Super tricky 8 year old boy

[goldpendant]

Hi all,

Would love ideas for 8 year old DS.

Over the last few weeks I've started buying for 6 yo DD and doing really well (some great ideas here), but DS is getting hard to buy for.

He'd love a Nintendo switch but DH is adamantly not giving into this. I think it's a shame as DS self regulates with TV/screens pretty well and personally I'd rather he actually played a game like mariokart than watched others playing Minecraft on YouTube.... but I think that's another thread!

DS isn't really into toys beyond his model plane collection. So that's one option. But we have his birthday and Christmas in the same month so I'm on the hunt for extra ideas, even stocking fillers are hard.

When he was 5, then 6, we bought experience gifts as he's SO much more excited about a trip than toys. But sadly his Eurostar day trip was cancelled due to strikes, and then a trip to Rome was off because of covid, so I'm reluctant to 'gift' anything like this at the moment.

PS - the Rome treat above was badged as a gift for DS but actually a foreign trip we'd have taken anyway, but location was chosen for him. I don't buy my DC's foreign holidays as presents!!!

For context, things that have been played with once after opening but then flopped:

Gravitrax
Hexbugs
Most Lego sets

So he's a tricky one, but any ideas much appreciated!

TIA

DD is 8 and sounds similar and we’re also having the Switch debate!
She’s asked for an art case, with pencils and watercolours, so that’s going on the Christmas list, but I’m struggling for other ideas
One thing she does enjoy at the mo is building circuits and she’s got a couple of circuits kits she keeps coming back to. I bought a smaller version of one for an 8yo boy recently and it was very well received

I'm not answering your question but bless him, buy him a Switch! My DS nearly 8 has one and we both play with him on it too. Dad and him love Minecraft together and I tend to play Mario Kart and other Mario games. I like Nintendo as the games are very suitable for young kids, I strictly don't allow anything like Fortnite, Roblox etc in our house.

As an aside, my son has struggled with friendships at school, isn't into football, which is massive in our area. Gaming has helped him find a couple of friends so it's been great social currency for him too.

Could a compromise be to let him have Minecraft on a tablet as a present? It's £7 I think so reasonable to set up.

Re: your question non computing things we have things like pop up tennis net, pop up basketball hoop, archery set (all Decathlon). He loves his Gravitrax, also Lego still.

As a family we've got into board games, so regularly buy these as presents now. Look at Ticket to Ride, Forbidden Island or Desert, King of Tokyo. Zatu Games website is an excellent place to browse for ideas.

What about an experience that is less likely to be cancelled than overseas travel? Something like Go Ape with a friend or if he likes water, Waterworld or similar? Or a trip to a pantomime? I think I’d also get a switch!

Go for a Switch! Or would a trip to Alton Towers or something work?

Just get him a switch. If he self regulates his screen time well then he should be rewarded for that, and there are lots of family games you can all play.

I’d get him the switch 🤷‍♀️

I think 8 is a tricky age too! My DS liked board games, books and skalextrix (no idea if that's spelt right). His favourite thing was being given some money and allowed to shop for himself. I expected a huge pile of sweets but he came back with a good selection of stuff. Stocking ideas maybe crystal sets, rubix cube, anything Harry potter or star wars

Oh I should also have said he got computer games and that probably was his favourite thing but not relevant if you are trying to avoid

My DS has a magazine subscription and gets excited about it coming each month (he currently has Whizz Pop Bang).
He recently got a decent scooter and enjoys his radio controlled car. His t shirt from Illuminated Apparel was a big hit.

Our is just turning 8 and only into Lego but he’s so quick at it and then that’s pretty much it! So we have got him an instrument he wants to learn this year - (plus some Lego, books, trainers and new school bag) we are gifting a Disney trip for after Christmas at Christmas / but will still need to find some gifts!
Uno? (Flip is the best!)
He has had a switch but wasn’t interested! (So I sold it!)

Get the switch - my ds got one at 8. We have it set on parent controls so that after one hour of play it automatically starts beeping to be turned off. I can control the timer with my phone.

I would get mario kart and animal crossing to go with it

Trip to Legoland?

Thanks so much everyone for thoughts on switch - I do agree and I'd love to get it.

Did yours start with switch lite or the whole console?

