Entertaining an 8-year-old girl is not that easy. All screens are incredibly interesting, but since she only gets an hour of screen time a day, the rest of the day becomes extremely boring. She constantly asks what she should do, but that doesn’t really help either of you. Her birthday is the perfect opportunity to get her a gift that will keep her occupied for the coming period. It saves you a lot of nagging and saves her a lot of ‘boredom time’. But then you have to know what to buy, hence this blog with the best gifts for an 8-year-old girl.
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Developmental Phase of an 8-Year-Old Girl
An 8-year-old girl is self-aware, but she can also act like a little fibber. They are now more focused on how to get something than on the consequences if it is done dishonestly. Very interesting, of course, but annoying for all the adults who have to deal with them. And beware, if you address the girl about this, she might suddenly become very angry and still shift the blame. Why does she do that? Good question. It’s probably just a phase she’s going through.
On the other hand, there are also many positive developments. Especially in terms of physical movement. The girls are moving more smoothly and still have energy for ten. However, they can distribute their energy better. The overheated toddler now stops at a point to catch her breath. But because the girl is still developing, you need to keep encouraging this movement. So yes, set a limit on screen time, send them outside when the weather is nice, and encourage them to choose a sport. The latter also demands a lot of your own time, but believe us, it’s worth it.
Cognitively, the girl will mainly be busy with very specific topics, eagerly gathering information about them. Furthermore, she will be very involved with others because she can now think abstractly enough to see herself in the world from a distance. How does she fit in? How does she relate to others, etc.? Moreover, her memory is much better, and strategies can be taught. At least, if it happens in a group with only girls, because boys at this age are nothing less than ‘stupid’. Speaking of her social-emotional development: friendships exist, but the individual ‘self’ is also very important.
Don’ts (Types of Gifts Not to Buy for an 8-Year-Old Girl)
As you might understand, not all gifts are suitable for an 8-year-old. For example, you don’t want to encourage screen time. So, as fun as a Wii, old tablet, or Nintendo Switch may be, it’s not wise. It’s also not wise to buy something that’s not suitable for her age category. We’re not talking about very irregular gifts like an expensive camera, but more about something the child finds too challenging. A Lego set might be fun, but not if it takes too long to build and involves many small pieces. Good for concentration and fine motor skills, but maybe leave it on the shelf until she’s about 11 years old.
What Is a Suitable Budget for This Age?
While we don’t want to determine how much someone else should spend on a gift, we can certainly give an indication.
- Parents/ caregivers: £50.00 to …
Her toddler bike can now really be put aside for a larger bike, her room needs an upgrade, or she has wanted that one beanbag for a long time. The ‘biggest’ gift will likely come from her parents/ caregivers. - Immediate family members (uncles, aunts, grandparents): £10.00 to £25.00
One family member will spend more on a gift for a niece/ granddaughter than another family member. Set a nice limit for all nieces/ granddaughters, so everyone gets the same. - Neighbors/ acquaintances: £10.00
With a budget of £10.00, you can definitely find a nice gift for the 8-year-old girl. - Friends: £5.00
The unicorn birthday party will be even more joyful with small gifts from all her friends, for whom a budget of £5.00 is more than enough.
Further Tips
We end with a few final tips so you can buy the best gift for the 8-year-old girl. Firstly, avoid gifts with too many complex rules or instructions, as they can diminish the fun of playing and confuse the child. While an 8-year-old can follow the rules of a game quite well, she also really wants to win. There is a good chance she will cheat. On the other hand, it’s a good learning moment, showing that fair play only exists through rules.
1. Digital Camera
If you see your parents taking pictures of everything all day long, it’s tempting to want to do the same. And to prevent your parents from having nothing to take pictures with because you have it in your grabby little hands, it’s a good idea for your parents to get you your own camera. For the 8-year-old girl, that is. Nowadays, there are digital cameras specifically made for children. They can withstand a bump, have fun extra features to edit the photos, and don’t cost a fortune. We see it as a win-win situation where no fortune has to be spent on an expensive camera, while the 8-year-old girl can participate in what mom and dad are doing.
2. Board Game
Playing a board game is something you want to do on a fun and cozy afternoon. It brings children together, promotes strategic thinking, and provides enjoyable moments full of challenge and interaction. Just make sure everything is fair, as a group of 8-year-olds can suddenly get very frustrated. See the board game as a way to learn to deal with frustration (haha!). There are board games for different ages on the market today, so look carefully at the recommended age when researching board games. The idea is to keep it fun; not everything needs to be a lesson.
