28 Gifts for 8-Year-Old Boys to Encourage STEM Skills and Creativity

If you’re like me, you never actually learned how to make a proper airplane and still wonder how to get them to launch the right way. But with this book, your 8-year-old boy will know how to make 10 aerodynamic designs! Includes 40 sheets of folding paper.

More: 60+ Best Toys for Kids in 2022

They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result … unless you’re playing with a Spirograph, in which case doing the same thing over and over only makes your patterns more complex and mesmerizing!

Gears, rings, and ballpoint pens will help your child make millions of gorgeous patterned designs.

Hot Wheels tracks are rad … but wouldn’t it be cool to build your own? Now your 8-year-old boy will be able to build the track of their dreams! With three unique stunting routes, they’ll tinker, problem-solve, and have hours of fast-track fun.

We feel like it’s time for rollerblades to make a comeback. Is there anything like gliding along the sidewalk in a pair of these babies? This design from MammyGol is adjustable up to three sizes, so they’re certainly built to last for years. The wheels even light up for added fun!

A perfect gift for 8-year-old boys who love to build. This set comes with 480 classic K’NEX parts and pieces. He can design structures, experiments, gadgets, and toys — the only limit is his imagination! The snap-fit pieces stick together securely but can be easily reassembled into other creations.

Never hear “I’m bored” again! Well, OK, not never, but at least for the day every month this subscription box arrives.

Each box contains hours of adventure as your 8-year-old boy explores different world cultures, solves mysteries, examines natural wonders, and makes art! Each box contains activities that explore STEAM learning and critical thinking.

Squishmallows have become a super-popular line with the grade-school set, and it’s easy to see why: They’re absolutely adorable and so ridiculously huggable, it’s love at first squish! Althea the Axolotl (pronounced ax-o-ah-tul… trust us, your 8-year-old boy knows what it is) is the perfect plush gift for 8-year-old boys.

If you’re looking for a great gift for 8-year-old boys, this is the way (get it… like on the show…?) This 12-inch Mandalorian comes complete with The Child aka Grogu aka Baby Yoda. Snuggle Grogu into Din’s satchel to hear specific sounds and phrases. The removable jetpack also makes sound for “realistic” creative play!

Your 8-year-old boy can follow the instructions to build 11 machines — from a catapult to a micro movie maker — and use the 58 Lego elements to create their own designs. And then, of course, there’s the fun of actually playing with the machines and the pride they’ll feel knowing they built them.

It’s the classic card game with a triple twist! Players must discard cards to any of the (now three!) piles that are lit up on their turn.

Be careful: If any pile gets too big ... overload! You have to draw however many cards the LED display says. A timing feature keeps the game moving along for an added challenge.

A magician never reveals his secrets… but this kit does! Your 8-year-old boy will delight audiences as they learn to pull a (toy) rabbit from a hat, mystify with dice, and knowingly ask “Is this your card?”

With clear instructions and props specially designed for smaller hands, this is a great set for the novice magician.

Did you know that sharks have been around for 450 million years? They’re older than dinosaurs! Older than trees! So it makes sense that there are shark fossils, and now your 8-year-old boy can excavate fossils from three different species!

The set also comes with tools, magnifying glass, and an identification guide.

Your child will have to figure out which of six feline fiends is guilty of various kitty crimes. Who broke the flower pot? Who spilled the cup of coffee? They’ll have all the clues, but it’s up to your kiddo to put them all together! Includes 40 mysteries ranging from easy to difficult.

Whether your 8-year-old boy loves putting things together or just really enjoyed Wall-E, this DIY remote-control robot is a great gift. They’ll love building their new robot pal and then playing with it via remote control (included). It’s a particularly great adult-child project for quality bonding time and fun.

Wait! Don’t take out the garbage just yet! One man’s trash is another 8-year-old boy’s treasure with this upcycling kit. Turn garbage into an afternoon of fun with science experiments that turn household items into experiments and crafts your budding scientist will love.

This set of 25 books is perfect for the early reader who loved the Magic Treehouse series but is ready for something a little more challenging. In this series, Merlin the Magician sends Jack and Annie on a new adventure every book, from Christmas in Camelot to The Shadow of the Shark.

Age-appropriate, easy-to-follow instructions will help your burgeoning Picasso perfect their craft as they learn to draw a menagerie of their favorite animals. Perfect for young artists who want to take their talent to a new level or the kid who wants to try something new.

Woodworking is one of those practical yet endlessly romantic skills a person can have in life. Get them comfortable with a hammer early on with this woodworking set. It includes everything you need, from tools to wood, to complete six fun projects — a table, canopy, pen holder, piggy bank, jet, and truck.

In this classic game of strategy, one player creates a pattern with brightly colored pegs and hides it. The other player must deduce what that pattern is in 10 turns or less.

It won’t be easy: There are more than 2,000 combinations possible! Strategic and fun, Mastermind is sure to be a hit with your 8-year-old boy.

In this exciting, fast-paced game (“like Uno meets Nerf”), players must compete against each other for card matches to earn points… but, every now and then, a duel might be called for. Or a brawl. Or even a war!

But don’t worry — in every case you’ll fight by hurling squishy, adorable burritos at one another. The player with the most matched cards wins!