Hoverboard

Close your eyes and think about what you’ve always wanted as a child. The correct answer is “a hoverboard.” It could be tempting, therefore, to deny your 8-year-old boy a hoverboard out of pure, understandable jealousy, but … come on. Let them live your dream (and live vicariously through them).

Henoda Programmable Robot

Whether your 8-year-old boy loves putting things together or just really enjoyed Wall-E, this DIY remote-control robot is a great gift. Build your new robot pal and then play with him using the remote control. It’s a great adult-child project for quality bonding time and fun.

Beast Lab Shark Creator

Mix the ingredients to create the greatest beast warrior Earth has ever seen with this fun new toy, which will appear as if by magic (well, science magic). Ingredients really smoke and fizz!

UNO Triple Play

It’s a classic card game with a triple twist! Players must discard cards to any of the (now three!) piles that are lit up on their turn.

Be careful: If any pile gets too big ... overload! You have to draw however many cards the LED display says. A timing feature keeps the game moving along for an added challenge.

ThinkFun Gravity Maze

The goal is simple: use towers to create a maze to get your marble from the start point of the puzzle to the end… it’s not as easy as you think! You can also get creative and come up with mazes of your own design.

MammyGol Adjustable Rollerblades

OK, we’ve waited long enough: it’s time for rollerblades to make a comeback. Officially. Is there anything like gliding along the sidewalk in a pair of these? This design from MammyGol is adjustable up to three sizes, so they’re certainly built to last for years. The wheels even light up for added fun!

K'NEX Building Set

A perfect gift for 8-year-old boys who love to build. This set comes with 480 classic K’NEX parts which will allow him to create structures, experiments, gadgets, and toys — the only limit is his imagination! The snap-fit pieces stick together securely but can be easily reassembled into other creations.

ThinkFun Cat Crimes

Who broke the flower pot? Who spilled the cup of coffee? Your child will have to figure out which of six adorable feline fiends is guilty of various kitty crimes. They’ll have all the clues, but it’s up to your kiddo to put them all together! Each of the 40 mysteries gets a little bit harder as you go on.

Exploding Kittens LLC Throw Throw Burrito Game

In this exciting, fast-paced game (“like Uno meets Nerf”), players must compete against each other for card matches to earn points… but, every now and then, you just might need to have a duel. Or a brawl. Or even a war!

But don’t worry — in every case you’ll fight by hurling squishy, adorable burritos at one another. The player with the most matched cards wins!

Playz Edible Candy! Food Science Chemistry Kit

There’s a place where molecules collide and chemical reactions are the norm. A remarkable, almost magical laboratory: Your kitchen! And with this set, your 8-year-old boy will be able to take advantage of all the science your kitchen has to offer … and maybe a couple of yummy treats along the way.

National Geographic Metal Detector

What kid doesn’t dream of finding buried treasure? With this metal detector from National Geographic, your 8-year-old boy really can find exciting discoveries up to 12 inches below the surface. From neat old bottle caps to rare coins, you never know what’s right under your feet until you hear the beep.

Finders Seekers Mysteries Junior Explorer Subscription Box

Never hear “I’m bored” again! Well, OK, not never, but at least for the day every month this subscription box arrives.

Each box contains hours of adventure as your 8-year-old boy explores different world cultures, solves mysteries, examines natural wonders, and makes art!

Watson-Guptill “Draw 50 Animals” by Lee J. Ames

Age-appropriate, easy-to-follow instructions will help your burgeoning Picasso perfect their craft as they learn to draw a menagerie of their favorite animals. Perfect for young artists who want to take their talent to a new level or the kid who wants to try something new.

National Geographic Kids Greeking Out: Epic Retellings of Classic Greek Myths

Based on the hit podcast of the same name, this is the perfect gift for 8-year-old boys who have entered their “obsessed with Greek mythology” phase. (IYKYK.) Through beautiful illustrations and the podcast's perfect tone of thoughtfulness and humor, this book explores the adventures and lessons of Ancient Greece as never before. (And yes, for podcast fans, “The Oracle of WiFi” makes appearances.)

