How to Choose a Birthday Present For an 8 Year Old Boy

Choosing a birthday present for an 8 year old boy can be fun and rewarding. At eight, boys are reaching what some call, the "angel years". An eight year old is growing in both their ability to be independent and responsible, prior to their transition into the teenage years. Boys this age like more challenging toys and activities. They are now able to read well so they can provide more self direction.

A group of eight year old boys were recently polled to find out what items they would have liked to receive on their birthday. The following includes items they say would all have made great gifts on their birthday.

Things You'll Need

• Try to find out a list of the items the boy already has, so you will not purchase a duplicate.

Instructions

1. 

   Birthday present Idea #1, buy a Lego Set

   The boys had different preferences such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Castle, etc., but they were all in agreement that a Lego set would be a cool present for their birthday.

2. 

   Birthday present Idea #2, buy new sports equipment

   There were a few items the boys mentioned such as a new baseball glove, bat, basketball, and football. It seems that 8 year olds are now more interested in sports and taking part in competitive team play than playing sports to please their parents. Consider getting youth sized equipment since their bodies are not big enough for college or pro size equipment.

   For larger budgets, the boys included requests for soccer mini-nets, baseball bounce-back throwing targets, or a set of golf clubs.

3. 

   Birthday present Idea #3, buy Wii games or Nintendo DS games

   Depending on the system they own, the boys were very interested in new video games. For Wii games they particularly wanted multiplayer games that 2-4 could play. Part of their excitement is having a friend over to play. If the birthday boy has either of these game systems, then you will do well by buying him a new game for his birthday.

4. 

   Birthday present Idea #4, buy Bakugans

   These toys are still on the popular list of eight year old boys. Trading bakugans is still very trendy. Bakugans are like a modern Japanese version of war (card game), except they have magnetic cards that make the Bakugans open revealing the number of points it has.

5. 

   Birthday present Idea #5, buy Pokemon cards

   Surprisingly boys are still interested in Pokemon, and these trading cards still have life. From my understanding they like to trade them at school.

   A lower subset of this request is baseball and football cards. Several of the boys really wanted sports card. It was apparent that they either really liked sports cards or did not. Find out what the boy's preference is for trading cards. If they enjoy card collecting, your gift will sure to be a hit

6. Birthday present Idea #6, buy an IPOD

   Wow! I've yet to purchase my first IPOD. It seems that Steve Jobs' marketing department has performed well. There are many other IPOD-like devices out there, but I'm sure they think the games and touch screen are the best part. If you are going to splurge on an eight year old with an IPOD gift, find out what they want to use it for first. If you can step down because they only want to listen to stories on tape it might be wise. Make sure they as responsible enough to care for the IPOD.

7. Birthday present Idea #7, buy a Scooter

   They want the kind with a handlebar that you push like a skateboard. I know Razor makes some of the best scooters. Their original line of scooters can fold up and cost about $39.99. These are the more modern version of the skateboard you see parked at many bike racks near elementary schools. Give an eight year old his own set of wheels.

8. Birthday present Idea #8, buy Star Wars Action Figures

   Some of the boys are very interested in Star Wars plastic action figures and ships. They like the standard size figures (like the ones from 30 years ago). Choosing a Star Wars figure will generally be a good birthday present for an eight year old boy.

9. Birthday present Idea #9, buy a copy of their favorite movie on DVD

   The eight year olds had different ideas about what movie they would like to have. Some of the titles the boys mentioned were Kung-Fu Panda, Star Wars the Clone Wars, WALL-E, and Transformers the Movie. Please make sure you check with the parents to see what is appropriate in their home.

10. 

    Birthday present Idea #10, buy Art Supplies

    A couple of the boys were very interested in drawing so I felt obligated to include art supplies on the list. They were interested in drawing books, paper, and pencils. This choice would depend on the boy's interests.

    These are all great ideas for an eight year old boy's birthday present. You can fine tune your gift idea by asking him a few simple questions. For example, "What do you like to play with?" or "What do you like to do with your friends". With this list and some added input you will pick out a great present for an eight year old boy's birthday.

Resources

• Bakugan Battle Pack
• Razor Kick Scooter
• Lego Star Wars Wii game cheap at Amazon
• Pokemon Platinum 2009 Spring Collector Tin - Giratina X
• Star Wars the Clone Wars Widescreen - DVD
• Up (4 Disc Combo Pack with Digital Copy and DVD) [Blu-ray]
• LEGO Star Wars Collection