To ask what your eight year olds are into?

[Rainbowb]

My dd is an 8yo only child and quite shy but I’ve noticed some of her classmates seem to be into quite different things to her. Many of them are on TikTok and another mum showed me videos of one or two of them gyrating to music and posing. I’ve also seen pictures of her friends’ bedrooms on Facebook, a lot of them have had room makeovers during lockdown and there’s not a toy in sight, the rooms look so grown up! My dd still plays with dolls and figures making up stories, she loves cuddly toys, making dens and making little houses for her toys. I love her imagination and the way she is and wouldn’t want her on social media. I do wonder at the back of my mind though how she gets on with her classmates, whether she sometimes feels a bit out of it. I noticed once at a social occasion some of the girls were practising dance routines while she was just wanting to make animals. I’m glad she’s her own person but just wondered what eight year olds are generally into?

My 8yr old is not allowed tik tok and neither is her 11 yr old sister nor any other social media. They play with Schleich fairy stuff, sylvanians, do crafty stuff and play animal crossing and just dance on the switch. They do have tablets where they are allowed time limited play such as house designing games and virtual zoo/farm games etc.

I sometimes worry that dd1 feels out of the loop with her peers, but figure that being slightly removed from the social media sphere might be a way of her not being subject to so much peer pressure, giving her time to develop a stronger sense of self before entering secondary school.

My just turned 9 year old still likes dolls, fairies and mermaids. She also likes Lego, arts and crafts and Harry Potter. But also plays happily with her sister (7) with Playmobil. She doesn't have any social media or even know what TicTok is, but then I don't have it either. Some of her classmates have it (although via their mums rather than on their own phone).
I think she is quite 'young' vs some of her classmates. But then she has a group qho are into the same sort of things as her. I do worry a bit that they will grow out of it and she won't though.

DD if similar age is into slime making, colouring, dolls (with long hair), bike rides. She does have TikTok but on our account but hardly ever uses it. It was more for early on in lockdown when she would learn dances with her dad. She is more mature than some of her friends, and less mature than others (some who seem much older than 8!)

Mine loves drawing. And Minecraft (older brother). Also her bike, and jumping on the trampoline. Barbies too. Squishies.

She does watch tiktok on my phone sometimes but just the puppy ones - I only have puppy videos on my feed as a result. She won't have her own phone until she goes to secondary school.

Her older (teen) sisters learn tiktok routines but my dd has no interest in those at all. Just the puppies.

My DS8 loves Lego, playmobil, Minecraft, both on PS4 (very limited time allowed on it) and the toys, riding his bike and generally being silly. No phones/tablets.

He has two cousins the same age and neither of them really play anymore, it's quite sad, especially when they think that DS is childish because he wants to play rather than sit on devices all day.

My DD is 10 and she has a phone but is not allowed to have tiktok or any other social media. She loves her Lego, still plays with Barbie's and a doll's house. She loves crafts and Roblox and reading. I like that my DD is still a kid

My DD (8) still writes to fairies. We caved and got a phone in lockdown mostly because it was a pain sharing ours when she wanted to speak to friends, but there is no SM and since lockdown has eased she mostly uses it to check the weather! She likes trampolining, gymnastics, playing with her rabbit and puppy, making up stories, riding. She knows that FB , insta and Tiktok exist, but she knows that we are very anti SM so doesn’t even ask.

My 8 year old is into her dolls, her play house, trampoline, arts and crafts, gymnastics, pokemon, minecraft and reading and also does Brownies.

8yo DSD like reading, drawing, paint by numbers, riding her bike, toy figurines, playing with DD3 (largely seems to involve dragging DD around in a cardboard box but they both seem happy) and general imaginary games. Plays some Minecraft but isn't massively interested in the computer.

Dd9 is very young in her tastes. Lego, art, reading, drama club, piano. She loves you tubers building lego and cbbc. Inbestigators, floor is Lava, loud house, babysitters club. No social media. No phone. She's happy and so am I.

DD has just turned 9 and is into Roblox, Lego, Arts and Crafts, riding her bike and Minecraft. Also not allowed TikTok for now but will ask for my phone to check it now and then

Dd(8), DS (11), neither had social media.

