28 Gift Ideas for 8-Year-Old Girls
Turning eight years old is a pretty monumental turning point in the life of a young girl. Eight-year-old girls are brimming over with curiosity, energy and imagination. By this point, they’ve also learned the basics in school, and are beginning to move onto tougher subjects such as basic physics, chemistry and biology, some languages, multiplication and division in math, and to reading longer chapter books.
When buying gifts for 8-year-old girls, just as you would when considering gift ideas for 2-year-olds, 10-year-olds or 4-year-olds, it’s important to consider how best those young, malleable brains can be stimulated and engaged. Remember, 8-year-old girls are smart little cookies with a passion for learning, play, and adventure.
Gone are the days of plying young girls with Barbies, lip gloss and frilly pink dresses (not that some 8-year-old girls wouldn’t love that!). Today, we understand that young girls and boys alike can love the same gifts regardless of gender. Here, we’ve compiled a list of our absolute favorite 28 best gift ideas for eight-year-old girls which cater to a huge range of interests and characters.
Whether you’re looking to buy for your best friend, daughter, niece, granddaughter, on her birthday or for a holiday treat, our gift guide has got you covered!
By Cal Bannerman • Published Jan 2 2023
1. LEGO® NINJAGO® Jungle Dragon
Colorful, cool and crazy LEGO jungle dragon play set.
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Despite (or because of) the company’s age, LEGO has managed to keep up to date with the playful imaginations of the youngest generations. Today, they produce incredible-looking play sets with cookie characters and colorful monsters to keep your 8-year-old girls entertained for days on end. This jungle dragon set, with four mini figures to battle (or befriend) the ancient beast could be played with solo, or with best friends. Whilst LEGO sets can be expensive, this one comes in at a reasonable price to make it an affordable gift for any family member to give.
2. Solar Systems Science Kit
DIY glow-in-the-dark science kit for budding astronomers.
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Entering third-grade, your eight-year-old is going to start learning about the fundamental laws of science which hold our universe together. We think the perfect gift to pique a little girl’s interest in that science is this solar system DIY craft kit from Amazon. The kit comes with everything your girl will need to build and paint their very own solar system, learning about the stars and planets of the Milky Way as they go. What we love most is the fact that the planetary science kit even glows-in-the-dark at night, giving them something soothing and of their own to fall asleep beside.
3. Remote Control Rally Racer
Battery-powered remote control racing car for indoors and outdoors.
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Can you think of anything young children, from 8-year-old boys and girls to 6-year-olds and 7-year-olds, like to do better than going really, really fast? Whether they’re running about the house under your feet, storming around the school playground, or giggling as you put the foot to the gas when out in the car, young’uns love the thrill of speed. This remote control rally racer car, whilst traditionally thought of as a present for boys, is just as equally one of the best toys for girls, too. Be it a birthday gift or in amongst the Christmas gifts, your girl will have having the power to zip about as a raucous rally driver. This gift truly is a timeless classic!
4. Family Board Game Collection
Ten classic board games beautifully presented for the whole family.
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It can be tempting to look to the oodles of new technology coming out every single day for a gift idea for an 8-year-old girl. By their age, many of their friends will have game consoles, iPads, maybe even smartphones of their own. But we all know that, fun as those things may be, they can be super isolating, too, just at a time in life when engagement with friends and family (i.e. community) is all important. This ultimate classic board game collection comes with ten classic games - including chess, backgammon, Chinese checkers, snakes and ladders and Parchisi - is housed in a gorgeous mahogany wood box with all the game pieces and instructions your girl will need to instruct the whole family in endless nights of fun.
5. Mosaic Lion Craft Kit
Beautiful and simple puzzle-like craft kit for artsy kids.
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Expressing oneself in art - from doodling and singling to yourself to more complex forms - is integral to a child’s development, especially early on in school. As they learn about the ancient Romans and Greeks of the Old World, they’ll also learn about the stunning mosaics which those peoples decorated their homes with. This cool DIY craft kit helps kids express themselves in colorful ways, whilst focusing their more manic energies into a methodical and relaxing task.
