17 Best Toys & Gifts for 8-Year-Olds

This instant camera is instant fun! Its mini instant photos create lasting memories you can take anywhere. Comes in a variety of fun colors. Make sure to gift some film, too!

Vanessa M.:  Kids can teach their LEGO bricks new tricks with the Klutz LEGO Chain Reactions Kit! They will use critical thinking and building skills to put together different LEGO machines that can perform ordinary tasks in an extraordinary way. Kids will build moving LEGO creations that can ring a bell, toss a gum wrapper into the trash, deliver a message, and more! The illustrated instruction book makes building a snap.

Kelly R:  This has gotten many hours of play in my house! It's a marble run and brain teaser all in one, with 60 challenges of increasing difficulty. A step up in complexity from some of the other more basic logic puzzles, because kids have to think about what direction a marble will travel through the piece's unique shape to continue through the maze.

Imaginative kids can create their own comic book with this award winning kit. After writing and illustrating a one-of-a-kind comic, mail it off where it will be professionally printed in full color and shipped back, free of charge. One of the best gifts for 8 year olds who love art and graphic novels!

Amanda Banta:  The vívofit jr. 2 is a waterproof fitness tracker that can also be used for chore management, sleep tracking, and alerts like brushing teeth or feeding pets. Kids will love connecting with friends nearby to compete in challenges and watch their step counts rise. The comfortable bands come in kid-favorite character designs with a few games and adventures. The battery is designed to last one year before needing replacement, but that will vary based on actual usage. You can view your kid's activity and sleep from the parent-controlled app, too.

Kelly R:  This is a great kids microscope that is well-designed and functional, with glass lenses and vivid detail that are a step up from the toy-based microscopes. More "grown up" science tools like this are great gifts for 8 year olds who are ready to take better care of their things. Kids will enjoy getting started with the pre-prepared slides, and then finding all sort of other things to examine.

Kelly R:  These next-level dot to dot activity books, with nice oversized pages and intricate designs, make wonderful gifts for 8 year olds with the patience for more of a challenge. A great gift paired with a quality set of colored pencils or gel pens.

Brittany Kozielski:  Dying hair funky colors is popular with 8 year old girls, and hair chalk is a fun and washable solution for kids this age. Works like a crayon you just draw on your hair.

Tim Ponisciak:  If your kids are into board games and games of skill, they will really enjoy Klask! Try to steer the ball into the goal of your opponent by using a magnetic handle. The game has won a number of awards as it appeals to those young and old.

Science kits are fun and educational gifts for 8 year olds, and this favorite from National Geographic allows them to make their own slime, grow their own crystal, and best of all, watch it all glow in the dark.

Erynn:  If your not-so-little builder is aging out of Lego Jr. sets, the Technic sets may pose a much-needed challenge and make great gifts for 8 year olds. Technic sets have joints that move, plus steering features and dual functionality (most sets are 2-in-1). Add in power functions motors and battery packs, and kids can make their creations move, too. Ideal for kids who are into engineering and have the patience to build and rebuild each set.

Kristy Pepping:  My daughter is really into LEGO Friends at the moment, and there are so many sets in a wide range of price points that make awesome toys for 8 year old girls. These kits are not only fun to build, but it's fun to take them apart and invent your own project. This is great for creative play!

Kelly R:  My daughter asked for this reading pillow at age 8 since she was doing more independent reading for 3rd grade, and it is still going strong a year later! I love that it has a generous size that will last her for years, and the cover is machine washable.

Kelly R:  I know that another stuffed animal is probably the last thing most kids need, but hear me out! This is the most fabulous one we have...it's so soft, unique and huggable. My daughter got hers around age 8 and it's still a favorite years later.

Kelly R:  American Girl dolls make great toys for 8 year old girls! This is the minimum age suggested by American Girl for their 18" dolls, so your child will likely enjoy it for at least a few years - and will be ready to care for it well! And because there are so many fun accessories and outfits for the dolls, you've got plenty of birthday and Christmas gift ideas for the future.