What are you getting your 8 year old boys?

[Peabody25]

I feel like I've used up all my ideas on his recent birthday. For that we've got him the Harry Potter tour, an afternoon tea voucher, books, frisbee and a game.

He's already got a bike and scooter, and Nintendo switch. Don't want to get any more games for that as he's got plenty. He's also got tonnes of Lego which seems to have gone out of favour a bit and still some sets to be built.

He's really into reading, board games, coding, designing games on the switch, recording videos, playing minecraft and loves playing football for a local team but doesn't support one particular team.

Relatives have got him a new football, boot bag and skills book for his birthday, and other relatives are getting him a camcorder for his birthday and will get a tripod, case etc to go with it for Christmas.

Any ideas for presents either big or small?

Sphero
GraviTrax Pro
Hot Wires
Chemistry set
Snap Circuits
Watch
Roller blades
Basketball hoop and ball
T shirt from Illuminated Apparel
Lava lamp
Air hockey table
ThinkFun Gravity Maze or Laser Maze
Magazine subscription

You have described my child exactly as above!! Last year I got him National Geographic subscription which he loved, this year I’m going to get Match of the Day subscription. I also buy loads of books…the Roar series, Artemis Fowl and Rooftoppers. He’s also taken a liking to ‘nice’ clothes so I’m going to get him a Lacoste polo T-shirt like Daddies!! Plus he loves England football so some merchandise from official shop and sweets/drinks/cereals mean Mummy bans!

Ooh some brilliant ideas there. He already gets a beano subscription but match of the day or national geographic would both go down well.

We've just bought the first Artemis fowl series and roar series funnily enough and I'll have a look at the roof toppers one.

He loves hype and Nike stuff so I'll get some of those and a watch is a good shout. Love the idea of air hockey and roller blades as well.

Thanks both, there's some really good ideas there.

@SarBear1980 he's also loved the kid YouTuber books, iguana boy, mr penguin, treehouse series, wimpy kid, Tom gates, my brothers a superhero series and Noah's gold if that gives you any ideas?

@Peabody25 thank you for those great book ideas - we get through a lot here so always good to have more ☺️

Harry potter cluedo if he likes HP and board games.

Ooh that's another good idea. We've got HP labyrinth but not cluedo.

Outdoor things like swingball or a stomp rocket.

Games: Yes/No game, 5 second rule, bank attack, blockus

Treasure X in any form is usually popular.

I highly recommend the Percy Jackson book series & any series by Rick Riordan. My DS developed a real interest in mythology because of these books & now notices names of businesses like Hermes for example- great for general knowledge.

If anyone needs any other ideas a stomp rocket, aerobie, diablo and beanopedia have all gone down well.

Games - carcassonne, ticket to ride

@NigelSlatersXmasTaters

Games - carcassonne, ticket to ride

How hard is carcassone to play? Would we need to start with the kids edition or is it easy enough to pick up? His attention span is brill if he 'gets' a game straight away but otherwise can lose interest.

No for an 8 year old I'd go straight to the normal carcassonne. You can learn to play then add in the expansions of farms and rivers once he gets it.

Mine have been playing since they were 6 with the big one. Ticket to ride is harder to get used to.

Exploding kittens is fun

Carcassonne should be OK at 8. We just play it with our 9 and 7 year old without using farmers, as they felt that was an unfair advantage!

Other games my ds loves include Trash Pandas, Sushi Go and Throw Throw Burrito. Really quick and easy to pick up, and good fun.
He also has the genius square and genius star games which are good with grandparents.
We did a Roblox subscription, really it’s just a rolling thing each month but you can choose an amount that suits you.
Aquila magazine is also worth a look.
The book suggestions are great, we’re a bit worn down with David Walliams and Tom Gates now. There’s a new Christmasaurus one out soon that I’ve got on preorder. Wimpy Kid is starting to be interesting to my ds as well. Older dd has a lot of books to pass on!

What about a BBC Microbit (V2 is the new one)? I got one in lockdown for my 7 year old and we learnt to code some things on it together. There are a number of tutorials online and You Tube videos too. The starter set is under £20.

Other ideas:

• Board games - King of Tokyo, Blockus, Quirkle, Monopoly Cheaters, Forbidden Island/Sky/Desert, Quarks of Quedlinberg
• Nerf guns
• 143 Treehouse is out end of October
• New Christmasaurus book
• Minecraft Woodsworth Chronicles [[https://www.amazon.co.uk/Minecraft-Into-Woodsword-Chronicles-Collection/dp/1405297743/ref=sr_1_1?tag=mumsnetforu03-212]] They have been out a while so you can get the first few in a set for £12ish

Urgh, link fail

again [[https://www.amazon.co.uk/Minecraft-Into-Woodsword-Chronicles-Collection/dp/1405297743/ref=sr_1_1?tag=mumsnetforu03-212]]

Still not working sorry!

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1405297743/?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Brilliant thanks all. He'll love the minecraft books, and I've added a few of the books.

@Peabody25 great - it was worth my three times of trying to post the link then. If he likes them I think there are a couple more in the series

I've bought my grandson Ripley's believe it or not, half price in the Works

@goose1964

I've bought my grandson Ripley's believe it or not, half price in the Works

I've just bought it for Christmas as well funnily enough!

.