The best toys for 8 year olds and gifts you can buy them will not only reflect their interests but also the stage they are at in life.
Read on for advice from experts in child development on how an 8 year old’s physical, emotional and mental development might affect how they play, what they want to play and who they want to play with.
Or, scroll down for our pick of the best toys. From craft kits to play sets, to collaborative games and comic books. We’ve got all the best buys covered so you can pick the best toys out there.
Don’t forget to check out our other toy buying guides for kids of all ages, from sensory toys and games for 1-year-olds, toys for 2-year-olds, educational toys and toys suitable for 4 year olds and upwards.
What are the best toys for 8 year olds?
Catherine Lynch, senior manager at PlanBee and a qualified Play Therapist, explains that while 8 year olds seem much more grown up than kids aged 4, 5 or 6, the way they play doesn’t change as quickly as they grow:
“For children of all ages, play is learning. Children play to learn, to understand and to process. The way children play changes as they grow but not as much as you might think.”
As a result, some of the best toys for 8 year olds are those that are similar to tops they played with when they were 7, or even 6. Toys that encourage imaginative play, skill building and spark an interest in new hobbies:
“The same basic elements, including enjoyment, are present regardless of the child’s age. Children often access the unconscious while playing to explore something they are finding challenging, for example, trying something new is less threatening when done in a game where a new role or persona can be adopted. “
When children engage in ‘small world play’ it helps them make sense of the big, real world.
What games do 8 year olds play?
For 8 year olds, it’s not so much what games they play, but who they are playing with that’s important. If you’re a parent, don’t be surprised (or offended!) if your child wants to play games with their peers instead of you.
As Catherine explains, it’s not personal! It’s just where they’re at in their development: “8 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 and can be very self-critical.
“Parents and caregivers of 8 year olds can support children by providing opportunities for social interaction with friends. Maybe one of the most important things is to listen when the child is being self-critical and support them. Do your best to help them feel heard, supported and encouraged.”
Research Psychologist Dr Amanda Gummer suggests that the best games and toys for 8 year olds will include:
- Detailed arts and crafts or music they can spend time perfecting
- Team and competitive sports
- Social games – whatever is popular amongst their friends – e.g. trading cards, collectables
We have included these and loads more suggestions in our handpicked list of toys and gifts below. Just scroll down to take a look.
Best toys for 8 year olds
Playmobil Furnished School Building with Digital Clock
Age suitability: 5 - 12 years
Stereotypes such as 'boys become doctors' and 'girls become nurses' may start to creep in around the age of eight, so buying children toys that dispel these assumptions and help teach kids that these old-fashioned stereotypes are wrong as great toys for kids. Play sets that include a range of figures and reflect real life environments like schools, hospitals, vets, fire stations, or simply shops and services you'd find on the high street are all great for this and encouraging imaginative play.
COST: £99.53
Comic books: Make your own comic strips
Age suitability: 8 years +
As well as an interest in reading and perhaps even collecting comics, 8 years olds also have the skills and imaginations to create their own comics inspired by the graphic novels and stories they like to read. This is one of the best 'toys' you can buy any kids that loves to draw and doodling comics.
COST: £6.99
Cool Maker 6054862 Go Glam Nail Printer
Age suitability: 4 - 12 years
If you wear nail varnish there's a high chance your child will have asked if they can wear polish too by now. Nail play sets for children of this age tend to include specially formulated nail polishes that are safe and suitable for children, as well as fun stickers and stamps that they can play with to get creative with nail art.
COST: £34.98
LEGO Make Your Own Movie
Age suitability: 8 - 12 years
Lights . . . camera . . . action! Kids at this age are fascinated with the way things work and how they are made – whether it's wanting to see under the hood of a car or behind-the-scenes of their favourite movie. Foster this thirst for knowledge and give them the tools to do it themselves, with one of these 'make your own movie' sets. This beginner-friendly guide to stop-motion animation is perfect for teaching kids the basic and all they need is a phone or tablet.
COST: £10.83
Dolls that promote confidence
At this age, many kids will have started to become aware of body image and changes in their appearance as they grow compared to their peers. For some, this means a dip in confidence. Making sure a child is aware and familiar with the fact that everyone is different, with different body types, hair colours, heights, builds and features is important. If your child has shown an interest in - or loves - playing with dolls, make sure they have a wide variety of different dolls in their collection that reflect the diversity found in real people in the real world.
We love these deluxe dolls by Creatable World (featured), £25.99 (each)
Mini Pom-Pom Pets
Age suitability: 8 - 12 years
Kids find satisfaction and enjoyment out of envisioning and creating their own projects at this age, whether it's learning the basics of needlework for fabric crafts, painting pottery or making clay models from scratch.
