The 12 Best Toys for 8-Year-Old Boys in 2021

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Our Top Picks

Betheaces Flying Ball at Amazon

The Flying Ball has several built-in protections, including an automatic shut-off if it hits anything.

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Scientific Explorer Mind Blowing Science Kit at Amazon

Young scientists will be able to create an underwater volcano, colorful crystals, and more.

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Stomp Rocket Dueling Rockets at Amazon

This toy's sure to be a hit as kids compete with friends to see who can launch their rocket the highest.

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3Doodler HEXBUG Creature 3D Pen Set at Amazon

This 3D pen makes it easy for kids to build and mold colorful bugs of their dreams.

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Educational Insights Bolt Buddies Recycling Truck at Amazon

This toy comes with a kid-friendly drill and bolts for hours of active play.

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Watch Ya' Mouth Family Edition at Amazon

Since this is the family edition, all 143 phrases are kid-friendly, and players say it’s hilarious whether you are young or old.

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PLAYMOBIL® Back to The Future Delorean at Amazon

Kids will learn all about the classic movie thanks to the time-traveling toy car.

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NERF N-Strike Elite Strongarm Blaster at Amazon

The blaster holds up to six foam darts at a time, and it can fire up to 90 feet!

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LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Monster Burger Truck at Amazon

This 3-in-1 Lego set has a whopping 499 pieces.

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Ravensburger Hocus Pocus: The Game at Amazon

This is a great game for kids to play together or for a fun family game night.

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As kids become more active and independent, there are tons of fun gifts and toys that they will love. The best toys for 8-year old boys are tailored to their age and maturity, ensure their safety, and teach them a new skill or fact.

From board games to craft kits and beyond, you can even find a toy they will grow into as they get older or one that the whole family can enjoy.

Here, the best toys for 8-year-old boys.

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The Betheaces Flying Ball is an awesome helicopter-style drone that will provide hours of entertainment both indoors and out. It has an LED light inside that will shine dazzling colors and its two remote-controlled propellers lift it up into the air. There are no batteries in this cool drone—just plug it into a USB port for 20 minutes to charge.

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Scientific Explorer My First Mind Blowing Science Kit Review

With the My First Mind Blowing Science Kit from Scientific Explorer, young boys can learn STEM skills through exciting hands-on experiments.

This educational toy comes with 20 pieces, including test tubes, plastic cups, measuring scoops, cotton swabs, and more. There are also supplies like citric acid, baking soda, vegetable oil, and red cabbage powder—everything kids need to complete 11 educational activities.

The 20 Best STEM Toys of 2021

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This classic toy will provide ample entertainment for young kids as they compete to see who can launch their rocket the highest! The Stomp Rocket is tons of fun for kids ages 6 and up. It comes with four rockets and a special “dueling” base, which launches two rockets at the same time. Kids just have to stomp on the launch pads to send the rockets soaring into the air—up to 200 feet with the right force.

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This is one seriously cool toy for kids who love bugs or building or building bugs. The 3D pen is easy to use and lets kids create colorful wings, legs, and other body parts to add to bug molds. After the creation is complete, the bugs actually vibrate and move around.

Design & Drill Bolt Buddies Recycling Truck

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Operating tools isn’t exactly a kid-safe activity, but it is thanks to this toy. It includes a kid-friendly drill and 18 bolts that can be used to build a recycling truck. And the drill can even operate the truck’s lift arm. There are even two mini figures that can be placed in the truck.

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Get kids to turn off their electronics for a few hours with a fun game like Watch Ya’ Mouth. This hilarious family game is perfect for players ages 8 and up, and young boys will love trying to speak phrases while wearing the game’s signature cheek retractors. Watch Ya’ Mouth can be played with three to 10 players.

The 11 Best Family Board Games of 2021

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Though your 8-year-old wasn’t born when Back to the Future came out, they can learn all about the classic movie through the DeLorean toy. The time traveling car has fun lights and winged doors that open and close. Of course the car also comes with Marty McFly, Dr. Emmett Brown, and their fury friend Einstein.

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For a toy that will keep young boys entertained for hours, you can’t go wrong with the Nerf N-Strike Elite Strongarm Blaster. This affordably priced nerf gun is a battery-free toy that 8-year-old boys will happily run around with for hours. The cool auto-advance rotating barrel makes the toy gun seem high-tech, and it flips open for easy loading. It also holds up surprisingly well, and you’ll likely get several years of use out of it.

LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Monster Burger Truck

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This Lego set comes with an impressive 499 pieces. It’s actually a 3-in-1 toy as the pieces can make a monster burger truck (complete with massive wheels and foldable stairs), an off-roader, or a tractor. There are also two mini figures and even a dog. The versatility truly allows kids to have fun and be imaginative.

The 8 Best LEGO Sets of 2021

Ravensburger Disney Hocus Pocus: The Game

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Here’s a game that encourages collaboration and cooperation. The team must work together to protect the people of Salem. The game takes about 30 minutes to play and accommodates two to six players.

Crayola Build A Beast Bundle, Model Magic Craft Kit

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This kit comes with step-by-step instructions so kids can craft their own shark, alligator, and chameleon. After building the molds, they can use the clay to customize their colorful animal. What’s really awesome is that the animals’ tails move back and forth.

Lucky Doug Solar Robot Kit 12-in-1 Science STEM

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Kids age 8 to 12 will flip for this robot kit. The kit comes equipped with almost 200 pieces to build 12 different types of robots. Once the ‘bot is constructed, it operates on solar power so it can move. This is sure to be a fun toy but also one that teaches kids about science and how things work.

Recommended Age

8-year old boys tend to have a longer attention span than younger children, so they may be able to handle toys and games that require greater concentration. You can find everything from simple toys that require some hands-on design or construction to complex games that they can play with friends and family. Just be sure to check out the recommended age as a guide while you shop.

Safety

This is the perfect time to start talking to your child about safety and giving them the chance to take some responsibility for meeting safety guidelines of their new toys, such as wearing eye protection when playing with a chemistry set or wearing a helmet or knee pads with an outdoor toy. You can even get them involved by letting them pick out their stylish protective gear.

Educational Value

Look for a toy that can introduce a new skill to your 8-year old boy. STEM toys that are tailored for a budding scientist or engineer are a great way to get your child excited about science, technology, engineering, and math. Look for something with hands-on components that they can manipulate and build for the greatest learning experience.

Educational toys should also be fun, especially for this age group. Teacher and literary coach Alicia Drozd recommends incorporating play and learning together. “Make the learning more playful,” she says. This can be anything from becoming word detectives to playing a game together.