29 Great Gifts That Will Make An 8-Year-Old Girl Happy

Around about age 8 most children experience a physical, emotional and mental growth spurt or ‘leap forward’. The physical growth spurt means that they may become more skillful in sporting activities and their coordination and fine motor skills improve which makes many artistic activities much more enjoyable. So, if you’re looking for a gift for an 8-year-old girl, sports or art might be a great place to start.

We’ve put together a list of the top 29 best toys and gift ideas for 8-year-old girls to help you in the search for a gift. There is plenty of variety included in the list so that you can pick something to suit the girl’s personality, whilst all of the options focus on building skills that are important for 8-year-olds.

1. Gem Art Painting Kit

This awesome gem art kit would be an exciting gift for an eight-year-old girl to receive from you. The kit has everything she needs to create blinged-out stickers, glittering sun catchers and bedazzled keychains. It includes five blank sun catchers, five keychains and six hologram stickers ready to be covered with the 3,000 gems that are included. The gems come in five colors so every creation will be a colorful and sparkling work of art.

Once the sun catchers are complete, the kit also includes suction cups to stick them to widows so the sun can stream through. This would be a great gift to either make beautiful pieces for herself or to give away as gifts to friends, parents or even grandparents. It’s not only a chance for a young girl to show off her creative ability, it will also build confidence and independence as she makes her own gifts for the people she loves.

2. Lego Friends Heartlake Shopping Mall

Lego is a great toy for children spanning a huge range of ages, and let’s be honest most adults love it too! It is robust, built to last the ages and can be connected with any other Lego sets making it a really versatile toy. The Lego Friends range is especially popular with girls as it features a range of characters who have their own personalities and stories.

The Lego Friends Heartlake Shopping Mall is a challenging build and will require plenty of concentration, patience and perseverance but will keep an 8-year-old girl busy for hours.

3. Instax Mini 9 Camera

Around age 8 girls tend to enjoy experimenting with photography, taking pictures of their environment, themselves and their friends. This boosts creativity and allows for some artistic expression.

The Instax Mini9 Camera is a camera that produces prints instantly which will delight an 8-year-old girl. It is also available in a range of colors so there’s sure to be one that fits the personality of the girl you are buying for. It has a built-in flash and comes with a selfie mirror and close up lens.

4. Team Magnus Slip and Slide XL

When the weather is good it’s great fun to play outside in the sprinkler or paddling pool but this gift will take outdoor water fun to the next level. The Team Magnus Slip and Slide XL is extremely robust, made with thick heavy-duty PVC and is extra-long. It attaches to standard garden hoses so that water can flow over it continuously making it extra slippery ready for slip and slide races!

Double lanes makes racing very easy and safe, and an inflatable crashpad at the end softens the landing! Encouraging physical play, this slip and slide will help to keep kids active and playing outdoors.

5. Newyes Kids LCD Writing Tablet

8-year-old girls don’t always love to do their homework or practice their handwriting but if it is presented in a new or novel way then they are much more likely to engage in the activity. The Newyes Kids LCD Writing Tablet is a safe, high tech screen that encourages children to practice their pen control skills and increases creativity.

Portable and lightweight the Newyes Kids LCD Writing Tablet is great for taking along in the car. It is battery-powered but doesn’t use a lot of power, and no charging is required.

6. K’Nex Education Roller Coaster Building Set

K’nex building sets are a fantastic, timeless toy for 8-year-olds. Built to last for generations to come, and to be connected to other K’nex sets, they are also a fantastic STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) resource promoting plenty of skills associated with these industries.

8-year-olds will love the K’Nex Education Roller Coaster Building Set as it allows them to build a rollercoaster by following instructions or to design their own. The set is big enough to give more than one child space to play so it’s great for using collaboratively too.

7. Osmo Genius Starter Kit for iPad

Screen time, and having too much of it, can become a source of stress and conflict for parents of 8-year-olds but the 8-year-old you’re buying for has an iPad or access to an iPad then the Osmo Genius Starter Kit may be a good gift for them because it promotes a positive kind of screen-time.

The Osmo Genius Starter Kit is a set of materials that can be used in conjunction with a program on the iPad. The materials are physical things that can be picked up and manipulated and they interact with the games on screen. The games and materials are all educational promoting scientific knowledge and skills such as logic, problem solving and innovation. If you’re looking for something educational that an 8-year-old will be excited by then the Osmo Genius Kit might just be the perfect gift.

8. Night Light Star Projector

For an eight-year-old girl that loves to spend time in her room, this gift will create an atmosphere that will transport her to a magical place. This nightlight doesn’t just provide light for reading, it also doubles as a projector that paints the ceiling with clusters of stars and moons.

