Best Gifts for 8-Year-Olds (According to Our Kids)

Vanessa M.:  Kids can teach their LEGO bricks new tricks with the Klutz LEGO Chain Reactions Kit! They will use critical thinking and building skills to put together different LEGO machines that can perform ordinary tasks in an extraordinary way. Kids will build moving LEGO creations that can ring a bell, toss a gum wrapper into the trash, deliver a message, and more! The illustrated instruction book makes building a snap.

Vanessa M.:  Imaginative kids can create their own comic book with this award winning kit. After writing and illustrating a one-of-a-kind comic, mail it off where it will be professionally printed in full color and shipped back, free of charge. One of the best gifts for 8 year olds who love art and graphic novels!

Kelly R.:  This has gotten many hours of play in my house! It's a marble run and brain teaser all in one, with 60 challenges of increasing difficulty. A step up in complexity from some of the other more basic logic puzzles, because kids have to think about what direction a marble will travel through the piece's unique shape to continue through the maze.

Brittany Kozielski:  Looking for fun gifts for 8 year olds that they will enjoy for years? The Instax camera comes in colors to appeal to any kid, and the instant-print pictures are so fun for decorating their rooms.

Kelly R.:  These next-level dot to dot activity books, with nice oversized pages and intricate designs, make wonderful gifts for 8 year olds with the patience for more of a challenge. A great gift paired with a quality set of colored pencils or gel pens.

Vanessa M.:  This sweet time capsule allows children to write 12 keepsake letters to their future selves with fun and interesting writing prompts. Letters are sealed and dated with the included stickers, then bound into the paper time capsule to be read many years later when the child is all grown up!

Kelly R.:  This is a great kids microscope that is well-designed and functional, with glass lenses and vivid detail that are a step up from the toy-based microscopes. More "grown up" science tools like this are great gifts for 8 year olds who are ready to take better care of their things. Kids will enjoy getting started with the pre-prepared slides, and then finding all sort of other things to examine.

Brittany Kozielski:  Dying hair funky colors is popular with 8 year old girls, and hair chalk is a fun and washable solution for kids this age. Works like a crayon you just draw on your hair.

An activity tracker for kids is a fun 8 year old gift! The Garmin vívofit Jr. tracks steps, sleep and daily recommended activity. The watch can also track chores and allow your child to earn reward coins. A compatible app gives kids access to games and fitness ideas, and parents can use it to view activity, manage chores and set up alerts.

Tim Ponisciak:  If your kids are into board games and games of skill, they will really enjoy Klask! Try to steer the ball into the goal of your opponent by using a magnetic handle. The game has won a number of awards as it appeals to those young and old.

Chrissy OGorman:  Science kits are fun and unusual gifts for 8 year olds, and this favorite from National Geographic allows them to grow crystals in 8 different colors. Kids can show off their best creations using the light-up display.

Erynn:  If your not-so-little builder is aging out of Lego Jr. sets, the Technic sets may pose a much-needed challenge and make great gifts for 8 year olds. Technic sets have joints that move, plus steering features and dual functionality (most sets are 2-in-1). Add in power functions motors and battery packs, and kids can make their creations move, too. Ideal for kids who are into engineering and have the patience to build and rebuild each set.

Kristy Pepping:  My daughter is really into LEGO Friends at the moment, and there are so many sets in a wide range of price points that make awesome toys for 8 year old girls. These kits are not only fun to build, but it's fun to take them apart and invent your own project. This is great for creative play!

Carly Follett:  This friendship bracelet kit will keep your social butterfly busy for hours! She and her BFFs can get creative with designs including flowers, hearts, zig zags, stripes and lots more!