COST: £12.99
Jellycat Green Starry-eyed Dragon Plush
Age suitability: 6 years +
Children of this age will seek comfort in cuddles and closeness when they are feeling sad, worried or vulnerable. This will primarily be with family members, but they'll also seek comfort in their favourite toys. Whether this is because of a bad day at school, a fall out with a friend or sibling (or maybe even just because they didn't get their own way!), having some cuddly toys they love and can use in their imaginary play too are good to have to hand.
COST: £24.97
VTech 8-in-1 Kidi Concert karaoke machine
Age suitability: 5 - 10 years
Children who love perfume, singing songs they've heard on the radio around the house or just getting silly and having some noisy fun will love a karaoke machine. They'll love being able to sing along to their favourite tunes and it's something they can play with along with the rest of the family.
COST: £30.78
Makey Makey – An Invention Kit for Everyone
Age suitability: 8 years +
Allow kids to be free to create how they want and follow steps to make something unique that they have built and designed themselves. There are so many kits like this out there to choose from – with options including building robots, cars, droids and more.
COST: £40.72
Ravensburger Scotland Yard Board Game
Age suitability: 8 years +
8-year-olds like playing in groups and are better at working together than when they were younger, so collaborative games that require a team effort to complete them are great. Whether it's solving a mystery, building or creating something or overcoming a multi-layer challenge, all of these games will be great at engaging a child.
COST: £16.99
Books
While most children have learned to read by the age of eight, they are still growing into strong readers and building their confidence and interest in reading. Buying them stories that will capture their imagination and entertain them is a great way of doing this, so think books by Roald Dahl or Michael Morpurgo, classics like Diary of a Wimpy Kid or The Sheep-pig and adventure stories like How to Train your Dragon or even Harry Potter.
Slime kits
Kids love them, parents dread them, but there's no denying that making slime is one of the most popular toys of kids out there right now. Plus, kits that show kids how slime is create are great for introducing some of the basic principals of science and experimenting, meaning kids are actually learning while playing (and maybe making a bit of a mess!)
NDcent Flier BMX Bike
A bike is a great way to encourage physical activity and is also something that children can play with and ride either with friends or as part of a family outing. A good bike will help build up a child's muscles, keep them fit and healthy and give them a sense of independence and more confidence.
Moonjar Moneybox
Age suitability: 8 years +
Eight is a good age to begin talking with children about saving and spending money wisely and teaching them the value of money. Many children of this age will now have pocket money, so giving them somewhere safe to store and save these coins, but also access them when they want to buy something, is a step on the way to understanding more about money.
COST: £23.95
Monopoly Roald Dahl Edition
Age suitability: 8 years +
Not only do kids loving playing board games with both friends and family as they provide an opportunity for fun quality time together, but 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.
COST: £28.14
Swim toys
Even if a child doesn't show a particular interest in sports by this age, they may still enjoy swimming for leisure and it's an easy way to encourage physical activity into their lives. By eight, many kids will have been swimming for a few years and so will have gained some confidence and ability in the water. Perhaps they will be able to swim a width or even a length of a pool. Toys they can play with in the pool will encourage them to swim for long and help build their confidence and ability further in the water.
Skateboard
We all know that children grow up fast – one minute you're helping them get to grips with their very first balance bike, the next minute they come home from a friend's house having tried out skating for the very first time. 8-year-olds have the balance and coordination skills to begin to master how to ride a skateboard, and with the right safety equipment, you can have peace of mind while they do it too.
John Lewis & Partners Wooden Mini Guitar
Age suitability: 6 years +
By the age of eight, children have improved small muscle control, which makes learning and playing instruments both easier and more enjoyable. Foster a child's creativity and ability to express themselves in a more artistic way by buying them musical instruments (and maybe a few lessons to go with it!)
COST: £15
Football nets and basket ball hoops
Help your sports-mad kid practice the skills needed to play their game of choice – whether that be shooting hoops or scoring goals – by getting them a net for the back garden. There's the added benefit that they can play with this toy either alone or with their chosen group of friends too.
RYZE Tello Drone
Age suitability: 8 years +
It may seem a little much for a child of
this age, but 8-year-olds will be seriously impressed by this mega-cool piece of kit. Like any remote-controlled toy, kids will love figuring out the controls and learning to use the gadget to the best of their ability. With drones, there's the added aspect of being able to take pictures or videos too.
COST: £99
Disney Nutcracker Sugar Plum Fairy Costume
Age suitability: 3 - 10 years
This age is all about elaborate fantasy play with children's imaginations running wild and their ability to construct make-believe worlds and scenarios at a high. As they get a little older, they may start to feel self-conscious about playing make-believe games, so it's great to invest in their love of dressing up and nurture their imaginations at this age before that happens.
COST: £16
Art toys
Eight is an age when children may start to identify with being 'artistic' and as they build their social identities, their ability to express themselves creatively will grow. Allowing them to embrace their quickly developing artistic side and find focus and calm in arts and crafts is important and there are so many art kits and sets out there you can buy that children of this age will love.
