Charlie’s 8th birthday is this week so I’ve been thinking about gifts for 8-year-olds for a while now. As he gets older the toy options lessen, so I try to focus more on things that are educational or encourage activity. These are all things that I know he would love!
1) Squigs – Pretty much any type of building toy is a hit. The stickiness of these Squigs up the fun factor.
2) Kindle Fire – Charlie and Olive both have Kindle Fires, but I had to include it on this list because it’s a wonderful gift for the new reader. We subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, Freetime, download Kindle books… it is a powerful little tablet that also enables you to access the internet and download apps.
3) Lay n go Activity Mat – For our million Legos and other toys with tons of small pieces.
4) night vision goggles – These would definitely come in handy where we live since there are no streetlights. The adults might have just as much fun playing with them.
5) magic set – Charlie received a magic set 2 years ago and it still gets regular play. I’d love to get an upgraded set like this with even more tricks!
6) telescope – We can see all the stars and constellations here since there is no light pollution. It would be amazing to have a telecope.
7) electric light blocks – These blocks light up as you build them, and have several auto off features. Perfect for a nightlight! These sound activated Superman light blocks are also cool and I’ve always loved this Gummy Bear nightlight.
8) chess set – Charlie loves playing chess and we have a small set, so I would love to get him a nice one that we can play daily.
9) hobby rock tumbler kit – This is the type of educational yet entertaining gift that kids are sure to love.
10) drone – We live in an area where drones are allowed so Charlie already has one. I know laws in cities are much more strict so this may only be a practical gift depending on where you live!
11) bocce ball – This is a great family game and we’ve wanted our own set for a long time.
13) bike – I really wanted to get a nice bike for his birthday or Christmas, but we aren’t able to get one locally. He has outgrown his little two wheeler and is ready to graduate to a bigger bike. If I could give one piece of advice — go for a balance bike instead of training wheels. Charlie pretty much was riding a two-wheeler on his first try because he had already mastered balance on his balance bike.
14) snap circuits – A classic STEM toy everyone raves about for good reason!
15) fishing pole – Charlie loves fishing. I like that you can travel with this pole!
16) Choose Your Own Adventure Books – Charlie has already read some of these. I love introducing him to the same things from my childhood!
17) Financial Learning Ledger for Kids – Charlie is really into saving and spending money and I think this ledger is a great idea to help him manage his money. You’re never too young to learn about finances!
18) Pokemon Bank – Pikachu has over 200 sounds and phrases each time he grabs your coin. An entertaining way to save!
19) Cat’s Cradle Book Kit – I’ve been teaching Charlie how to play cat’s cradle but some of the moves have been difficult for him. It’d be great to have an illustrated book and this book has moves that I don’t know about!
blogger / apricot / 482 posts
We’ve been thinking of getting a balance bike for our kids. They have tricycles at school and we have a scooter; they’re both pretty adept at both. At what age would you recommend a balance bike?
squash / 13208 posts
Oh that Cats cradle is perfect for my 9yr old – I taught him how to do a string trick (not sure what its called) and he loved it!!
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
@Mrs. Dolphin: 2-3 years old for most kids. many kids are riding 2 wheelers by 5! we seriously pushed charlie on his 2 wheeler for the first time when he was 6 and he just rode off and never looked back.
olive has always been very behind when it comes to gross motor milestones so we haven’t put her on a 2 wheeler yet, but she has mastered the balance bike!
blogger / apricot / 439 posts
Looking at all these items makes me super excited to see the girls hit an older age where the toys are so much more fun than at the toddler stage!
blogger / grape / 99 posts
Love all these ideas too. I bought the 8 year olds on our list (twin girls) electronic note pads. Hope they enjoy them!