Gift ideas for an 8 year old boy?

[Four125]

My nephew is 8, sporty, bright.
At his parents' request I brought him vouchers last year but this year I would like to buy him a present.

I have £40 to spend and not the first clue.

What's cool? And what are you all buying please?

Cricket set... at 8 he is probably ready for the next size up and we have used ours loads this summer .
DS also appreciates Minecraft wall art... but depends if your DN is into Minecraft

He's not fussed on Minecraft.

Is he too young for Tech Decks? Or are they out of style now?
What about HotWires?
Hexbugs?

I'd like to buy something fun.

Lego
Meccano
If he's sporty- how about taking him somewhere - my brother took my two sons to a climbing wall which they loved for their birthdays
Books - adventure type ones/fantasy/Harry Potter?
Sporting clothing ie football/rugby shirt with their name on
Anything remote controlled
Spy gear
Games

Oh tech decks yeah - mine love them!

MY son is 8- sporty and bright too !
We have bought him Hot Wires for Christmas. He has seen it in shops and is VERY high on his Christmas list. He does also like Tech Decks but they getting a little passé now I fear.
My other suggestions would be a stunt scooter- if you look for a decent enough deal, you could get one for around £40 (there's a Stunted one on Amazon for about £30 I think) OR I'd second a shirt with his name on. We got him a Barcelona FC one for his birthday with his name and favourite number on the back. He look on his face was unbelievable.

Excuse my mistakes! My 2 year thinks the ipad is hers and keeps grabbing it!

michaelgoveisatwat are Tech Decks passe for 8 year olds generally?
Or just passe with your son?

He plays touch rugby and football so the shirt could be a plan.

They were something him and his buddies were after earlier in the year but have kind of gone off the boil since then. Also, I haven't actually seen any in the shops for a while where we are. Even The Entertainer have stopped selling them. They like this new thing called 'Zip Stix' at the moment. They're good fun. Like a slap band you can race with.

He also had a remote control helicopter for his birthday. Not an Air Hogs one- a proper 'Syma' one from Amazon. That has been played with daily (and really enjoyed by Dad too!)
Hope that helps!

Can you not get some ideas directly from him? I have an 8 yr old ds and haven't heard of most of the things that have been mentioned! £40 is a lot to spend without being sure what he likes.
My ds would love a magic set, or science set, or books.

Ah well Mumto
That's the back story.
The live abroad so I only see them twice a year, one of those is at Christmas, I don't speak to him on the phone/Skype very often.

Previously I've asked my DB & SiL but the last couple of years they've just said vouchers for his IPad and I'd actually like to get him a present rather than vouchers.
They also wanted me to give his little sister, my DNiece IPad vouchers too - she's 4!

I have another DN who is in his teens, I don't mind buying him vouchers now he's older but Christmas seems to have become an exchange of cash in envelopes and I'd like to avoid that if I could.

So that's why I'm asking here

My DS nearly 8.

Christmas Guitar
dvds
Science kit
DS games
books. Tom gates, David Walliams has new one out awful aunty.. could be fun tongue in cheek.
woodsearch game
Spy card maker.

DS is 8, and really into sport. Apart from sport stuff he likes toys that he uses rather than plays with. Presents he has got and loved are:

• Barcelona football
• Hot Wires
• Football boots (rather than regular ones, ones that his favourite player wears would be a good way to go)
• Board games
• Lego

Things on his list this Christmas are:

• Science kits
• Spy Gear stuff
• Guinness Book of Records
• Anything remote controlled that flies
• Star Wars Rebels

He was talking about Tech Decks before, but that all seems to have died out.

If he is outdoorsy.. I got DS an Adventure kit... kind of build your own tent in the woods, all in a knapsack... that went down well!

Books - beast quest are very popular (and not as trashy as you might think), also David Williams and the William Joyce guardians books

Hex bugs
Lego
Science books and kits
Meccano

I gave my then 8yo DS a sound machine in his stocking last Christmas (I think I got the idea on here). Although it was a very simple gift it has proved immensely popular with him and all his friends and cousins (even those who aren't usually interested in toys). Highly recommended!

This was the one I bought, but there are other versions as well: www.amazon.co.uk/WWP-W5769-Sound-Machine-18486/dp/B002ICWDIK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413793041&sr=8-1&keywords=sound+machine

Another gift my DS really loved was the board game Forbidden Island, but that would be more depending on the individual I suppose. He has a couple of friends that are equally obsessed with it though.

www.amazon.co.uk/Gamewright-317-Forbidden-Island-Game/dp/B003D7F4YY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413793477&sr=8-1&keywords=forbidden+island

I have also heard great things about the board game King of Tokyo, but have yet to try it out (birthday gift for DS who will be 9 in December).

www.amazon.co.uk/Iello-IEL-51032-King-Tokyo/dp/B004U5R5BI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413793498&sr=8-1&keywords=king+of+tokyo

Other fun games that would work well for an 8yo are For Sale, Halli Galli, Zeus on the Loose...

It is a voucher, but what about one for an experience - we've had ones for go ape and for indoor surfing. Is there anything like that where they are?

Otherwise my ds (just 9) is having a skateboard (someone is getting the wrist guard and elbow pads!), a body board and some lego. He's just getting into doing Airfix kits too - there's a big selection so something like that might suit him. The starter sets that come with the paints are good.

Thank you vicjul! That helped me too!

Yes, these are brilliant, thanks

My DS is very sporty and aged 8 would have loved

A really good football
Match of the Day/Match annuals
Match Attax packs

And a big bag of Tangfastics

Lego
Minecraft stuff
Loom bands
More lego
Science kits

I have sons (9 & 7yrs) & we recently got them 'snake puzzles' & OMG they love them!

I can't do links on my phone but they're about £5 - 10 on ebay or Amazon & I think if they'd had them in their Christmas stockings would probably have been the outstanding favourite toys!

Oh no zombie thread!

Haha I have just realised this is a zombie thread. I was confused at “tech decks” being passé as I’ve not heard of them. Maybe they are due a revival