6. Personalized Pink Flower Necklace
Cute cherry blossom necklace personalized with her initial.
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We are in love with this stunning, fully-customizable necklace from Etsy. You can choose the length and material of the chain, and the initial charm which hangs on it side-by-side with the gorgeous pink flower of sakura blossom. You could choose your 8-year-old girl’s first name initial, or if you were giving this to your best friend, you could choose to give them a necklace with your own initial. Different material options (leather, silver-plate, sterling silver, etc.) to suit different budgets, this is a gift which will make your little girl feel truly special.
7. Kids Dinosaur Bath Bombs
Eye-catching bath bombs concealing secret dinosaur toys.
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Young girls and boys alike are grubby little creatures. Getting them to bathe frequently enough to stay clean and not caked in mud, snot, paint and glitter is a difficult task for any parent. But with these insanely cool bath bombs, enticing your eight-year-old to the tub is a whole lot easier. Each of these five bath bombs is a different color, turning the water of the bath into an iridescent rainbow, and once they’re all dissolved revealing a small dinosaur at their center for your kid to play with whilst they bathe. Available for a very reasonable price from an independent Etsy seller.
8. Crayola Washable Paint Set
Ten jars of washable and non-toxic paint for painting.
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Speaking of kids being grubby little creatures... At 8-years-old there’s little young girls like to do more than paint pictures and paintings to gift to their friends and family, hang up on their walls, or present to their teachers. Those of us who have to deal with the clean-up, however, know just how messy painting can get. This Crayola paint set comes with a wide range of colors in ten different paint tubs, each of which are washable, meaning that they can easily be removed from skin (and surfaces!) once the fun is over.
9. Classic Fiction: ‘Charlotte’s Web’
The “perfect” kids book: a story of love, friendship and life.
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Charlotte’s Web has stuck with the kids who read it well into their adulthoods, ever since it was first published in 1952. There are, of course, lots of other exciting more modern books out their for little girls (we’ll get to those), but sometimes you just can’t beat a classic. Charlotte’s Web is ideal for 3rd Grade readers, and tells the tale of young Fern, a girl who rescues a baby pig from the axe, and the spider which talks to them both from her web high up in Fern’s dad’s barn. A story of love, life, death and friendship, Charlotte’s Web opens children’s minds whilst entertaining them thoroughly.
10. Super Sensory Fidget Ball
A fidget ball to distract and engage restless young girls.
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Sometimes, and especially in the age of instant, continuous content, you may find that you’re young ones are easily distracted, or cannot properly focus on tasks. Some children are born with autism, or other neuro-divergent disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). Whether your 8-year-old girl has been diagnosed with such a condition or not, this super sensory fidget ball has bright colors, strange shapes, and interesting textures which together combine to make a toy which can help to settle nervous energies and engage a restless child. Super affordable, this would make a great stocking stuffer, or birthday gift to a distant relative or friend.
11. iCalm Tantrum Resolution Game
Space-themed card game to help young girls navigate emotions.
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This has to be one of the very best gift ideas on this 8-year-old girls gift guide. We just adore the concept behind this board game for daughters and parents. The iCalm Tantrum Resolution Game is simple. You play the alien crew of a UFO who have just survived the big bang but are now confused, scared, and frustrated. The game has a lovely game board and gorgeous game pieces, as well as 40 scenario cards and a 28-page storybook. With these, you and your little girl navigate a universe of emotions, and learn how to cope with them by employing nine calming techniques to help restore the galaxy to emotional calm, and save it from emotional chaos! The perfect board game for anyone whose little girl is struggling to deal with their emotions.
12. Forest Crystal Growing Kit
American forest-themed chemistry kit for growing cool crystals.
