How to Find the Best Toys for 8 Year Olds By Trend

• About
• Latest Posts

Caroline Lambert

Carol strongly believes that different toys appeal to different kids and their needs. She loves sharing her experience as a parent while exposing the pet peeves and amazing advantages of each toy. Additionally, Carol is an avid collector, always considering whether a toy has collector potential. Carol is here to share the best toys she finds because she's passionate about them and wants other parents to benefit from their potential rather than the setbacks.

Latest posts by Caroline Lambert (see all)

• Best Homies Toys for Young Collectors - October 31, 2022
• Miraculous Ladybug Toys Guide - October 28, 2022
• Ultimate Ninja Turtles Toys: Unusual Types - October 19, 2022

My daughter’s turning nine soon, meaning I’ve just finished the year that taught me how to find the best toys for 8-year-olds. Admittedly, it was a rollercoaster because eight-year-olds have minds of their own. Their personalities, preferred activities, and favorite toy themes will differ from one child to another.

The secret to picking the best toys for this age group is understanding their favorite themes, activities, and toy types. In addition, you must consider their needs at eight, which are layered. Therefore, the way to find the best toys for eight-year-olds is to pick a variety that appeals to various preferences while considering their needs.

Does it sound complicated? It did for me initially, but I’ve got the knack for it now. So, let me share the secrets.

The Winning Toy for Eight-Year-Old Boys and Girls

If your child is turning eight for the first time, you’re in for a tornado of emotions. However, there are beautiful moments this year, and you can enjoy them with your eight-year-old when you learn to meet each other on even ground. Ironically, my ultimate toy for eight-year-old boys and girls is as far from the ground as possible.

The Best Avatar Toy for 8-Year-Olds is my gender-neutral winning pick because plush toys are always welcome to my daughter. My son also loved them around this age and still does. However, I chose the Appa plush because it’s also neutral to kids with a passion for Avatar but a fussiness for activity types.

My kids love Avatar, and eight is the ideal age to introduce them to the friendlier anime franchise. Additionally, plush toys offer an insight into the imagination, from where all things become possible for eight-year-olds. Furthermore, you’ll love a glance at my other top picks if Avatar is on your child’s age group radar.

More of the Best Toys for Eight-Year-Olds at a Glance

1. Best Avatar Toy for 8-Year-Olds
2. Best Batman Toy for 8-Year-Olds
3. Best Camp Cretaceous Toy for 8-Year-Olds
4. Best Frozen Toy for 8-Year-Olds
5. Best Loud House Toy for 8-Year-Olds
6. Best Minions Toy for 8-Year-Olds
7. Best Miraculous Tales of Ladybug Toy for 8-Year-Olds
8. Best Moana Toy for 8-Year-Olds
9. Best My Little Pony Toy for 8-Year-Olds
10. Best Scooby-Doo Toy for 8-Year-Olds
11. Best Space Jam Toy for 8-Year-Olds
12. Best Spirit Untamed Toy for 8-Year-Olds
13. Best Spongebob Toy for 8-Year-Olds
14. Best Teen Titans Go Toy for 8-Year-Olds
15. Best Trolls: Trolltopia Toy for 8-Year-Olds

How to Find the Best Toys for Eight-Year-Olds Explained

Finding the best toys for eight-year-olds requires a hint of science, some magic, and two pinches of salt. Just kidding, but it won’t be easy. I’ll share the secrets of eight-year-old desires versus needs and how to combine them. In addition, I’ll share how I selected the ultimate toys for eight-year-olds.

What Eight-Year-Olds Want From Toys

Understanding what eight-year-olds want from toys is challenging. My daughter’s desires change as often as the latest Netflix craze. However, themed toys play a significant role in what kids enjoy, and there are two types of themes. Firstly, themed toys can follow a popular program like The Descendants or Spongebob Squarepants.

The first toy theme type depends mainly on what exposure your child gets. However, the second type of theme represents their favorite activities or toy types. For example, my daughter loves anything musical, fitting both type and activity. In contrast, her best friend loves toys revolving around role-play.

Social pressure can also determine what eight-year-olds want from their toys. For example, their friends have Squishmallow collections and fall into the craze. The immediate environment heavily influences eight-year-olds. However, their age-appropriate needs and development milestones also affect their desires.

What Eight-Year-Olds Need From Toys

An eight-year-old is navigating a challenging time developmentally and doesn’t realize how much their immediate environment influences them. Instead, kids feel an urge to be independent of their parents. They want to make their own decisions and feel pretty emotional about the independence dilemma.