Amazon Echo Dot Kids 5th Generation

This Echo Dot is designed with kids in mind, and will allow your child to listen to music, stories, and more, but has Parental Controls capabilities so you can keep them safe (and not listening to stories until after bedtime). Comes in Dragon and Owl designs.

Spirograph Deluxe Set

They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result … unless you’re playing with a Spirograph, in which case doing the same thing over and over only makes your patterns more complex and mesmerizing!

Gears, rings, and ballpoint pens will help your child make millions of gorgeous patterned designs.

Star Wars Mandalorian and Grogu Action Figures

If you’re looking for a great gift for 8-year-old boys, this is the way (get it… like on the show…?) This 12-inch Mandalorian comes complete with The Child aka Grogu aka Baby Yoda. Snuggle Grogu into Din’s satchel to hear specific sounds and phrases. The removable jetpack also makes sound for “realistic” creative play!

Magic Tree House “Merlin Missions” by Mary Pope Osborne Box Set

For the early reader who loved the Magic Treehouse series but is ready for something a little more challenging! In this series of 25 books, Merlin the Magician sends Jack and Annie on a new adventure every book, from Night of the New Magicians to The Shadow of the Shark .

Jamie Kenney is a freelance writer for BestProducts.com; Her other work has appeared on Bustle , Parents , Playboy , McSweeny's Internet Tendency, the Takeout, and Romper, where she covers parenting, news, entertainment, and likes to help readers see the ridiculous (and hilarious) side of motherhood.

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The 25 Best Gifts For 8-Year-Old Boys To Really Thrill Them

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Finding the best gifts for 8-year-old boys means shopping for a discerning crowd. They’re no longer little kids but aren’t quite tweens. They might still play with toys but also gravitate toward video games, sports and maybe even coveted clothing like a particular pair of sneakers. With that, buying a present for someone in this age group can be intimidating. The best gift ideas for 8-year-old boys acknowledge their personal interests and kick things up a notch, giving them something that allows them to explore their hobbies even more.

We've gathered up our best gift ideas for 8-year-old boys just in time for the holidays, from STEM ... [+] toys to sports gear.

“Eight is a really fun age,” says Robert Keder , a pediatrician who specializes in developmental behavior at Connecticut Children's Medical Center. “Kids really come into their own with personal interests and love to explore what they can be good at doing. It is important to know what they are into and meet them where they are: Are they a sports kid? A science kid? A superhero kid? A builder or crafty kid?”

Just try to focus on the kid himself. “No one toy is great for all 8-year-old boys,” says Daniel Ganjian , a pediatrician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. “You have to know the boy and, if you don’t know him well, ask the parents what he’s into. You definitely want to get things that suit their liking.”

With that in mind, find some of our best gifts for 8-year-old boys across a range of interests. No matter which 8-year-old you’re shopping for, you’re bound to find something that’ll be a hit in the mix. (While you’re at it, check out our lists of the best toys for 8-year-olds and the best educational toys .

The Best Gifts For 10-Year-Old Boys That Are Full Of Fun And Adventure

The very best play kitchens to inspire little chefs, best gifts for 8-year-old boys at a glance.

• Best STEM Gifts For 8-Year-Old Boys : Lego Technic Monster Jam Grave Digger , Clixo Mars Rover Pack
• Best Active Gifts For 8-Year-Old Boys : Razor A2 Kick Scooter , Sno-Storm Foam Sleds , Swagtron Swagboard Twist Hoverboard
• Best Game Gifts For 8-Year-Old Boys : Kids Against Maturity , Soccer Trading Cards
• Best Tech Gifts For 8-Year-Old Boys : Kindle Paperwhite Kids , Gabb 3 Kids Smartwatch , Echo Dot With Clock

Best STEM Gifts For 8-Year-Old Boys

All their favorite experiments in one box, national geographic earth science kit.

I am a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, relationships, home, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Women’s Health, Prevention, Health, Yahoo Life, and more. I have a master’s degree from American University, live by the beach, and hope to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.

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If he’s curious about the natural world, this National Geographic science set might make the perfect gift. Personally, I love stockpiling these for a rainy, cold or too hot day when we need to stay indoors. This one includes 15 activities in one kit, including the ever-popular erupting volcano, a couple of dig kit options and crystal growing opportunities. It comes with instructions for each experiment and some background materials for further reading.