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At eight years old, kids will just be starting to learn about chemistry - how basic rules work, the role chemistry plays in our world, and more. However, they’re still too young to be carrying out many experiments in school. That’s why we think this chemistry crystal growing kit makes such an awesome gift for young girls and boys. Kids get to decorate paper versions of classic American trees (sequoia and cactus) with a crystalline solution. As it dries, crystals grow and form into the leaves and spikes of these plants - a chemical reaction which the birthday girl will watch in awe. The perfect DIY crystal growing kit to encourage an enthusiasm for science.
13. Kids Books Bucket List
Scratch-off wall poster encouraging youngsters to read the classics.
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At eight, your girl will be reading more and more complex chapter books than ever before. Or, at least, she’ll likely have the capability to. However, encouraging children to read for their own pleasure, rather than just for homework, can be a challenge. This cool, fun, colorful wall poster for your girl’s bedroom contains scratch-off panels for 100 of the world’s finest children’s books. The idea is that once your girl has completed one of the books on the bucket list, she scratches off the panel to reveal the image underneath, gradually unveiling a poster charting her impressive reading history! An equally perfect gift for the avid reader as for the struggling one.
14. Washable Fabric Marker Pens
Decorative and washable pen set for budding fashion designers.
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It would be a shame to discourage your kid from expressing themselves by designing their own clothes, drawing new shapes and patterns on old t-shirts or colouring in the hem of a skirt. But let’s face it, no-one can afford to replace clothes every time they get ruined like that. That’s where the ‘Wash Out Fabric Marker Artist Pack’ from Doodle comes in. These colorful double-ended marker pens are designed to work on fabric, allowing young girls to decorate their clothes to their heart’s content, whilst parents can rest easy knowing the colors will come right out in the wash!
15. Kids Quad Roller Skates
Blue, pink and white roller skates for recreational exercise.
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Roller skates are back with a vengeance. Popular throughout the 70s and 80s, the 2020s have seen millions of kids, teens and young adults all around the world pick up a set of classic quad skates and get twirling, whether at home, or out at the park. Roller skates are such a fun way for children to get a bit of exercise, whilst bonding with their friends down at the skate park. Safer and easier to get to grips with compared to skateboards and inline skates, these quad skates are a gift that eight-year-old girl of yours will look back on from adulthood with a great deal of fondness.
16. Lion King Soft Toy
Pumba the warthog Lion King soft Disney plush toy.
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We’ve talked a lot so far in this gift guide about the surprising maturity of most eight-year-old girls. And yet, they are still girls! Still youngsters who love fantastical realms of magic and talking animals, who love Disney films and plush cuddly toys they can take to bed with them, take on holiday, or take to a sleepover at their best friend’s house. This Pumba plush soft toy is hilarious and super fluffy: a comical companion that will make them feel safe and remind them of one of their favorite films whenever they hold it.
17. National Geographic Marble Run
Massive marble run kit for hours of rainy day fun.
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Do you remember building marble runs as a kid? We certainly do! They gave us (and our hamsters!) many, many hours of fun - building complex courses and racing to see whose marbles could take the coolest and speediest journey from start to finish line. The marble run set is created by National Geographic and available for a reasonable price on Amazon. Solo fun or fun with friends, this is one of those bigger gift ideas that would be ideal to gift a grandchild or niece.
18. Pretty Play Makeup Box
Child-friendly makeup box with blush, lipstick, and nail stickers.
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There’s no doubt in our minds, when girls watch their moms and/or dads putting on makeup before a night out, they’re going to want to try it out for themselves. Thing is, adult makeup is expensive, and tailored to the various reasons adults wear it. In a word, its not really appropriate for young people. This makeup box from Pretty Play includes sparkly lip balm, blush, eye shadow and even a sheet of nail stickers with which your eight-year-old girl can make herself up to look however she wishes: princess or punk rocker!
19. Fold-and-Go Barn
Portable wooden barn complete with wooden farmyard animals.