This mushroom-shaped pink lamp is the perfect size for nightstands. The light can be adjusted to three different light settings and includes a timer that can be set to 5 to 999 minutes. The projector can be set to one of 16 colors or project all the colors simultaneously for a rainbow sky effect. It also features a rotating option that can be controlled via the included remote. When it’s time for bed it provides a gentle white noise sound to improve relaxation and drown out ambient noise. This gift will help any girl feel safe in her bed as she drifts off to sleep.

9. LeapFrog Magic Adventures Globe

Most 8-year-olds are extremely interested in the wider world, but 2D maps don’t give the full perspective. A globe is a useful learning tool as children progress through school and this LeapFrog Magic Adventures Globe utilizes plenty of technology to really enhance geographical learning and perspective.

With a built-in screen, stylus and over 5 hours of video children can improve their technology skills whilst they learn about the world. The LeapFrog magic adventures globe allows children to retrieve information about different areas of the globe simply by touching them with the stylus. This globe represents a good educational investment piece that will also capture children’s interest.

10. Uno Extreme Card Game with Electronic Launcher

Playing games with friends or family is a great way for children to have fun with others whilst also improving their social skills as they learn to win, lose and play fairly. The Uno card game is very popular with families as it is relatively easy to understand and fun for all ages whilst also increasing mathematical skill and logic.

The Uno Extreme Card Game with Electronic Launcher is a pack of the traditional Uno card with a card launcher which spits cards out to add excitement and interest to the game. Children will love the fast pace of the game and the novelty of seeing the cards launched out. This set makes a great gift for an 8-year-old who loves to play games.

11. Creative Rock Painting Kit

This rock painting kit by Dan and Darci is going to be a real treat for any eight-year-old girl that likes to paint. This gift takes painting beyond boring paper though. It provides everything needed to decorate river rocks that can be used as desk accessories, gifts for friends or even ornaments for a garden. Included with the kit are 10 smooth river rocks, six matte paints, six metallic paints, gold and silver glittery glue, transfer stickers, gems, and paintbrushes. It even includes googley eyes to give the rocks funny faces.

This gift will encourage young girls to tap into their imagination as they come up with unique designs for their rocks. It can also emphasize the importance of kindness if they want to participate in the social media trend of “rock hunting.” Once her miniature work of art is done she can leave it a public place for others to find to spread happiness and joy to strangers.

12. Crayola Light Up Tracing Pad

Another way to encourage artistic and creative skills. The Crayola Light Up Tracing Pad does exactly what it says; it is a pad that holds tracing paper, an image and lights up to improve visibility and make it easy to trace. It comes with over 100 different images, so that an 8-year-old has a variety of different options for their creations.

The Crayola Light Up Tracing Pad is portable and can be used anywhere making it ideal to take along on long car rides, or trips away. Tracing also improves hand-eye coordination and pencil control, and improves concentration and perseverance.

13. Lego Harry Potter Hogwarts Whomping Willow Toy

A lot of 8-year-olds love Harry Potter so this Lego Set based on the popular book and film series may be the perfect gift to keep them entertained. The Lego Harry Potter Hogwarts Whomping Willow Toy is compatible with the other Lego Harry Potter sets, and indeed, any other Lego set and includes mini figures of some of the favorite characters. In line with the story told in the book, there is a flying ford Anglia model, the Whomping willow itself and a representation of Hogwarts, complete with dormitory and potions lab, all included as part of the set. This will allow an 8-year-old to play out the story completely.

The set is fairly complex, but instructions are provided for the child to follow and this will certainly be a rewarding set to build as not only is it based on some of their favorite characters, but it has working motion elements too. The Whomping willow features a knob which can be turned to make the tree move so that the story really comes to life!

14. Shimmer and Sparkle Nail Design Studio

Some 8-year-old girls are real “girlie-girls” and love anything shimmery, sparkly or to do with pampering. The Shimmer and Sparkle Nail Design Studio ticks all of those boxes! It is a nail-design kit which comes complete with everything they need to create beautiful nail art and make sparkly bracelets.

The Shimmer and Sparkle Nail Design studio encourages girls’ creativity and at the same time develops their hand-eye coordination, control and fine-motor skills. With lights and sounds to add interest, excitement and an extra bit of glamour this would make a lovely gift for a girl who loves anything girlie.

15. Memory Foam Unicorn Slippers

These colorful unicorn house slippers by Jessica Simpson are a fun gift for any eight-year-old girl that wants to keep her toes cozy when she’s playing around the house. The closed-back design will make sure they don’t slip off while the rubberized soles will provide safety on hardwood or tile floors. The outside of the slippers are made of ultra-soft faux fur that features an embroidered unicorn face, complete with a metallic 3D horn. Inside the soles are lined with a lush memory foam for ultimate comfort.