Their environment influences them because they learn to adapt to social rules, acceptance, and structured interactions. However, they feel like being independent souls, decision-makers, and self-controlled individuals at home, even though they don’t realize how home also influences them.

Some emotional, developmental, and changing tides to expect from an eight-year-old include:

• The need to feel independent
• An urge to make decisions for themselves
• The desire to choose what they enjoy
• A need to explore new things, food, toys, and trends
• A means to manage their emotions, they now better recognize
• Wanting to show their unique styles and choices
• A renewed curiosity to experiment with new ideas, toys, and activities

The key to nurturing an eight-year-olds needs is to address their desires, which are intricately linked.

How to Combine an Eight-Year-Old’s Wants and Needs

Admittedly, I didn’t find this easy with my son or daughter. Marrying their newfound independence to their developmental needs was more than challenging. However, I discovered that my gateway was to address their desires first. It’s a negotiation, if you can call it that.

You want them to learn what they need from toys, but they want the toys to fit their favorite themes, types, and current trends. It was hard to give them what they wanted until I learned about a secret tool. For example, my daughter loved musical toys because her talent was her independent emotional expression.

I also knew she needed toys that encouraged her social, language, and physical skills. She wasn’t getting much exercise from playing her instruments inside. Therefore, I proposed a new idea. I asked if she would like a dance mat to enjoy with her friends on the patio. She was happier than the sun dancing with her friends.

In addition, I was happy because she could finally exercise socially and develop better communication skills while enjoying music. We met halfway, and that’s how you combine wants and needs. I’ll add two or more activity types and share the toy type for each selection so you can also find a negotiation plaything.

Suppose your child loves role-playing toys. In that case, look for one that encourages role-play activities combined with educational, social, or other activity types.

How to Pick the Best Toys for Eight-Year-Olds

I’ll use my combination tips to find the best eight-year-old toys, meaning I’ve turned to my daughter and her friends for the top trends. First, they gave me a list of trending brands, including Spongebob, Frozen, Batman, Camp Cretaceous, and Avatar. Now, I’ve got children’s attention, boys and girls.

Secondly, each toy should be the most versatile across activities under each trending name. For example, I want a popular type of toy capable of more activity types than others from the same theme. Eight-year-olds are guaranteed to find joy in their favorite theme, and you’ll have peace knowing it supports multiple needs.

My Top Recommendations for the Best Toys for Eight-Year-Olds

The best toy recommendations for eight-year-old children appeal to their independent desires while supporting their developmental needs by encouraging various activities. In addition, I’ve focused on a variety by adding the best toys for boys and girls in the age group. So, let’s see what’s unique about each one.

Best Avatar Toy for 8-Year-Olds

Anime is a massive part of today’s culture worldwide. Kids as young as eight can enjoy the subtler, less violent Avatar: The Last Airbender. My daughter and son enjoy it, and the best toy from the franchise is undoubtedly a plush. Appa is adorable, and kids know it well. In addition, the plush brings a spark to a child.

Avatar Toy-Features

• Toy Type: Avatar: The Last Airbender 22″ Appa Plush
• Activity Opportunities: Social, interactive, and imaginative play
• Potential Support: Plush toys provide emotional support and a talking point for social interactions

Avatar Toy-Pros

• The Appa plush is the ideal toy for eight-year-olds, and it’s a gigantic reminder of a favorite program
• It’s a soft, cuddly plush toy that looks like the flying beast from Avatar, with adorable details on the feet
• Eight-year-olds will love showing their Appa plush off to friends, and it offers multiple activity types

Avatar Toy-Cons

• The massive size of Appa might be challenging to carry around

Best Batman Toy for 8-Year-Olds

Batman is a multi-generational toy theme from which you can find toys for nearly any age group. Imaginext makes Batman toys for toddlers, and Funko Pop has a gorgeous range for adults. However, eight-year-olds prefer a Batman toy with fidgeting potential. The Batcave with Batman figure holds a lot of prospects.

Batman Toy-Features

• Toy Type: Batman Bat-Tech Batcave Giant Transforming Playset
• Activity Opportunities: Pretend, social, and interactive play
• Potential Support: Children will enjoy social playtimes with this playset

Batman Toy-Pros

• Eight-year-olds who love Batman are undoubtedly going to feel like they fit in with friends with this set
• The 33″ high Batcave opens to a world of interactive opportunities and includes a Batman figure
• The Batcave closes to form Batman, and the features and accessories create endless activity options

Batman Toy-Cons

• The Batman playset for eight-year-olds is massive and not easy to carry around

Best Camp Cretaceous Toy for 8-Year-Olds

Camp Cretaceous is another fantastic series on Netflix that both my kids love. It’s one series they watch together, and my son used to comfort my daughter before she was old enough not to feel scared of the dinosaurs. I left them to the series because they bonded on another level, and my son loves explaining to her.