As pp said, I'd like to play mariokart with him, so perhaps we do go straight to full console?

All other ideas are fab, thanks so much.

Presents I have bought for my boys who are of a similar age:

Beano subscription
Star Wars bedding (substitute with Minecraft)
Nerf guns with a target (so can be played alone)
Skateboard
Book series they enjoy eg Mr Gumm, Uncle Gobb, Timmy Failure etc
Playmobil train set

We’ve also just discovered Banjo Robinson. My eldest is really enjoying filling in the diary every day.

Best to get full console op

Full console with an extra controller so you can all play!

Another vote for the Switch We got DS one when he was 8 in lockdown and even though I was reluctant its been great. Plenty of family games to play and like you I think its a better use of down time than YouTube.
That aside DS (9) doesn't much play with toys but things that have been popular:
Phoenix and Beano magazine subscription
Flip book kit with light box
Remote control car
Dart board
Card and board games like forbidden Island, exploding kittens, pass the pig.

If you do go for a switch also look at Labo, where you can build extension packs to play from cardboard. Really creative and a bit of a challenge but with the appeal of being related to gaming.

I'm making some progress with DH having shown him this thread.... he's downloaded a Nintendo app for the iPad to see if DS actually enjoys it.

Thanks everyone

I am in the same boat with my son who is begging for a Switch. The problem is that I've a younger son so would need to buy two & they have tablets with Minecraft etc

So I am going for a gaming chair and lots of board games. Giant jenga. Football kits etc

A switch is great. Go for the full console, as then you can play on tv/big screen as well as handheld. Get an extra set of joycons, so the whole family can play. It’s really good - my dc love it, and we all play at various times - sometimes together, sometimes separately.

Other thoughts:

Magazine subscription. My ds (just turned 9) has really enjoyed National geographic kids, Whizz Pop Bang, his sister’s Aquila, and more recently, Lego Explorers.

Board games are always good in our house.

Craft sets - not just colouring and painting, but ds has made soft toys, tried to learn to knit (he really wanted to, but couldn’t master it), loves making things with clay, and Junko kits were a real hit recently (as were Nintendo Labo kits)

I am considering a games table (air hockey/table football) as a joint present for my dc this year.

Books always work for my ds - would a kindle be any good as a ‘big’ present?

Full console switch is best for multiplayer games.

Games which have been a hit for our boys:

Mario kart 8
Mario's odyssey
Mine craft
Mine craft dungeons
Rayman
Splatoon 2

I've pre ordered sonic colours which is out in September for my ds for Xmas x

If you're buying a Switch you'll probably see the new OLED model being promoted like crazy. It's nothing special OP and probably more expensive than the older version. Save your money, get the OG (which is probably on sale now I'd say!).

Does he like outdoors games?

Decathlon does an excellent quality archery set for beginners that was a huge hit in my house.
A basket ball hoop
Aldi have a football goal with a target sheet at the moment.
Moonballs are a great stocking filler.

(Although I agree that you should talk to your dh about the social aspects of gaming. It’s a huge part of boy’s (particularly) social life now. It’s a pain to monitor but that’s just modern parenting.)

I agree that the switch is ideal however I am still doing experiences/ holidays. 2 years ago I'd for dc a trip to Efteling theme park in Netherlands with one of the journeys being an over night ferry. Sadly that was cancelled due to covid but I reckon that's a trip doable in 2022. Christmas past I played it a bit safer and went with experience days in the uk linked to their hobby but something they'd never tried before. This included 2 days of the activity and a stay in a nice hotel near it. Was cancelled at Easter due to travel restrictions and hotels not operating but we did it this summer and dc loved it and say that they always want experiences over stuff from main presents. This year I'm thinking of zoo keeper for a day or young driver experience. Other ideas are zoo annual pass (which includes one day at another zoo much further from home (Chester and DD's love the tv show that could be made in to a trip) or a Lego land/London trip)

Things that 9 year old DS has loved:
Archery set,
13 Storey Treehouse books,
National geographic fossil and gem sets,
National geographic experiments set.

Games he really likes:
Pass the Pigs (regular and inflatable versions),
Uno,
Dobble (he's desperate for the Harry Potter edition for Christmas),
Connect 4.

Our 8 year old loves his metal detector.