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There’s nothing kids love more than toys. As a parent, it’s important to make sure you stay up on your child’s tastes and preferences – especially as they get older.
8 can be a tricky age, as boys are no longer so innocent and sweet. They’ve probably got some great friends at school now, and they might even be changing into more of a grown up.
This makes choosing the right toys even more important. But there are also an overwhelming amount of choices out there, and the last thing you want to do is waste your hard-earned money on a toy they don’t like.
So we did the research, tested a variety of toys, and aggregated tens of thousands of online reviews. After much testing, we can confidently recommend the best toys for 8 year old boys.
Our Top Pick
Lego Robot Building Set
This Lego robot not only helps your child learn fine motor skills – it also helps them learn code. Much like Pixar’s Wall-E, this friendly robot is a blast to play with. We couldn’t get enough of it, and we can guarantee your little guy won’t be able to get enough of it either.
Other Great Picks
Spalding Over-The-Door Mini Basketball Hoop
Just like in those classic 90s sitcoms, your little dude can slam dunk in his bedroom whenever he wants. Get him started on his NBA path with this mini hoop, which attaches right to the back of the door. With thousands of rave reviews, this is the perfect throwback choice for kids of all ages.
GBlife RC Bounce Car
Want a remote control car that can jump nearly three feet in the air? We thought so. This perfect gift for your little tike will likely be just as fun for you. We loved zooming this around the office and surprising our co-workers. Highly recommended, and 100% pure fun.
SmartLab Squishy Human Body
Learning anatomy has never been as awesome as this. This squishy toy will endlessly amuse your little dude, but also keep his brain whirring along. We have yet to see a children’s toy that’s so equal parts fun and educational.
Lego Build-It-Yourself Dinosaur Set
Want to make your own pterodactyl? How about a triceratops? Maybe a T-Rex? With this Lego kit, your little guy will be able to build multiple types of dinosaurs, while still learning fine motor skills. Truly a win-win.
Remoking Robot Toy
This robot is not only super-fun to play with – it will help your little guy learn essential STEM skills. This responds to touch, and can even dance. We thoroughly enjoyed sending him around the office, and you’ll have even more of a blast, showing your little dude how to play with this great gift.
Nerf N Strike Elite
Nerf never gets old. And with over 8,000 glowing reviews, this might just be the best Nerf gun of all. We had boatloads of fun shooting this in our office, but your little guy will love it even more. Make sure he wins the next Nerf battle by equipping him with the N Strike Elite.
Darth Vader Alarm Clock
Who doesn’t want to wake up to Darth Vader every day? This fun alarm clock is perfect for a youngster – but, truth be told – we might have one in our own bedroom too. Sadly though, this alarm clock does not play the Imperial March.
Rimable Skateboard
A good old-fashioned skateboard truly never gets stale – and with thousands of great reviews, this is a perfect model to get for your little guy. Learning a new skill when you’re young is the easiest way to get great at something – so you never know, you may just have the next Tony Hawk on your hands.
ArmoGear Laser Tag Blasters
There’s nothing we love more than laser tag – and we bet your little guy agrees. You can quickly turn your backyard or basement into a laser tag arena with these blasters from ArmoGear. And we must confess – we may have shot each other in the office a few times too. Strictly for research purposes, of course.
What Toys Are Best For 8 Year Old Boys?
8 can be a tricky year – not a little kid anymore, but not close to a teenager either. As such, toys that help little guys learn – but are still boatloads of fun – are best.
This means things like K’Nex, AI-powered toys, sports accessories, video games, and brain teasers. You can even start to teach your little boy anatomy, through a Visible Man, or the game Operation.
Construction sets, educational books, Legos – these are all perfect toys for 8 year olds. By the time they turn 8, they’ve also developed early STEM skills, so you can start to get more advanced with the toys that you give them.
This means moving up to more advanced Lego sets, more complex puzzles, and more involved math games. The more they develop intellectual and critical thinking skills at this age, the better off they will be later in life.
It’s also important not to neglect the physical and active side of toys, as children at this age should constantly be moving. Nerf footballs, laser tag, basketball hoops, soccer balls – these all make fine gifts for a child of this particular age.
What Toys Are Inappropriate For 8 Year Old Boys?
Just because your little guy is getting older, does not mean he’s ready for any toys. There are a number of areas that should still be avoided, when it comes to gift giving for children in this age range.
For starters, violent video games are not appropriate. This is one area where you have to be particularly careful, as at this age, many older children will start to try to influence your little guy.