A Lego Monster Truck To Build

Lego technic monster jam grave digger.

Combine their love of things that go fast and things that smash with this Lego Technic monster truck. They have to both build it and then, of course, play with it to fully understand the mechanics at play here. Pull it back and watch it race across the floor, just like their toddler set did for them—but in a much more tough exterior.

A Glow-In-The-Dark Mars Set

Clixo mars rover pack.

These bendable building pieces just got a big-kid upgrade this holiday season. The Clixo Mars Rover Pack plays off their possibly budding interest in all things celestial. Follow the instructions to build a Mars Rover-like set of wheels that glows in the dark for important fact-finding missions—or construct whatever vehicle they desire.

A DIY Character Creator

Elmer’s squishies kids’ activity kit.

Elmer’s new kit that allows kids to make four of their own squishy toys found instant success with this age group. The process is simple: They mix two packets together, pour the mixture into a mold, let it sit for an hour—and then enjoy a new toy. There are 80 “mystery characters” they can collect and create, and parents can order refill packs to make even more.

Indulge His Love Of Minecraft

Lego minecraft the bee cottage.

Many kids this age are into Minecraft, even if they’ve never played the video game. This Lego kit features the Bee Cottage, a toy with a removable roof, bear player, zombie and three bees. He’ll have a blast spinning the angry bees and battling the baby zombie after he builds the structure. “Almost any Lego set” will be a hit, Keder says. “Find a way to connect the set theme to one of their interests.”

Perfect For The Aspiring Chef

Kiwico science of cooking: ice cream.

Kids who love to cook will seriously dig this KiwiCo kit. It dives into the science behind ice cream and offers up recipes and tools to help kids make their own concoctions. There are even special containers to help store the treats once they’re created.

A Marble Run With Endless Possibilities

Ravensburger gravitrax starter set.

Keder recommends this marble run set, noting that it’s “a favorite” among his patients. Gravitrax lets users create their own track systems that use gravity, magnetics and kinetics to move marbles down the track. It can be built and redesigned as many times as the owner wants. Families can buy additional sets to link up to this one for even more challenging runs.

Can They Succeed In Creating A Powerful Beast?

Beast lab shark beast creator.

This beastly science experiment that results in a powerful fighter emerging from the mist landed on a number of holiday 2023 hot toy lists. It’s sure to appeal to the little kid in them as much as the budding scientist. They’ll need to unpack the kit and mix the ingredients just right to conjure up the beast. The set includes all the necessary mixing tools and ingredients, as well as 80+ lights, sounds and reactions to produce two beasts. Choose from between big cats or Shark beast characters. It does require batteries and is best for ages 5 and up.

Best Active Gifts For 8-Year-Old Boys

A folding scooter he can take anywhere, razor a2 kick scooter.

Razor is a popular brand in kids scooters—and the the A2 Kick is great for older kids, and it’s surprisingly affordable. The scooter is lightweight enough for him to do tricks, and folds up small for easy storage. It also supports riders up to 143 pounds, so he can use it for years.

A Fun Way To Get Around

Swagtron swagboard twist hoverboard.

A hoverboard is a fun way for kids to get around, whether it’s cruising the neighborhood or the driveway. The Swagtron Swagboard Twist travels up to 6 miles per hour and cool LED lights on the front and back, so everyone will see your 8-year-old coming. It’s also our top pick for hoverboards for kids given its sturdy build, solid range and general affordability.

A Backpack That Supports His Team

Mojo premium trim fan backpack.

Help him support the team while hauling his stuff around with this backpack. It features the logo and name of his go-to team (you get to pick) in the appropriate color scheme. It is 100% nylon making it extra lightweight and easy to clean. The padded straps are comfortable enough to carry him through the day. It also includes a laptop sleeve and additional pockets. Another fan favorite laptop backpack is available from Fanatics for under $50 if this one is too splurgy.

A Pair Of Extra Fast, Extra Cool Foam Sleds

Sno-storm premium foam snow sled (2-pack).

