Best toys for 8 year olds 2024: 24 gift ideas approved by experts

Our expert edit of the best toys for eight-year-olds including board games, crafts and music toys

Collage showing best toys for 8 year olds including Yoto Player, Harry Potter LEGO, Pokemon Labyrinth board game, smart ball kick tracker and more
(Image credit: Future)

The best toys for eight-year olds are not only fun, but help your not-so-little one to develop their social skills and learn at the same time.

Some of the best kids toys of 2024 made our list and you'll see some fantastic buys that also made the cut for our top Christmas toys selection too. Choosing the best toys for eight year olds can be a challenge, but it's always worth remembering that as well as growing in independence, kids of this age are also developing strong friendships and love to play with toys that they can enjoy with their friends.

Catherine Lynch, senior manager at PlanBee and a qualified Play Therapist, tells us: "Eight-year-olds often don’t like missing out on things that are going on with their peers and will spend an increased time with friends...They are likely to spend a large amount of time playing games that develop skills to help them improve competency..."

To find the best toys for eight-year-olds, keep scrolling. We've based this list on our extensive product knowledge, hands-on experience, as well as feedback from parents and kids to make sure we're highlighting the toys we know they love.

Best toys for 8 year olds 2024

Why you can trust GoodtoKnow. Our experienced Consumer Editor & parent reviewers spend hours testing products to help you make the best choice. Find out how we test and review products.

LEGO

By the age of eight, kids might have already been playing with construction toys like LEGO, magnetic tiles and the like for a while. But once they turn eight, you might find they are ready to tackle more complicated structures and sets independently.

Dad-of-two Peter says: "I love LEGO and my eight-year old regularly helps me building my sets, so its really nice to watch her build her own sets with very little help from me. She's even getting her little sister involved."

Remote control toys

Remote control toys are a great way to encourage an eight-year-old to problem-solve as they give their fine motor skills a work out. By this age, gone are the days of simple forwards and backwards motions - these remote control toys are more complex and offer a challenge that they will love to accept.

Outdoor toys

Ensuring eight-year-olds get plenty of time outside is a great way to encourage a healthy lifestyle and lure them away from screens, which they might be especially drawn to at this age.

The best outdoor toys for this age group will encourage interaction (and maybe a bit of competition) with their friends as they form and build on their social skills within their friendship groups.

Yoto Player

Audio players, such as the Toniebox or Yoto player, are hugely popular with kids, providing a way for them to play and learn independently. Both players are designed to be operated by kids, so they are super easy to use, and the stories are played via audio characters called Tonies, in the case of the Toniebox, and cards in the case of the Yoto.

We've tested both, and we think the Yoto is best for children of this age, thanks to its retro design that is both engaging and age-appropriate. If the child you are buying for already has a Yoto, then there are a load of accessories that would make a great gift, from a card holder to wireless headphones.

Card games

Card games are perfect for an eight-year-old to play with their friends - which means they'll hone their game-play skills and get to practice being a gracious winner and a tactful loser. These kinds of games are often small enough to travel with, so they're really handy to take on holiday. Plus, you can pick up some great ones for less than £10, so they're perfect if you are on a budget, or looking for a little treat or stocking filler.

Arts and craft toys

Help your eight-year old tap into their creativity with some arts and crafts themed playtime. Not only will it get them away from a screen, but it will help them use their imagination, and hone their problem-solving and spatial reasoning skills at the same time.

Board Games

Eight-year-olds love board games - not only are they super-fun and a chance for them to engage in competitive play with their friends, but they also help to boost logic, reasoning and critical thinking skills too. Challenging games that require some strategic thinking are great for their development too. Plus, learning to lose and that you can't always win at everything is an important skill at this age – and one that a board game can definitely teach.

Music toys

Most kids love to perform and sing songs they've heard on the radio or learnt at school. By the age of eight, children have improved small muscle control, which makes learning and playing instruments both easier and more enjoyable. And so toys that allow them to cultivate these talents, and even just awaken their music appreciation can help boost their creative side.

What toys do eight year olds like to play with?

According to child development expert and GoodtoKnow panellist, Dr Amanda Gummer, the best toys for eight-year-olds include arts and crafts, music, sports and social games that are popular with peers like collectible items and trading cards.

Play therapist Catherine Lynch adds: "Parents and caregivers of eight-year-olds can support children by providing opportunities for social interaction with friends." But it's important to remember that while eight-year-olds might seem like they are growing up, they still need to benefit from play time, as that is how they learn, understand and process the world around them.

How we chose the best toys for eight year olds

To compile this list of the best toys for eight-year-olds, we drew on our extensive product knowledge and hands-on experience. We also spoke to parents with eight- year-old children to see which toys their children particularly loved and why. In addition, we also spoke to play and child development specialists to get their expert analysis on the best toys for this age group.

Dr Amanda Gummer

Dr Amanda Gummer has a PhD in Neuropsychology, the Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education and more than 20 years’ experience working with children and families. As such, she is renowned as an expert on all aspects of child development, including toys and play. In 2012, she founded The Good Play Guide, an independent, expert accreditation service for children’s products, including toys, apps and more.

While you're shopping for the best toys for eight-year-olds, you might also be interested in our guide to choosing the best toys for seven-year-olds. We've also got guides on choosing the best toys for nine-year-olds, the best toys for 10-year-olds.

Money Editor, GoodtoKnow

Sarah is GoodtoKnow’s Money Editor. After Sarah graduated from University of Wales, Aberystwyth, with a degree in English and Creative Writing, she entered the world of publishing in 2007, working as a writer and digital editor on a range of titles including Real Homes, Homebuilding & Renovating, The Money Edit and more. When not writing or editing, Sarah can be found hanging out with her rockstar dog, getting opinionated about a movie or learning British Sign Language. 

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