3. DIY Jewelry Set
We can still remember the Scoubidou craze about twenty years ago. With these strings, you made keychains, bracelets, and so much more. We could entertain ourselves for hours with these colorful strings, and we imagine that young girls of a certain age would still enjoy it. From about age 8, your motor skills are good enough to handle some intricate work. Since Scoubidou may no longer be as popular nowadays, consider giving the girl a DIY jewelry set. You stimulate her creativity and ensure that after some practice, she can show off her own jewelry. Fun, right?
4. Kids Makeup
Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the prettiest one of all? Well, how about an 8-year-old girl who has just done her own makeup? In such cases, it’s a great idea to let her decorate herself with special kids’ makeup. It’s likely cheaper, but above all, it’s less ‘dangerous’ to use and can be easily removed. If she’s done after a while, you can remove it with some water (and soap) in no time. In any case, it’s an original gift that will undoubtedly make an 8-year-old girl happy. Just let her know that she’s beautiful even without makeup, okay?
5. Dress-Up Clothes
Ah, how wonderful it is to remember playing for hours as a child. Playing games and, of course, playing with each other. In the latter case, it’s super fun to engage in role play. It stimulates the imagination and, as an outsider, it’s super fun to watch. From a princess outfit to a nice police uniform, dress-up clothes are indispensable for a good play session. Give an 8-year-old girl a nice costume for her birthday. Maybe she also celebrates dress-up parties at school, where she can wear this costume too. It’s never wrong to let her imagine herself in a certain role or, for example, to experience what mom and/ or dad actually do for work.
6. Lego Set
Lego is not just for boys. In fact, shall we stop assigning gender to certain toys? We mean, of course, more boys will eventually play with cars than girls, but if a girl wants to as well, who are you to stop her? The same goes for Lego in many cases. You may have a more colorful set like Lego Friends, but something from Lego City can be just as good a gift for an 8-year-old girl if she’s interested in it. In any case, Lego as a gift is never a bad idea. It stimulates the creativity of the 8-year-old girl and gives her something to completely lose herself in in terms of fantasies and the like.
7. Watch / Smartwatch
Learning to tell time is essential for the development of an 8-year-old girl. It’s good to make her aware of the concept of time, especially with something like a clock. Having her own watch might encourage her to keep practicing with the hands and the corresponding time. She already started learning to tell time in the 1st grade, but that doesn’t mean it’s suddenly very easy. To keep up with the times, a smartwatch as a gift is a great option. Although you will have to keep hammering that she doesn’t just look at the digital clock because it’s a lot easier to read than an analog clock. Anyway, it’s a fun accessory, and you can also stimulate certain processes in the girl’s brain.
8. Roller Skates
Learning young is done old. It’s a saying that applies for a reason because the younger you start practicing a certain sport, the greater the chance of success. That we now, with our 30-year-old bones, still have to stand on roller skates is probably not the best idea we can have. Giving an 8-year-old girl a pair of roller skates is, on the other hand, a good idea. Don’t forget to add the necessary protection to the gift to prevent bones from breaking. Roller skates might be a less personal gift, but they’ve been popular with this age group for years. A little encouragement from mom and dad might be needed, although the weather conditions also play a big role. Skating in the rain isn’t attractive to anyone, right?
9. Book
Read, read, read. If possible, you want to encourage a certain ‘addiction’ to books. It might not always be socially desirable for the young lady to always be reading, but it’s extremely important for her development. Not only because she’s not looking at a screen, but also because her brain is being stimulated incredibly well. You’re working on the ability to visualize, memory, reasoning, language, perception, attention, and the ability to distinguish between main and side issues. Not to mention, it contributes to the knowledge you have and the fantasies you create. We can’t emphasize enough the benefits of reading! And note, being read to is also very important in many ways, so that’s also an interesting point for parents to keep in mind.
10. Tablet
A mobile phone might still be a bit too much at this age. At least, if you have a different opinion, that’s absolutely your right, although we do want to mention the advantage of a tablet over a phone. You can play educational games more easily on a tablet and at the same time download the desired apps like TikTok, etc. When the 8-year-old girl then goes outside to play or goes to school, you don’t have to worry that she’s constantly glued to the screen during free moments. In our opinion, it’s a good first step to get in touch with ‘own screen’ time. However, it is one of the more expensive gifts and not everyone can afford it just like that.