Camp Cretaceous Toy-Features

• Toy Type: Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous Colossal Carnotaurus (Toro) Action Figure
• Activity Opportunities: Role-play, social, and exploratory play
• Potential Support: Your child’s Toro action figure will be the master of the playground

Camp Cretaceous Toy-Pros

• The Camp Cretaceous Toro Action Figure is a giant measuring 16 inches tall with excellent sculpted details
• Kids will have tons of fun eating other action figures with Toro’s opening mouth before taking them out of the stomach
• Eight-year-olds will love the adventures and opportunities that come with a giant dinosaur figure

Camp Cretaceous Toy-Cons

• The toy might still be scary for some eight-year-olds, especially the eating part

Best Frozen Toy for 8-Year-Olds

The massive dinosaur appeals more to boys. However, Frozen is still a thing for little girls. They love Elsa, Olaf, and Anna, making it a massive hit among the kids who shared their favorite themes. However, I wanted to find a different toy for eight-year-olds from Frozen. I love this Elsa and Anna Karaoke toy with a microphone.

Frozen Toy-Features

• Toy Type: Disney Frozen Karaoke Machine With Mic
• Activity Opportunities: Social, interactive, creative, imaginative, and musical play
• Potential Support: Eight-year-old divas can sing their hearts out with friends

Frozen Toy-Pros

• A Frozen musical toy is a fantastic option for kids who enjoy creative and musical playtime activities
• The toy easily connects to smartphones and other devices via Bluetooth to use any song a child loves
• It’s one of the more versatile toys for eight-year-olds because they enjoy multiple activity types

Frozen Toy-Cons

• Musical toys don’t appeal to every child and won’t improve their social connections if they don’t enjoy singing

Best Loud House Toy for 8-Year-Olds

The Loud House was a favorite for a few kids, but I’m not sure it appeals to every eight-year-old. Admittedly, the storyline can help eight-year-olds find their individualism in a household because that’s what Lincoln does. Indeed, I watched an episode to see the show for myself. But, unfortunately, my daughter doesn’t watch it.

Loud House Toy-Features

• Toy Type: Nickelodeon Loud House Plush Set of 6
• Activity Opportunities: Social, interactive, and imaginative play
• Potential Support: Kids can learn a lot from the characters and their unique personalities

Loud House Toy-Pros

• The Loud House plush toys include Luna, Lola, Lana, Clyde, Lincoln, and Lucy, each with unique personalities
• Plush toys support young children in finding their independence and healthier emotional expressions
• The Loud House plush for eight-year-olds is a set that allows children to partake in numerous activities

Loud House Toy-Cons

• Admittedly, the price is super high, but this toy can become collectible for serious eight-year-old fans

Best Minions Toy for 8-Year-Olds

I wasn’t surprised when The Minions became a favorite toy theme. Perhaps the new movie did the trick again, but Minions never grow old. I mean that literally and figuratively. Anyway, I’m happy to add a Minions toy for eight-year-olds. Even I love the weird little creatures and their naughty antics.

Minions Toy-Features

• Toy Type: LEGO: Minions The Rise of Gru Building Kit
• Activity Opportunities: Creative, imaginative, interactive, and educational play
• Potential Support: Eight-year-olds can enjoy the educational LEGO benefits before playing with a favorite theme

Minions Toy-Pros

• The LEGO Minions building kit is one of the best tools for boys and girls to learn while they play
• Eight-year-olds love Minions toys and the set comes with Kevin, Otto, and Stuart
• The playtime activities have no limits because kids can even launch The Minions from the springboard

Minions Toy-Cons

• The interactive part of The Minions LEGO set won’t work if a child loses a block

Best Miraculous Tales of Ladybug Toy for 8-Year-Olds

The Miraculous Tales of Ladybug also popped into the favorite toy themes for girls. My daughter watches the show and even has friends over to watch it with her. It’s fantastic when a toy theme or favorite program can bond kids in social activities. I don’t allow binging on Netflix, but I welcome the social connections weekly.

