The Best Toys for 8-Year-Olds Who Say They Are "Too Old" for Toys (2024)

When kids reach 8, they're looking for toys and gifts that speak to them personally — especially ones they can make themselves. "Kids this age have much greater fine motor dexterity and can create endless possibilities whether building structures, personalized characters, associated complex storylines or copying a preferred design," says Jennifer Rothman, LCSW. She also recommends games, staring with collaborative ones. "Working together with friends in a more structured game is a nice entry point before more competitive play," she says.

But gifts for kids this age should also be safe, well constructed and long-lasting. The Good Housekeeping Institute, which evaluates hundreds of toys each year for the Good Housekeeping Best Toy Awards, helps separate the good from the bad by testing toys for safety and durability and soliciting feedback from real kids to assess the fun factor. When the testing finished this year, these the best toys and gifts to buy 8-year-olds in 2024.

This has the same gameplay as a normal Rubik's Cube, which means you need logic and strategy to solve it, but all the squares are some shade of white, black or gray — perfect if you're "allergic to color" like Wednesday Addams from Wednesday. It even has a stand in the shape of Thing. Ages 8+

Kids get to step into the role of scientist as they "create" new creatures in a simple beaker reaction. They add water to the beaker, shake it and watch as squishy toys emerge from the fizz. (There area additional squishy toys in the set that you don't have to conjure.) The directions include simple games kids can play with the squishies if they want another way to play with them, but Good Housekeeping Institute kid testers liked doing the chemical reaction part the most. Ages 5+

This isn't your typical, at-home science kit. Kids wear VR goggles to watch as science legend Bill Nye makes concepts come to life before them. The set includes 50 pieces, including things like beakers and measuring cups, but you have to provide your own Android or iOS device to take advantage of the VR capabilities. Ages 8+

LEGO fans — and what kid isn't? — can find new projects and ideas with this kit, which gives them pieces and inspiration to make eight different kinetic LEGO sculptures. They can build an octopus that DJs, a pterodactyl that moves its wings or a yeti that smashes, all of which are operated by a crank on the side. The characters are made out of paper, so they'll be able to use their art skills, too. Ages 8+

This kaiju has a lot of personality for a remote-controlled toy. Nearly two feet long, Godzilla has a lumbering gait and makes smashing noises with each footfall. But the best is when it's ready to attack: He charges up, with scales lighting up all the way up its spine, and then it roars and releases real (cool) steam out of its mouth to be its "heat breath." Ages 8+

Kids can brush up on their social studies while getting into the competitive spirit with this game. Players get hints that relate to the different states, and they have to guess which state it is. Hey, adults might learn a thing or two themselves. Ages 7+

Time for extra-terrestrial adventure! Once kids build the four-wheeled rover, they can take the two included Friends figures on adventures, where they might encounter the two alien figures and two dogs — the pups being our testers' fave. The back of the rover also opens to be a research station play set, inviting kids with more ways to play. Ages 8+

When the Furby returned, it came back better than ever! The Galaxy edition has a bright, bold pattern that glows in the dark. And, like all the new Furbys, it dances, has interactive songs and sounds, comes with fashion accessories and can interact with the smaller, less expensive Furblets. Ages 6+

It's a little art and a little science all rolled into one. Kids can assemble the pendulum, set it in motion, release the pen and see what masterpiece results. Then they can do little experiments — changing the length of the ropes, adding weight to the platform, changing the angle of the swing — to see how that affects the final product. Ages 7+

Kid who can't get enough detective stories can try their hand at lifting fingerprints, analyzing liquids, looking for counterfeit bills, searching for clues under a UV light and more with this intro to forensics. It comes with a 20-page book that explains the science behind forensics, and it comes with equipment like a UV flashlight, fingerprint powder and pH test strips. Ages 8+

If you want to give them clothes, make sure it's this t-shirt that allows them to draw and write on the front (it then glows in the dark!). Designs last for five minutes, and then they can start all over. Sizes 3T – Large

This journal is designed to help kids better understand how they feel and process their emotions. Each chapter goes through a different feeling — happiness, sadness, anxiety, anger, pride, fear, guilt and more — and explain what it is, why it can be useful and how it feels in the body. There are then prompts and exercises that help kids connect those emotions to their own lives. (Note: I loved this one so much, I wrote the foreword.) Ages 8 – 12

Get their brains going with this mind-teaser that's taken the world of social media by storm. Challenge cards give players the beginning of a 3D shape, and players have to fill it in with the remaining pieces. With more than 200 puzzles to complete, they'll definitely have enough challenge to keep them busy. If they like it, there are other Kanoodle versions to try. Ages 7+

This craft kit comes with a personality quiz that influences what colors are used in the woven pattern around the frame, ensuring that no two will be exactly alike. After the wrapping is done, they can choose a centerpiece and other personal touches to make it even more individualized. If they like that method of creation, they can move on to All About Me Quiz Bracelets. Ages 8+

With its smiling face and heart-shaped jewel, they won't like this creature pendant a little — they'll like it a-lot-l! It's made from stainless steel, so it can withstand the less-than-gentle nature of 8-year-olds. No age recommendation given

This toy has retro appeal for those who remember the old Tamagotchi, but it's been updated — kids can now enter the "Tamaverse" and interact in different ways. Good Housekeeping Institute testers loved that their Tamagotchis could go on "playdates" together in the Tamaverse. Ages 6+

If the 8-year-old in your life wants to get in on the "fairy hair" trend, this kit will let kids add 10-inch tinsel hair extensions into their own hair. The kit also comes with other hair accessories, like pony beads that can be threaded into hair. Ages 6+