Having been a huge fan of age 7, I was long fearing my son’s 8th birthday this year. After all, both parenting polls and scientists have warned me that 8-year-olds can be tough, given the hormonal, intellectual, and social transitions kids undergo at this age. But you know what doesn’t change? Eight-year-olds still love to play. Which makes the job of finding the best toys for 8-year-olds still a delightful task.
You may not have realized this, but at around age 8, most kids go through what’s called adrenarche. That’s when the adrenal gland starts gearing up to produce the hormones that will eventually cause puberty. While your adorable second- and third-graders don’t look like preteens yet, they may experience mood swings that seem to have nothing to do with external factors. That means your 8-year-old may also talk about “drama” in their social life and they may throw an elaborate tantrum over their math homework. But when they slam their door on you in a huff, they may also sit down and play with their dolls or games.
“Things are either great or awful, ugly or beautiful, right or wrong,” the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital says of 8-year-olds’ cognitive development. But the upside of that polarized thought is that they can get really into things too. They’re interested in their friends, hobbies, sports, and even collecting.
In terms of play, an article in Scholastic describes how 8-year-olds’ group play can be very imaginative, with complex rules.
“Regardless of gender, the interactions are often defined by elaborate fantasy play, interactive games, rotating leaders, and cooperative goal-setting where participants work collaboratively toward a shared outcome,” wrote child developmental expert Michelle Anthony, PhD, on the site. “For example, a group of children may run an elaborate ‘economy’ where they find items on the playground to sell for rock currency, such as grasshoppers, sticks, pieces of plastic, or even ice. There may be shopkeepers, merchants, scavengers, or even thieves who all play a part in ongoing storylines.”
At the same time, 8-year-olds also are figuring out how to be independent. That sometimes takes the form of sports, reading, or, of course, video games. (We’ll leave the video game recs for another time and place.)
Whichever way your 8-year-old’s mood is swinging these days, we think one of these toys will be right for them.
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Give Them the Chance to Master a Skill
Not only are 8-year-olds more agile than they’ve ever been, they also really like the satisfaction of perfecting something. They’ll love to master tricks on these caster boards and show off what they can do.
Bring Out the Silliness
The mirrors in these goggles turn everything upside down in a way that your brain cannot process right away. Gather the whole family to play the game that asks you to do simple tasks like pour water or connect the dots, and you’ll see just how hard those goggles can make things. It’s a great solution to any sulky mood.
Match Luck & Skill
At this age, your kid may be very into competing against friends, siblings, and you. Backgammon relies just enough on luck and skill to make it possible for kids to beat their parents fair and square.
Expand Their World, From Home
The Little Passports World Edition subscription combines parents’ desire for their kids to learn, everyone’s wish we could be traveling somewhere new right now, and kids’ love of getting a new present in the mail every month. That package will include stickers, activity booklets, collectible “country coins,” letters from fictional pen pals, and a craft — all related to the country of the month. If world travel isn’t your 8-year-old’s thing, check out their science subscription instead.
Share That Toy From the ’80s That’s Still the Best
I always coveted this 3-D pin-art toy in stores as a kid (and like thousands of other kids, smushed my face into the store model, ew). My 8-year-old got this for his birthday and has not put it down. It’s a great sensory toy for fidgety kids, encourages creativity, and is a calming distraction for kids when they’re in a mood.
Encourage Solo Problem Solving Without the Screen
This logic game challenges the player to figure out how to direct marbles through paths in one of 64 different puzzles. This will occupy those growing brains, teaching strategic thinking while keeping them away from video games for a bit.
Have Sew Much Fun
Though 8-year-olds are into elaborate imaginative play with their friends, they also enjoy doing something a little more hands-on than just passively enjoying dolls and stuffies. That’s where this Woodland Friends kit, which includes the materials to sew five different woodland creatures, makes the perfect compromise. They may even want to give some to their friends so they can play with them together later.
Bring Minecraft to the Real World
LEGO’s Minecraft sets can lure your kid’s eyeballs away from the screen too. This Pig House is complex enough to entertain 8-year-olds, with features like a hidden room and hinged building walls.
Encourage Your Future Aerospace Engineer
Paper airplanes meet drone technology in this amazing PowerUp kit. It comes with a tiny motor, propellers, and crossbar, but you’ve got to fold your own airplane body. Then download the remote-control app and prepare for takeoff!
Cuddly Collectibles
If your kid has an affinity for cute things and loves collecting — that’s an 8-year-old thing, too, btw — they may already be in love with Cats vs. Pickles. These little plush toys are actually pretty great even if you don’t collect them. Also look out for the larger huggable versions that can work great as pillows for long car trips.
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