Miraculous Tales of Ladybug Toy-Features

• Toy Type: Miraculous Talk and Sparkle Deluxe Ladybug Doll
• Activity Opportunities: Social, interactive, sensory, creative, and imaginative play
• Potential Support: The toy has an excellent sensory touch that supports a child’s changing emotions

Miraculous Tales of Ladybug Toy-Pros

• I love how the Miraculous deluxe doll has interactive earrings that light up and a strange feel to the body
• The doll is an excellent size with movable arms and legs, and it makes noises for a surprise playtime
• Eight-year-old kids love the Ladybug series and would find multiple activities for the doll

Miraculous Tales of Ladybug Toy-Cons

• Not every eight-year-old enjoys talking dolls, which work better for toddlers

Best Moana Toy for 8-Year-Olds

Moana was a surprise because I didn’t know kids still enjoyed the theme so much. However, it’s a Disney movie, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Eight-year-olds enjoy Disney toys, and maybe Moana will never grow old like Frozen. In addition, the Moana movie has incredible toys for eight-year-old girls.

Moana Toy-Features

• Toy Type: Disney Princess Moana Styling Head
• Activity Opportunities: Social, interactive, pretend, and creative play
• Potential Support: Eight-year-olds can show their creative skills with a styling head

Moana Toy-Pros

• Moana’s styling head welcomes eight-year-olds to be as creative as they want in their independent phase
• The Moana styling head comes with 14 beautiful accessories to make her locks look pretty impressive
• Styling heads are a trending type of toy eight-year-old girls enjoy

Moana Toy-Cons

• The hair becomes messy and knotted after a while

Best My Little Pony Toy for 8-Year-Olds

My Little Pony is a gorgeous toy theme young girls enjoy until about 12. Girls love ponies, horses, unicorns, pegasi, and anything that looks like one. My daughter loves musical toys first, but ponies are her second favorite type of theme. She might never outgrow the theme, and I’m okay with her collectible intentions.

My Little Pony Toy-Features

• Toy Type: My Little Pony Shining Adventures Figures Collection
• Activity Opportunities: Creative, social, and role-play
• Potential Support: My Little Pony is ideal for eight-year-old girls to have fun and collect

My Little Pony Toy-Pros

• Your daughter enjoys six ponies in one, including Hitch, Izzy, Sunny, Zipp, Princess, and Deputy
• Eight-year-olds love My Little Pony as a toy and program, and it sparks their imaginations
• The pony figures inspire kids to enjoy role-playing games and social activities with friends

My Little Pony Toy-Cons

• The ponies don’t have movable joints for added fun

Best Scooby-Doo Toy for 8-Year-Olds

Scooby-Doo and Shaggy are other famous duos for eight-year-old children. My kids love the shows, even though my daughter sometimes finds them creepy. It’s a toy theme I can share with my kids because I loved it as a child, too. There’s nothing better than finding a toy theme you can share with children.

Scooby-Doo Toy-Features

• Toy Type: Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine Snap Model Kit
• Activity Opportunities: Creative, social, imaginative, and educational play
• Potential Support: Eight-year-olds support their cognitive skills while building their favorite model

Scooby-Doo Toy-Pros

• Scooby-Doo is legendary among multiple generations, and I’m happy today’s eight-year-olds love him
• Snap models kits allow children to be creative and build something before they enjoy playing with it
• The entire model is interactive with opening doors once completed, and it works for multiple activities

Scooby-Doo Toy-Cons

• The Scooby-Doo and Shaggy figures have no movable joints

Best Space Jam Toy for 8-Year-Olds

Space Jam was a choice for a few kids, and I loved Looney Tunes as a child, always welcoming new shows with the famous characters I remember. However, one kid specifically asked for this Lebron James toy, even sending me a screenshot, hoping I’d ask his mom to buy one. I’m impressed by Lebron’s interior goo.

Space Jam Toy-Features

• Toy Type: Heroes of Goo Jit Zu Lebron James Figure
• Activity Opportunities: Sensory, imaginative, and creative play
• Potential Support: Sensory toys offer eight-year-olds a chance to soothe their emotions

Space Jam Toy-Pros

• The Lebron James Goo Jit Zu has a filling that looks like mini basketballs when kids squeeze it
• Space Jam and the Tune Squad are famous among eight-year-olds
• The Goo Jit Zu toy offers a multi-level activity opportunity, but I love the sensory tool the most

Space Jam Toy-Cons

• Goo Jit Zu figures are collectible, and you might have to buy a few more for Space Jam

Best Spirit Untamed Toy for 8-Year-Olds

Spirit Untamed is another much-loved series my daughter watches with her friends. I’ve heard them talking about it, even while they play outside. It’s one of the best toy themes for eight-year-old girls because it has ponies, an incredible storyline, and various styling toys.