Foam sleds let them fly down the hill, offering a wintertime thrill just right for age 8. This two-pack of sleds means they can share with their brother or bring a spare for a pal. I love the four-handles on each for better gripping on the way down and easier carrying on the way up.

A Serious Ball For Kids In Travel Leagues

Adidas uefa champions league 23/24 group stage league soccer ball (size 5).

Whatever their sport is, a new piece of top-rated equipment or gear is going to make a great gift idea for 8-year-old boys. If soccer is their pick, they likely always need a new training ball, and this Adidas ball is the real deal in standout graphics celebrating the UEFA Champions League. If they’re still new to the game, go with size 4, but if they’re already in a travel league, they’ll want a pro-level size 5.

A Jersey Of Their Favorite Team Or Player

Dick's Sporting Goods

Nike Youth Los Angeles Lakers Dri-FIT Swingman Jersey

Our boys—and their friends—often place the jersey of their favorite team at the top of their gift wish lists. You can find many of their favorites and the most popular teams at official team sites and sports apparel stores. This Lakers jersey is sure to turn heads at their next practice session!

An Adjustable Hoop That's Sure To Get All Ages Moving

Lifetime 52-inch portable steel-framed shatterproof basketball hoop.

This genius of this portable, albeit heavy, basketball hoop is that the hoop easily lowers or raises up to your kids’ preferred height. Our senior editor of baby and kids gear has this exact hoop for her three kids—and says it was a big hit. “Even my 5-year-old can make baskets when this is on the lower height, but it easily raises up to challenge her 9-year-old brother and 10-year-old sister,” says Rose Gordon Sala. “I can’t say that it was easy to put together, but it far exceeded expectations in terms of quality and getting the kids outside to play and move around.”

Best Game Gifts For 8-Year-Old Boys

For the ultimate pokémon fans, pokémon go elite trainer box.

As good Pokémon fans know, you can never have too many cards. This trainer box features 10 Pokémon GO booster packs, a collector’s box and 65 card sleeves featuring Mewtwo (one of the most powerful Pokémon known to man). My Pokémon-loving son literally squealed when he opened this gift.

A Shouting Game That's Fun For The Whole Family

Stellar factory spaceteam.

Keder says Spaceteam is a good option “if you like shouting and pandemonium” which, for the record, many 8-year-old boys do. The cooperative game uses three to six players who have to work together to get all the space tools they need to fix their spaceship before time runs out. Everyone wins or loses together, making it a good game for building camaraderie among siblings.

A Set Of Trading Cards For Their Stocking

2023/24 topps match attax uefa champions league soccer collection (5-pack).

Whether they’re collecting Pokémon , baseball, basketball or soccer cards, you can’t go wrong with picking up a few more packs for their stocking or as slam dunk birthday gift. This particular set includes five packs of cards for 6o total of the UEFA league, which includes players on popular European teams like Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and FC Barcelona.

We Promise Plenty Of Laughs

Kids against maturity.

Get ready for plenty of laughs—and poop jokes—with this family card game. Sala reports this game elicits deep belly laughs from all ages. “It’s a sort of fill-in-the-blank with your best joke game,” she explains, much like the adult version but with G-rated fun. Whoever makes people laugh the most often, ends up winning as they collect cards. It does help if kids can read the cards solo, making it great for this age group.

Best Tech Gifts For 8-Year-Old Boys

Their bedside must-have, echo dot with clock.

This Echo Dot promises to be their all-in-one in-room entertainment device that plays their favorite podcasts, bedtime stories and music and answers all their favorite trivia questions, cracks jokes—and then helps them get up in time for school with a morning alarm clock. Note that this has all the features Alexa offers and that you can set up parental controls.

Take His Library On The Go

Kindle paperwhite kids.

Packing a bunch of books on the go can get heavy, fast. The Kindle Paperwhite Kids lets him download his favorite books to tote just about anywhere—and it’s only 11 ounces. This Kindle has a parent dashboard, so adults can keep tabs on what the user is reading and for how long, along with set bedtimes and download limits. It lasts up to 10 weeks on a single charge, and the Paperwhite version lets them dim the lights to a soft, warm glow when reading at bedtime. It’s also waterproof. The regular Kindle Kids is about $50 cheaper but doesn’t include those two features. Both come with a protective cover and Amazon’s 2-year warranty.