DD(8) is into football, cricket (plays for local teams in both), mountain biking. She hates reading, could spend hours on her iPad, still plays with teddies and is currently working her way through “the middle” on Prime.

My daughter is 8 and she loves dolls, barbies, soft toys, sylvanian families etc. She is very into imaginative play, also loves to write stories and draw pictures, loves arts and crafts etc. She loves Disney movies, Studio Ghibli movies and musicals especially the Greatest Showman and is always singing and dancing around, dressed up as a unicorn or fairy or a witch or something!

Some of her friends at school apparently have mobile phones and use social media and she has asked me if she can have a phone but I've said she is too young and she hasn't really mentioned it since. She does like it when I post pictures of her on my FB and my family make nice comments though!

DD8 Playing out with friends, glue gun, painting and general craft mess making. Lego, Sylvanian families, more Lego, Star Wars, Nintendo (super Mario, Dragons), sword fighting, listening to music, dance, drawing. Starting to be interested in cooking and helping in the kitchen. Skateboarding and swimming. Pokemon. Cute things like penguins, dolphins and fairies. Went through a phase of writing stories at the beginning of lockdown. She has dolls, but they only get played with when her best friend is over.
No social media and I don't know any of her friends who do. She has music on an old phone, not connected to anything.

My 8 year old loves Pokemon, Lego, cuddly toys (absolutely adores them), playing with a Nintendo switch, chess, Mine craft stuff.

He can still be persuaded to play with his siblings’ duplo, railway, dinosaurs, etc.

Ds8 loves his minecraft and anything YouTube related; TDM, Unspeakable, Preston etc. Loves annoying orange too.

Recently got him into mountain biking too, it’s my main hobby so we go out together. At height of lockdown we were doing loads as it was one of the only things to break up the day.

He also loves TinTin. We’re about halfway through the series now for bedtime stories, I have fun doing the voices

I have a 9 year old who is computer obsessed (I've banned Roblox as she was becoming obsessive). She is also into running, art and loves her gardening and bike. She also loves the park.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with your child liking 'younger' stuff. If anything I envy you and think you must have encouraged play with much more effort than I did.

I dont have children yet but i think its so sad to see children growing up so fast! I personally think 8 years old is too young to have dolls/teddies put away with a "grown up" room and using social media. I was about 11/12 when i stopped playing with dolls houses etc and was behind with phones/computers and social media and i believe this made me a better person. I had the time and experience to use my creative skills and didnt get myself involved with boys too early or silly arguments with girls like girls do these days. It can also sexualise children too young when they are encouraged to grow up too soon unfortunately

I have a 9 year old daughter.
She has moved on from all the girly things and is heavily into roblox and YouTube videos. She loves to read and is currently reading things like goosebumps, Five nights with freddy books and Jacqueline Wilson.She listens to a lot of music especially Kpop.
She is the queen of Lego building in our household and is currently building a Lego set that is aimed at the over 16's right now in her room.
She has just learnt to ride a bike too so is enjoying that too so is growing into a lovely young lady.
No social media either and neither any of her school friends.

Your child is a normal child, the others are growing up to fast.

Anyone's little ones still love slime? I for got to add my daughter wants me to buy a slime mixer so she can make the stuff on a more professional level.

No chance!

My 8 year old is the opposite, has never really been interested in toys and prefers tech and games, Roblox etc. He is generally very grown up and likes to receive clothes, books and things for his room as presents.

On the other hand my 11 year old is still all about his Pokemon and Transformers toys and doesn’t show any signs of stopping. I think comp may change him completely and it makes me a bit sad.

@GachaBread, DD(8) has been asking to make ubleek (slime) for about a week. I’m going to have to give in soon.

9yo likes craft, Lego, books and building stuff in the garden (like dens, rafts, etc... Basically they have ropes and logs). She likes making clothes for dolls.

I don't think she knows what social media is. Next year she's allowed to take a mobile to school... But we have no intention in getting her one yet!

Harry Potter
Roblox
Sims
Minecraft
YouTube