While every child is unique, with their own interests, strengths, and ideas of a good time, inside every 8-year-old boy is a mad scientist — with an emphasis on the “mad.” Like the stereotypical Dr. Frankenstein figure, they’re creative, eccentric, and, bless their hearts, don’t always think through the consequences of their actions. They find inspiration absolutely everywhere, maybe because they haven’t been around a very long time, so everything is still sort of new to them. This is precisely why we’ve come up with gifts for 8-year-old boys that speak to that sense of weird, well-meaning wonder.
We’ve made sure to include a lot of STEM toys and projects in this roundup, but also art, literature, and games that encourage family bonding and strategic thinking — since crafts, building, critical-thinking skills, and a healthy dose of haphazard whimsy are just as much a part of the whole “mad scientist” vibe that makes 8-year-old boys so special. No matter what your sweet little weirdo enjoys, there’s something on this list that they’ll love.
If you’re like me, you never actually learned how to make a proper airplane and still wonder how to get them to launch the right way. But with this book, your 8-year-old boy will know how to make 10 aerodynamic designs! Includes 40 sheets of folding paper.
This crate has it all: adventure, fun, and the joy of getting mail! Every month, your child will receive a book paired with a themed snack, curated toys and games, and an Adventure Guide full of author interviews, STEM activities, recipes, and more.
They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result … unless you’re playing with a Spirograph, in which case doing the same thing over and over only makes your patterns more complex and mesmerizing!
Gears, rings, and ballpoint pens will help your child make millions of gorgeous patterned designs.
Hot Wheels tracks are rad … but wouldn’t it be cool to build your own? Now your 8-year-old boy will be able to build the track of their dreams! With three unique stunting routes, they’ll tinker, problem-solve, and have hours of fast-track fun.
Your 8-year-old boy can follow the instructions to build 11 machines — from a catapult to a micro movie maker — and use the 58 Lego elements to create their own designs. And then, of course, there’s the fun of actually playing with the machines and the pride they’ll feel knowing they built them.
It’s the classic card game with a triple twist! Players must discard cards to any of the (now three!) piles that are lit up on their turn.
Be careful: If any pile gets too big ... overload! You have to draw however many cards the LED display says. A timing feature keeps the game moving along for added challenge.
A magician never reveals his secrets… but this kit does! Your 8-year-old boy will delight audiences as they learn to pull a (toy) rabbit from a hat, mystify with dice, and knowingly ask “Is this your card?”
With clear instructions and props specially designed for smaller hands, this is a great set for the novice magician.
Did you know that sharks have been around for 450 million years? They’re older than dinosaurs! Older than trees! So it makes sense that there are shark fossils, and now your 8-year-old boy can excavate fossils from three different species! Set also comes with tools, magnifying glass, and an identification guide.
Your child will have to figure out which of six feline fiends is guilty of various kitty crimes. Who broke the flower pot? Who spilled the cup of coffee? They’ll have all the clues, but it’s up to your kiddo to put them all together! Includes 40 mysteries ranging from easy to difficult.
The Little Leaguer in your life will enjoy learning about the lesser-known luminaries of baseball, like Jackie Mitchell, the 17-year-old girl who struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig — or the four Black athletes who integrated white teams decades before Jackie Robinson.
Beautifully illustrated and compellingly told, your 8-year-old boy will become a baseball lore expert!
Whether your 8-year-old boy loves putting things together or just really enjoyed Wall-E, this DIY remote-control robot is a great gift. They’ll love building their new robot pal and then playing with it via remote control (included). It’s a particularly great adult-child project for quality bonding time and fun.
Wait! Don’t take out the garbage just yet! One man’s trash is another 8-year-old boy’s treasure with this upcycling kit. Turn garbage into an afternoon of fun with science experiments that turn household items into experiments and crafts your budding scientist will love.
13
Encourages a Love of Reading
‘Magic Tree House Merlin Missions’ by Mary Pope Osborne Box Set
This set of 25 books is perfect for the early reader who loved the Magic Treehouse series, but is ready for something a little more challenging. In this series, Merlin the Magician sends Jack and Annie on a new adventure every book, from Christmas in Camelot to The Shadow of the Shark.
Your 8-year-old boy will have a sense of accomplishment and heightened self-esteem after they build their very own working radio! This simple build comes with everything they’ll need to be rocking out to their local stations in no time.