Whether she’s sitting at home watching her favorite cartoons or packing them to take to her next slumber party, these slippers are going to be her new favorite house accessory. If she loves unicorns, this is the kind of gift she’s going to be excited to open from you. Though, be aware that they are advertised as running small so make sure you carefully read their sizing chart and size up.

16. Kahootz Spirograph Deluxe Set

Many 8-year-old girls love being creative and producing their own designs for pictures, cards, book marks and more; the Kahootz Spirograph Deluxe Set allows them to do just that! Using the Spirograph set promotes the development of good fine motor skills, as the child holds a pen, they develop their pencil grip, and as they begin to move the pen around they build strength in their fingers, hands and wrists. All of these are great ways of improving skills for handwriting. Hand-eye coordination is also developed by using drawing implements this way.

The Kahootz Spirograph Deluxe Set is very easy to use and produces satisfying results too. Coming complete with its own storage case, the set is very easy to store making it a great gift to enhance a craft collection

17. Lego Classic Large Creative Brick Box Construction Set

Lego is durable, indestructible and really built to last. Kids love Lego and it’s a toy that will hold its appeal for years to come. The Lego Classic Large Creative Brick Box comes with a storage box to keep all of the small pieces contained, and some instructions for small models that can be made using the pieces however, it is open-ended enough to allow children to construct and play their own way. It is also compatible with any other Lego sets the child may have.

At age 8, constructing with Lego will continue to improve the child’s fine motor skills further, building strength in the fingers and hands which will translate to letter formation and better handwriting. This is a great gift which also promotes creativity!

18. ValueTalks Kids Bike Helmet and Pads Set

If you know the 8-year-old you’re buying for has, or is going to be gifted, a scooter, bike or skateboard then the ValueTalks Kids Bike Helmet and Pads Set is a great gift to buy to complement that. This set provides all-round protection for participating in a range of sports and activities.

With adjustable straps the set is suitable for children aged 3 to 12 years and is comfortable to wear whilst having hard, robust outer materials so the child remains safe and get on with having plenty of fun outdoor adventures!

19. Cool Maker Necklace and Bracelet Maker

8-year-olds love being creative and making things for themselves, this set gives them the opportunity to do just that with jewelry; the Cool Maker Necklace and Bracelet Maker allows for children to make both necklaces and bracelets. They can exercise their creativity by coming up with their own ideas and designs or they can make use of the 2 design books included.

Learning to read instructions carefully and follow them is an important life skill for 8-year-olds as well as improving their overall reading comprehension skills. The Cool Maker Necklace and Bracelet Maker also encourages the use of technology as it is a machine that helps children to produce the jewelry. A great idea to add something a little different to a craft collection.

20. Unicorn Eclipse Pro Bristle Dartboard

It may not be an obvious choice for an 8-year-old girl but playing darts can actually have a lot of benefits! The Unicorn Eclipse Pro Bristle Dartboard is a championship quality board, so is built to last and stand up to regular usage. It will need to be wall-mounted but can then be used indoors for family games, building the skills of turn, taking, winning and losing and playing by the rules as well as building awareness of scoring, and improving mathematical skills.

Not only is darts a game that can be played as a family, increasing interaction and time together, but it also allows for the development of important hand-eye coordination skills. A brilliant gift for an 8-year-old girl who seems to have everything else, the Unicorn Eclipse Pro Bristle Dartboard will broaden her interests and skills.

21. Playmags 100 Piece Super Set

Playmags are a brilliant resource for any home; they span a wide range of ages and even adults love using them. The Playmags 100 Piece Super Set has a variety of pieces making it easy to bring a wide range of ideas to life. Connecting together using just magnetism, Playmags are a very satisfying construction toy, also promoting important scientific skills.

Trying to work out how best to build and connect the tiles encourages a basic understanding of physics and the properties of magnetism as well as increasing problem-solving skills when construction doesn’t go quite to plan! 8-year-olds will improve their motor skills and control with these high quality, durable tiles which make the perfect gift for those that love construction activities.

22. Melissa & Doug Deluxe Magic Set

The Melissa & Doug Deluxe Magic Set is the perfect gift for an 8-year-old who loves the performing arts as it encourages creativity and performance skills. It’s great for beginners as it comes with very simple step-by-step instructions and all the materials you need to perform 10 magic tricks. Working on skills like magic forces children to think about their actions in advance and carefully control their movement, these physical and cognitive skills are valuable in many areas of life.