While older kids may be ready for more violent video games – 8 is still very young, and your child won’t be ready for games like this yet. They are still at a very impressionable age, so anything that they are exposed to, will stick with them for a long time.
More complex toys (ones typically used by young teenagers) are also not appropriate for children of this age. These toys may be too difficult or confusing for 8 year olds, and you want to be encouraging your little guy at this stage – not discouraging him.
The Best Active Toys For 8 Year Old Boys
Staying active is more important than ever for children, as technology and a sedentary lifestyle have become increasingly commonplace. This means you should get toys that encourage your little guy to stay active.
Footballs, soccer balls, Nerf blasters – these are all great gift ideas for an 8 year old. You can even look at getting them some private lessons – as bumping up their coordination levels now, will pay strong dividends later.
There are even bigger purchases that can work well, like an enclosed trampoline. Kids will love a trampoline, but the enclosure will make sure that they stay safe.
STEM And Learning Toys For 8 Year Old Boys
Increasingly popular are toys that help with learning skills. One area is STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
These toys are not only fun, but they help develop essential life skills. Robots powered by AI are one area of toy that your little dude can learn from, but it doesn’t stop there.
There are toys that help improve problem solving, logic, creativity, collaboration, and other aptitudes. While your little guy probably won’t even realize he is learning, the right toys can help him get smarter even while he’s playing a game.
While using STEM toys does not necessarily mean your child will become a programmer or inventor, they will help your little guy become smarter. Interestingly, some research shows that if a toy is learning-oriented, a child may actually have more fun with it.
This is because toys like this promote an environment of experimentation. Like scientists in a lab, children will enjoy playing with new toys and learning exactly what they can do with them.
Some of the best STEM toys are open-ended, meaning they can be modified and shaped by the child playing with them. Examples of this include codable robots, as well as basic building blocks.
Toys that can be assembled or disassembled, or games with not just one single solution, are some good examples of great STEM learning toys. These toys enhance and focus in on creativity, as well as pattern matching, logic, and critical thinking skills.
It’s also important to choose toys that don’t require tons of adult supervision. This will give you some break time, while still knowing your child is safe.
Choosing toys that can be taken apart is also crucial, as it allows a little one to understand that all things are created and engineered by humans. For example, building a Lego car or K’Nex building, allows for your little guy to understand how different pieces work together to form a greater whole.
It’s also important that a toy can be played with for long periods of time – even years later. As kids grow and evolve, having toys that can still be played with years later, adds lots of value to your purchase.
This also means that a toy like this will likely have multiple difficulty levels. As your little guy gets older, they can simply increase the difficulty level on the toy to keep it challenging.
Of course, it’s also important to keep it fun. Choosing toys that are fun for your little guy is usually not a problem, but pay specific attention to their interests, to make sure you maximize the fun level.
Advanced Toys For 8 Year Old Boys
Unlike 7 year olds, 8 is a time of more advanced development, which makes it a perfect age to start to introduce more advanced toys. For example, little guys at this age now have the skills to utilize small pieces, and the logic and understanding to be able to take things apart.
This makes it the ideal age for engineering toys, as well as building toys. Not only can you give them a car with a motor – you can give them a car that they have to assemble, before they can play with it.
This helps give them an early start for a career in engineering, or even possibly mathematics. It’s also important to spark creativity at this age, as you may have a painter or artist on your hands.
Choosing open-ended toys that allow for creative expression is also key at this age. For example, drawing pads, advanced coloring books, and paint sets can be perfect gifts for your creative little guy.
We are particularly partial to science kits, anatomy kits, and planetariums. These toys capture the best of both worlds – offering creativity as well as developing engineering skills.
Maze games are another interesting choice, as they allow for both logic and skill to be developed. As they get older, it’s also very easy to simply buy increasingly challenging puzzles, so they can continue to develop their skills and reasoning.
The Best Toys For 8 Year Old Boys
There you have it – our picks for the best toys for 8 year old boys. You can get a football, video games, brain teasers, or an AI-powered robot for your little dude.
No more than ever, there are a huge variety of toys available. However, it’s important to make sure you stick to gifts that are appropriate for an 8 year old.
While they’re not as little as they once were, 8 is still a tricky age – as they won’t be ready for some of the more advanced toys. You need to keep them away from violent video games, and toys meant for teenagers.
8 is a very impressionable age, so anything they see now, will stick with them for a long time. You can stick to toys that help with learning, instead of toys that have blood or guts.
No matter what choice you go with, you will definitely be able to find the perfect gift for your little guy. There are a ton of fun toys besides these though, so be sure to take a look at some of our other top product reviews.