Spirit Untamed Toy-Features

• Toy Type: Spirit Untamed Chica Linda Styling Horse
• Activity Opportunities: Creative, interactive, social, and imaginative play
• Potential Support: Eight-year-old girls can enjoy styling their favorite pony the way they want

Spirit Untamed Toy-Pros

• Styling toys and ponies are two of the best toys for eight-year-old girls to enjoy, independently or socially
• I love watching my daughter’s creative flair when she imagines the weirdest styles for Chica’s tail and mane
• Spirit Untamed styling horses provide a multi-level activity opportunity for kids

Spirit Untamed Toy-Cons

• Sadly, the styling horse doesn’t include the rider

Best Spongebob Toy for 8-Year-Olds

Spongebob Squarepants is another show everyone in my home watches, including my partner. The humor is next-level because children and adults can enjoy it. My daughter is a massive Spongebob fan; she had a few themed toys around seven and eight. However, this Spongebob toy might appeal more to boys.

Spongebob Toy-Features

• Toy Type: Spongebob Squarepants RC Krabby Patty Vehicle
• Activity Opportunities: Outdoor, social, interactive, and pretend play
• Potential Support: Kids can explore the outdoors with friends and enjoy a remote-controlled humor vehicle

Spongebob Toy-Pros

• The RC Krabby Patty With Spongebob appeals to eight-year-olds who love spending some time outdoors
• Every child loves Spongebob, and the Krabby Patty is a relatable toy that moves faster than you think
• Remote-controlled toy cars for eight-year-olds offer numerous activity types

Spongebob Toy-Cons

• The RC Spongebob car can’t navigate over the lawn and rough terrain

Best Teen Titans Go Toy for 8-Year-Olds

The Teen Titans Go series is a newer fad for eight-year-olds because younger kids don’t watch it. My son would’ve enjoyed it more, but my daughter isn’t the instigator of this themed choice. Instead, her friends asked for it. It would appeal better to eight-year-old boys because it’s a little creepy.

Teen Titans Go Toy-Features

• Toy Type: LEGO Dimensions Teen Titans Go Building Kit
• Activity Opportunities: Creative, imaginative, and educational play
• Potential Support: LEGO kits for eight-year-olds offer a challenge and excitement

Teen Titans Go Toy-Pros

• The LEGO Dimensions Teen Titans Go Team Pack includes Raven, Beast Boy, the T-Car, and Raven’s spellbook
• Dimensions building kits work differently and aren’t as complicated as traditional LEGO sets
• Kids love LEGO because they can create something before playing with their favorite toy theme

Teen Titans Go Toy-Cons

• Kids have four pieces once the set finishes compared to entire playsets

Best Trolls: Trolltopia Toy for 8-Year-Olds

Nearly every girl on my daughter’s friend’s list called for Trolls: Trolltopia because it’s a musical wonder for girls who love singing and dancing. However, I found something more unique than the musical toys and plush. Remember that styling toys are in this year, and the styling pod wins over dancing plush and dolls.

Trolls Toy-Features

• Toy Type: Trolls: Trolltopia Poppy’s Styling Pod Playset
• Activity Opportunities: Imaginative, social, interactive, and creative play
• Potential Support: Creative toys for eight-year-olds encourage their independent passions

Trolls Toy-Pros

• The Poppy’s Styling Pod Playset is an unusual creative toy compared to styling heads and ponies
• It comes with various accessories to make Poppy look like the superstar she is in the movies
• Eight-year-old girls have numerous activities they can enjoy independently and socially

Trolls Toy-Cons

• The accessories are tiny, and kids might lose them

Top Q&As

How to Find the Best Toys for 8-Year-Olds: Conclusion

Eight-year-olds gain an unusual and sudden resistance to a parent’s ideas because they’re learning to detach their dependence. In contrast, they also learn to fit in with friends and manage their emotions. No one would think about it, but eight-year-olds are hard to determine what they want.

Follow my advice about meeting them halfway between wants and needs, and you’ll do fine. I highly recommend the Best Avatar Toy for 8-Year-Olds because it appeals to boys and girls. In addition, it allows them to be independent or social as they wish while learning to cope with emotions.

The best toy for your eight-year-old might lean toward another theme they love more. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with asking children about their favorite themes. However, kids tend to talk about their favorite themes a lot, and you can merely pick a toy that appeals to various activities to ensure they enjoy it.

Picking toys for eight-year-olds can feel like science, but it doesn’t need to be. So, start with a favorite theme, and you’ll likely find the ideal toy for your child from this list because each one has multiple activity opportunities.

For More Inspirational Toys:

Best Naruto Toys Guide – Avid Toy Insider

Best Horse Inspired Toys Guide for Nickering Fun – Avid Toy Insider

Best Descendant Toys Guide for Role-Play – Avid Toy Insider