Most 8-year-olds will love to perform the magic tricks for their family increasing their self-awareness and confidence, as well as giving them a new interest and hobby!

23. Smart Sketcher Projector

Some 8-year-olds are naturally brilliant at drawing, whilst others need a little help; but most want to produce beautiful drawings for themselves, their bedrooms, and friends and family too. The Smart Sketcher Projector is a great way to bolster 8-year-old girls’ artistic and creative skills.

The Smart Sketcher Projector projects pictures and photographs onto paper so that the child can then trace around the shapes of the picture to create their own drawings and designs. Following the lines to achieve these results is very rewarding for children but also improves hand-eye coordination, fine-motor skills and concentration.

24. Brio Labyrinth

In an age of battery-powered toys, screen time and everything interactive, sometimes it’s nice to get back to basics. The Brio Labyrinth is a traditional maze game, which encourages hand-eye coordination. The child must use twisting knobs to tilt the board in order to lead a small ball through a maze.

This requires skill, patience and logic too. It also improves fine motor skills by building up flexibility and the small muscles in the fingers which in turn improves handwriting skills. The Brio Labyrinth is made of wood, adding to the traditional feel and representing a more eco-friendly approach.

25. Amicool Wireless Microphone Karaoke

Some kids were just born to perform so if the 8-year-old girl you’re buying for is one of those then she’ll love this Wireless Karaoke Microphone. The Bluetooth wireless design means that she’ll be free to sing and dance to her hearts content without getting tangled up in wires and that the Wireless Microphone Karaoke can be used with a wide range of compatible devices, no specific Karaoke machine is required.

Unlike other hand-held mics the Amicool Wireless Microphone Karaoke doesn’t require a steady stream of disposable batteries either as it has a built-in rechargeable lithium battery, meaning that the fun really can last for hours! This is the perfect gift to encourage creativity and the performing arts.

26. Snazaroo Ultimate Party Pack

Children love face paint, especially for parties, and by around the age of 8 they are beginning to assert their independence a lot more and want to do a whole range of things for themselves. 8-year-old girls often love experimenting with make-up and being creative so face-paints may be the ideal gift to allow them to experiment.

The Snazaroo Ultimate Party Pack comes with very simple instructions so that 8-year-olds can have a go at doing it themselves. They are made with safe, non-toxic ingredients and are suitable for sensitive skin and washable.

27. Lego Friends Bus Toy with Swimming Pool and Slide

Robust and built to last Lego is a toy that will last for years, and can be expanded upon and added to as all Lego sets can be connected together. The Lego Friends Bus Toy with Swimming Pool and Slide is part of the popular Lego Friends range which has a set of characters with back-stories that children can identify with and use to act out lots of different social scenarios and stories. 8-year-old girls enjoy this kind of play as it allows them to explore a range of different social skills.

The Lego Friends Bus Toy is sufficiently challenging for 8-year-olds, improving their fine motor skills as they build.

28. Aerobie Pro Flying Ring

Around about age 8, children develop much better physical skills and coordination making it easier and more enjoyable for them to play a range of different sports. The Aerobie Pro Flying Ring is a new way to play frisbee, encouraging plenty of outdoor physical play, keeping children fit and healthy. More aerodynamic than a traditional frisbee the Aerobie Pro Flying Ring is easier to throw, and catch and even holds the Guinness world record for longest throw.

The aerodynamic design makes games flow more easily, creating a more enjoyable and rewarding experience for an 8-year-old so that they are likely to play for longer. This kind of sporting activity is brilliant for improving hand-eye coordination skills and is popular to play with family and friends of all ages.

29. Crazy Forts

Crazy Forts is a fun toy that allows children to build their own forts indoors or outdoors. The pieces connect together easily but produce a sturdy structure that allows children to create a den safely. This encourages construction-based skills, forward planning and creativity.

Crazy Forts is also very portable and can be taken along on a trip away, camping, or just to a friend’s garden. Made with durable materials Crazy Forts is built to last and expansion packs can be purchased to extend play and create even bigger structures!

Final words

As you search for the perfect gift for an 8-year-old you are likely to be bombarded with a whole range of options, making it difficult to know what’s best. Add to that the increasing maturity of 8-year-olds and their wide-ranging interests and it can be difficult to know what’s best.

The products here span a wide range of interests, personalities and maturity levels so that you can select something suited to the 8-year-old you are buying a gift for. All of these gifts help to develop skills that are important in this stage of life and development so you can rest assured that whichever you pick has value to an 8-year-olds skill development. We hope that you are able to find something you look forward to giving!

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