A Big Kid Smartwatch

Gabb watch 3.

You’re probably not ready to hand your 8-year-old a phone just yet, or even an Apple Watch, but you may still want a way to keep tabs on them. The new Gabb Watch 3 smartwatch for kids doesn’t come with the internet, social media or even video calling, but it does offer up to 100 parent-approved contacts for texting and calling, and excellent GPS tracking via the parent app, offering caregivers an easy way to check in with kids to remind them of schedules and to understand their whereabouts.

If your child really wants a camera on their watch, which a lot of kids do enjoy, or a few more games, we’d also recommend the popular Gizmo 3 smartwatch from Verizon, especially if they have friends with Gizmos (there’s a neat feature that lets kids request to be “buddies” with another Gizmo user).

Best Outdoorsy Gifts For 8-Year-Old Boys

A sleeping bag with serious personality.

Pottery Barn Kids

Star Wars Sleeping Bag

Star Wars is huge with plenty of boys this age and with newer shows like Ahsoka and The Mandalorian , that fanbase is only likely to grow. This sleeping bag features the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy, the Millennium Falcon, and x-wing fighters speeding through space. It can be used indoors or out, and weighs just 3.5 pounds, making it easy for an 8-year-old to tote around for living room campouts and sleepovers.

A Tent That's All About Space

Space world play tent.

Got a space fan on your hands? This tent is covered in a planetary theme, with cool facts about space splashed around. A zip-up door allows for privacy, as needed, and assembly is a breeze. While this tent can be used inside and outside, it’s more of a fun backyard camping accessory vs. a tool for an overnight trip in the woods.

An Easy Way To See Far-Off Objects

Nocs provisions zoom tube monocular telescope.

This monocular telescope lets 8-year-olds (and adults, for that matter) see objects from far away. It’s covered in a high-impact rubber housing to protect the glass and stand up to the elements—along with the roughhousing 8-year-old boys can dish out. This monocular is lightweight, clocking in at just 8.5 ounces.

How We Chose The Best Gifts For 8-Year-Old Boys

I’m a mom of four kids, ranging in age from 1 to 10 years. Between my own kids and friends and family, I have years of experience researching and buying gifts for 8-year-old boys. I also spoke with two pediatricians for their input on what to look for in gifts for 8-year-old boys. From there, I tracked down the most popular gifts on the market and narrowed the field based on expert criteria, personal experience and reviews from other parents, including my editor Rose Gordon Sala who also happens to have an 8-year-old boy, as well as two daughters.

What Should I Buy For An 8-Year-Old Boy?

A lot depends on the kid. Keder recommends thinking about what the child is interested in and narrowing down your search from there. “By this age, kids usually have a pretty good sense of what they’re into,” he says. If you’re shopping for an active 8-year-old, consider things they can use around their yard, driveway or local park. If they love to cook, a culinary kit designed for a younger crowd is a good fit. And, if they’re currently going through a Star Wars phase, there are plenty of items to choose from, ranging from the Star Wars Sleeping Bag that made our list to action figures. “Figure out their interests and meet them halfway,” Keder says.

What Are 8-Year-Olds Interested In?

Kids of this age are interested in a range of things. “Kids are interested in developing their own individual interests at this age,” Keder says. “Helping them learn more about those interests or further developing skills related to it are great ways to go.” If they like science, a STEM kit may be a good fit. “Most children love Lego—building cool sets is very fun and brings about a sense of accomplishment that kids at this age love,” Keder says. “Board games are very fun, too, and offer kids more structured opportunities for play while developing their planning and organization skills. This is also the age when cookbooks and magic kits are fun.”

What Do You Get An 8-Year-Old For Their Birthday?

At this age, most 8-year-olds know what they want for their birthday—so Keder says it’s a good idea to simply ask. If you don’t know the child well or you get an “I don’t know” when you ask them for a gift idea, Ganjian recommends checking in with their parents. “They should be able to give you ideas or at least tell you what they’re into these days,” he says. If you’re still not sure, think about their general interests and just try to buy something that sticks with that general theme.