Age-appropriate, easy-to-follow instructions will help your burgeoning Picasso perfect their craft as they learn to draw a menagerie of their favorite animals. Perfect for young artists who want to take their talent to a new level or the kid who wants to try something new.
There’s nothing quite like gliding along the sidewalk or twirling on the blacktop in a pair of rollerblades (they're back!). And since these skates adjust up to four sizes with a maximum weight of 175 pounds, they’re certainly built to last even your energetic kiddo.
Woodworking is one of those practical yet endlessly romantic skills a person can have in life. Get them comfortable with a hammer early on with this woodworking set. It includes everything you need, from tools to wood, to complete six fun projects — a table, canopy, pen holder, piggy bank, jet, and truck.
In this classic game of strategy, one player creates a pattern with brightly colored pegs and hides it. The other player must deduce what that pattern is in 10 turns or less. It won’t be easy: There are more than 2,000 combinations possible! Strategic and fun, Mastermind is sure to be a hit with your 8-year-old boy.
In this exciting, fast-paced game ("like Uno meets Nerf"), players must compete against each other for card matches to earn points… but, every now and then, a duel might be called for. Or a brawl. Or even a war!
But don’t worry — in every case you’ll fight by hurling squishy, adorable burritos at one another. The player with the most matched cards wins!
These books combine high tech with low tech! Each scribble book includes a number of prompts, puzzles, and problems to solve to get their creative juices flowing. And with downloadable templates and web links, your 8-year-old boy will have projects to keep them busy even after they’ve reached the last page.
Do you know that you have an amazing laboratory in your house? A place where molecules collide and chemical reactions are the norm? It’s your kitchen! And with this set, your 8-year-old boy will be able to take advantage of all the science your kitchen has to offer … and maybe a couple of yummy treats along the way.
With this beautifully illustrated book, your kiddo will learn about classic mythological beasts — the unicorn, the griffin, the quilin — and then create their own with an otherworldly amalgam of monsters by turning different parts of the page! Ever see a unifin? Neither have I, but it sounds pretty cool.
The fun thing about Lego (along with, you know, everything else about Lego) is the fact that every brick holds endless possibilities. With this 3-in-1 set, your kiddo can build a townhouse toy shop, a busy cake shop with a seating area, a flower shop with a skylight… or their own designs!
Close your eyes and think about what you’ve always wanted as a child. The correct answer is “a hoverboard.” It could be tempting, therefore, to deny your 8-year-old boy a hoverboard out of pure, understandable jealousy, but … come on. Let them live your dream (and live vicariously through them).
Your child will go on all kinds of marvelous space adventures with this awesome, three-builds-in-one, space-inspired toy! With the ability to become a space shuttle, a rocket, and a lunar lander, they’ll not only have lots of opportunities to build but hours of imaginative play as well.
Think of the two coolest things you can imagine. Did you think of sharks and roller coasters? Probably. Combine them (plus a little bit of DIY, STEM-friendly building) and you’ve got this awesome toy. Have fun watching the cart go around the track!
Generally speaking, 8-year-old boys are in a constant state of bouncing, wanting to bounce, or trying really, really hard to keep from bouncing. But for times when bouncing is OK, this pogo ball is perfect to get all that energy out in the most fun, entertaining way possible.
Explore hidden nooks and crannies or go ahead and spy around corners unseen with this unique gift. A flexible cord bends and twists to provide a video camera connection at just about any angle. Includes camera, camera cord with LED lights, and LED screen.
29
Perfect for Reluctant Readers
'Captain Underpants' 10-Book Collection by Dav Pilkey
Tra-la-la! Everyone’s favorite comic superhero is here in a 10-book box set — even the most voracious reader and biggest Captain Underpants fan will be kept plenty busy going through this series. Full of side-splitting humor, lively illustrations, and no small amount of potty jokes, your 8-year-old boy will love it.
Is that… a picnic basket? Or a cowboy hat? Oh! Wait — is it a mountain? Decipher drawings in this classic quick-draw game. You’ll be amazed by your 8-year-old boy’s artistic talent… or at least be entertained.
The game comes with 120 “adult” level cards, 80 “junior cards” and everything you need to try to figure out “What is that?!”
Jamie KenneyJamie Kenney is a freelance writer for BestProducts.com; Her other work has appeared on Bustle, Parents, Playboy, McSweeny's Internet Tendency, the Takeout, and Romper, where she covers parenting, news, entertainment, and likes to help readers see the ridiculous (and hilarious) side of motherhood.
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