Buying the Perfect Gift for an 8-Year-Old Boy

From Nintendo GameBoy to Hasbro to a Trip to the Zoo

Jun 27, 2009

All it takes to buy the perfect present for that 8-year-old boy are the right gift-buying tools and a little bit of information! Read on to find out how.

When there’s a birthday for a soon-to-be 8-year-old boy right around the corner, every gift buyer hopes to buy a gift that won’t make its way quickly to the back of the birthday boy’s closet. It’s not as simple as it seems, unfortunately.

Every boy is different in both development and interests. Some are advanced in math and science, while others excel in reading and writing. Some seem to already have every toy known to man, while others seem like tiny minimalists. It may not be simple, but it’s definitely possible. Below are a few pointers and suggestions to make the process simpler and successful.

Consider the 8-Year-Old Boy

The best place to start in the gift-buying adventure is understanding 8-year-olds in general. Visit the PBS Child Development Tracker to find out what’s going on in a typical 8-year-old’s development. Understanding the typical 8-year-old’s development patterns will help in choosing a gift that will bolster his development over the upcoming year.

For instance, this is a big year in the boy’s creative development. Buying a gift that encourages artistic exploration might be just the step this boy looks back on as the genesis of his college major in fine arts.

Next, every gift buyer should ask the parent(s) what their son is interested in or shows a strong aptitude for. This is also a good time to ask what types of things their son already owns and to ask for a few ideas on gifts to buy.

It’s tempting for the gift buyer to want to buy a gift that they would have loved as an 8-year-old boy. Who wouldn’t love Stratego, a brand new Rubiks Cube, matchbox cars or a skateboard? Finding out some information from the parent(s) will save the gift buyer the frustration of learning they just bought a videogame for a boy living in a television-free household.

Consider the Period in Time

One good way to gift a sure shot is to watch the times. The 8-year-old birthday boy is an avid and advanced reader and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is hitting theaters in only a few weeks. Perhaps purchasing tickets to opening night at the theater for the birthday boy and four of his closest friends might be a gift to remember.

Or maybe the birthday boy is a soccer fan and player? With the U.S. making the finals at the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa, consider a team t-shirt, hat or soccer ball. Watching what’s happening in the world at the moment can make a great gift a truly memorable one.

Gift Ideas to Consider

Board Games: A board game is a great way to spend quality time together or to entertain the birthday boy when his friends are over. It’s interactive, three-dimensional, and time-tested fun.

Visit the Board Game Geek web site to find ideas for the perfect game. This site features an advanced search tool searchable by age, length of game play, number of players, and category of game. This will be useful, especially when the gift buyer uncovers the boy’s interests in mystery and mythology.

Books: Okay, the birthday boy loves to read. It's important to know what level he is reading at. While the birthday boy may be entering third grade, it’s possible he’s reading at a fifth grade level.

Most booksellers have advanced searches on their Web sites searchable by the reader age and genre; this allows shoppers the ability to hone in on that perfect book gift. The gift buyer should pick a few titles and call the parent(s) back to ask if the birthday boy already owns any of them.

Magazine: A subscription to a kids magazine is the inexpensive gift that keeps on giving all year long. There are a lot of options out there to match to the birthday boy’s interests. National Geographic Kids Magazine is for kids ages 6-14. There’s also Sports Illustrated for Kids, Dig Magazine published by the Archaeological Institute of America, Calliope Magazine for the history buff, and much more!

Experience: Sometimes the best gift is the gift of time. Taking the birthday boy and a few friends on an adventure to the zoo, the science and industry museum, the movie theater, camping, a baseball game, or a round of laser tag could be just the perfect gift. This gift is the gift of experience, the root of memories that lasts a long, long time.

Buying the perfect birthday gift for an 8-year-old boy may seem impossible at first. However, all it takes is a little thought, some targeted research and a bit of legwork, and the birthday boy will be tearing into a new gift he knows was bought specially for him.

The copyright of the article Buying the Perfect Gift for an 8-Year-Old Boy in Kids Products is owned by Heather Gawronski-Salerno. Permission to republish Buying the Perfect Gift for an 8-Year-Old Boy in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.