What Should I Buy An Active 8-Year-Old?

If you’re buying for a child who likes sports, Keder recommends getting him clothes that support his favorite team or a board game related to the sport he likes. Sports equipment is also a possibility, but Keder points out that it may be expensive. “If you are shopping for someone who is not your own child, ask their parents for what sizes they are and what they might like or need,” he says. We like the Razor A2 Kick Scooter , Hover-1 Matrix Self-Balancing Hover Board , Franklin Sports Pro Basketball Hoop and Mojo Ultimate Fan Backpack for active kids to help burn off energy and indulge their love of movement. If all else fails, Keder suggests that you “consider the gift of experiences like going on a hike, to a game or laser tag.”

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40 Best Toys for 8-Year-Olds Who Say They Are "Too Old" for Toys

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When kids reach 8, they're looking for toys and gifts that speak to them personally — especially ones they can make themselves. "Kids this age have much greater fine motor dexterity and can create endless possibilities whether building structures, personalized characters, associated complex storylines or copying a preferred design," says Jennifer Rothman, LCSW . She also recommends games, staring with collaborative ones. "Working together with friends in a more structured game is a nice entry point before more competitive play," she says.

But gifts for kids this age should also be safe, well constructed and long-lasting. The Good Housekeeping Institute , which evaluates hundreds of toys each year for the Good Housekeeping Best Toy Awards , helps separate the good from the bad by testing toys for safety and durability and soliciting feedback from real kids to assess the fun factor. When the testing finished this year, these the best toys and gifts to buy 8-year-olds in 2024.

Rubik's Cube Greyscale 'Wednesday' Cube

This has the same gameplay as a normal Rubik's Cube, which means you need logic and strategy to solve it, but all the squares are some shade of white, black or gray — perfect if you're "allergic to color" like Wednesday Addams from Wednesday . It even has a stand in the shape of Thing. Ages 8+

MrBeast Lab Swarms Mega Lab

Kids get to step into the role of scientist as they "create" new creatures in a simple beaker reaction. They add water to the beaker, shake it and watch as squishy toys emerge from the fizz. (There area additional squishy toys in the set that you don't have to conjure.) The directions include simple games kids can play with the squishies if they want another way to play with them, but Good Housekeeping Institute kid testers liked doing the chemical reaction part the most. Ages 5+

Bill Nye's VR Science Kit

This isn't your typical, at-home science kit. Kids wear VR goggles to watch as science legend Bill Nye makes concepts come to life before them. The set includes 50 pieces, including things like beakers and measuring cups, but you have to provide your own Android or iOS device to take advantage of the VR capabilities. Ages 8+

Pokémon Soda Pop Plush

Plenty of Pokémon plush have come before, but none as striking as these: Designed in part by Japanese illustrator F*Kaori, Soda Pop Plush Pokémon have colors that are a little brighter, cool graphic patterns in their eyes and are a perfect-to-hold 6-inch size. Testers couldn't get over how cute they were, and there are more than 20 characters to collect. Ages 4+

RELATED: The Good Housekeeping Best Toy Awards

Klutz Lego Gear Bots Activity Kit

LEGO fans — and what kid isn't? — can find new projects and ideas with this kit, which gives them pieces and inspiration to make eight different kinetic LEGO sculptures. They can build an octopus that DJs, a pterodactyl that moves its wings or a yeti that smashes, all of which are operated by a crank on the side. The characters are made out of paper, so they'll be able to use their art skills, too. Ages 8+

HarperAlley 'Gamerville' Graphic Novel

Good Housekeeping Institute kid testers really related to this story, about a video-game-playing kid who's sent to a screen-free camp. (Know anyone who can relate?) He gained a greater appreciation for every aspect of his life,” said a 10-year-old reader. Ages 8 – 12

RELATED: The Good Housekeeping Best Kids' Book Awards

'Godzilla X Kong' Heat-Ray Breath Godzilla RC

This kaiju has a lot of personality for a remote-controlled toy. Nearly two feet long, Godzilla has a lumbering gait and makes smashing noises with each footfall. But the best is when it's ready to attack: He charges up, with scales lighting up all the way up its spine, and then it roars and releases real (cool) steam out of its mouth to be its "heat breath." Ages 8+

A companion to Cat Crimes , this game turns kids into detectives. Each of the increasingly difficult challenge cards offers a list of clues as to which canine committed a crime, and kids have to put them together to deduce the culprit. It comes with 40 challenges, and it's one of the rare games that kids can play on their own. Ages 8+

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Skillmatics Scout It Out 50 States Game

Kids can brush up on their social studies while getting into the competitive spirit with this game. Players get hints that relate to the different states, and they have to guess which state it is. Hey, adults might learn a thing or two themselves. Ages 7+

LEGO Friends Space Research Rover

Time for extra-terrestrial adventure! Once kids build the four-wheeled rover, they can take the two included Friends figures on adventures, where they might encounter the two alien figures and two dogs — the pups being our testers' fave. The back of the rover also opens to be a research station play set, inviting kids with more ways to play. Ages 8+

Furby Galaxy Edition

When the Furby returned, it came back better than ever! The Galaxy edition has a bright, bold pattern that glows in the dark. And, like all the new Furbys, it dances, has interactive songs and sounds, comes with fashion accessories and can interact with the smaller, less expensive Furblets . Ages 6+

Kiwico Pendulum Art Machine

It's a little art and a little science all rolled into one. Kids can assemble the pendulum, set it in motion, release the pen and see what masterpiece results. Then they can do little experiments — changing the length of the ropes, adding weight to the platform, changing the angle of the swing — to see how that affects the final product. Ages 7+

Spy Labs Inc: Forensic Investigation Kit

Kid who can't get enough detective stories can try their hand at lifting fingerprints, analyzing liquids, looking for counterfeit bills, searching for clues under a UV light and more with this intro to forensics. It comes with a 20-page book that explains the science behind forensics, and it comes with equipment like a UV flashlight, fingerprint powder and pH test strips. Ages 8+

Interactive Glow in The Dark T-Shirt

If you want to give them clothes, make sure it's this t-shirt that allows them to draw and write on the front (it then glows in the dark!). Designs last for five minutes, and then they can start all over. Sizes 3T – Large

'In Your Feels: A Journal to Explore Your Emotions' Book

This journal is designed to help kids better understand how they feel and process their emotions. Each chapter goes through a different feeling — happiness, sadness, anxiety, anger, pride, fear, guilt and more — and explain what it is, why it can be useful and how it feels in the body. There are then prompts and exercises that help kids connect those emotions to their own lives. (Note: I loved this one so much, I wrote the foreword.) Ages 8 – 12

Kanoodle Pyramid

Get their brains going with this mind-teaser that's taken the world of social media by storm. Challenge cards give players the beginning of a 3D shape, and players have to fill it in with the remaining pieces. With more than 200 puzzles to complete, they'll definitely have enough challenge to keep them busy. If they like it, there are other Kanoodle versions to try. Ages 7+

Craft-Tastic All About Me Quiz Art

This craft kit comes with a personality quiz that influences what colors are used in the woven pattern around the frame, ensuring that no two will be exactly alike. After the wrapping is done, they can choose a centerpiece and other personal touches to make it even more individualized. If they like that method of creation, they can move on to All About Me Quiz Bracelets . Ages 8+

Axolotl Necklace

With its smiling face and heart-shaped jewel, they won't like this creature pendant a little — they'll like it a- lot -l! It's made from stainless steel, so it can withstand the less-than-gentle nature of 8-year-olds. No age recommendation given

Tamagotchi Uni

This toy has retro appeal for those who remember the old Tamagotchi, but it's been updated — kids can now enter the "Tamaverse" and interact in different ways. Good Housekeeping Institute testers loved that their Tamagotchis could go on "playdates" together in the Tamaverse. Ages 6+

Just My Style Tinsel Hair Stylist Studio

If the 8-year-old in your life wants to get in on the "fairy hair" trend, this kit will let kids add 10-inch tinsel hair extensions into their own hair. The kit also comes with other hair accessories, like pony beads that can be threaded into hair. Ages 6+

Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; she previously wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother . She lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found dominating the audio round at her local bar trivia night or tweeting about movies.

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