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It’s often the simplest toys which stay in our hearts the longest. For us, it was the wooden playsets, delicately painted to make them seem precious in our tiny hands. We especially loved these realistic plastic barnyard animals, including a cow, horse, turkey, goat and sheep dog, which can be stored away in this classic Melissa & Doug two-storey red and white barn. It’s all portable, too, meaning it can be taken to a friend’s house or to school for show-and-tell. Kids love farm animals, and imagining that they’re the farmer sent to take care of them. 8-year-old girls are no exception.
20. Micro Scooter and Helmet
Purple scooter and helmet set for young extreme sports fans.
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Micro scooters, just like quad roller skates, have swung right back into fashion. You’ll have doubtlessly seen scores of electric scooters ferrying urbanites around your local town or city. Micro scooters are the child- (and budget-) friendly alternatives to those faster and more expensive adult versions. Kids love to go fast, and are inspired by their surroundings to explore and traverse them in unique ways. A micro scooter and helmet combo make an excellent main gift idea for Christmas, or their birthday.
21. Pandora Butterfly Charm Bracelet
Gorgeous sterling silver snake chain bracelet finished with butterfly charm.
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Pandora have been designing and producing the world’s finest quality charm bracelet’s for decades at this point, and today their collection spans bracelets and necklaces for men, women, and even children. This butterfly charm snake-chain charm bracelet is super cute, with heart details in the butterfly’s wings and sparkling zirconia beads to elevate its elegance. One of the more deluxe and thus expensive gifts on this gift guide, its nevertheless a sure fire way to show a daughter or granddaughter how much they mean to you.
22. Bluetooth Karaoke Kids Microphone
Portable home karaoke, easy-to-use kids Bluetooth microphone.
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If you’re looking for a gift which combines technology with good old fashioned family bonding, allowing your girl to embrace her creative, performative self and have a heck of a lot of fun in the process, then look no further! Here’s a great gift idea you’ll actually find on a lot of other gift guides for 8-year-olds, 9-year-olds, even 5-year-olds. We pride ourselves here at It’s Giftology on the unique content of our guides, but sometimes a good idea is simply a good idea, and so we overlap. Here we have a Bluetooth microphone which links up to a variety of music streaming services, allowing your kid to sing along to their favorite songs, either solo or at their birthday party! With almost 12,000 positive reviews on Amazon, you know your little girl is going to have a karaoke ball.
23. Walmart Wooden Wendy House
Playhouse with working doorbell and chalkboard for garden fun.
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Kids learn by observation and imitation, which is probably why so many little girls are so keen to emulate their stay-at-home parents by playing house, chef, mummies and daddies - all the classics! Whilst certainly the most expensive gift on this 8-year-old girls gift guide, we think that if you’re looking to gift the young’un in your life with something extra extra special, then investing in this Bancroft wooden playhouse from Walmart is a very good way to go. With a “cozy cottage appearance”, this Wendy house can fit up to three kids, and even comes with a working doorbell, so that they can truly fulfil their house-owning fantasies. Your kid will be the envy of the neighborhood with this incredible gift.
24. Harry Potter Paperback Boxset
All the paperback Harry Potter books in one gorgeous boxset.
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Harry Potter is one of the biggest bestseller phenomena in the history of fiction. It revolutionized children’s and young adults’ literature and has acquired a huge and loyal fanbase generation after generation. Parents of today’s eight-year-olds (and probably even their grandparents) were raised on Harry Potter, so why not help their/your children to lose themselves in that magical world with the original books which sparked it all off. Let them read the books first, then hit them with the movies! You’ll change their outlook on life for the better, we promise.
25. Paint-Your-Own Squishies
Squishy toy DIY paint set for crafty and relaxing fun.
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Is there any better toy than one you had a hand in making? We think not. That’s why places like Build-A-Bear Workshop have become so phenomenally popular over the years. But building a bear there can be darn expensive. Here, instead, is a much more affordable but equally cute option. A set of cuddly and sweet squishy toys which come all-white, with paints and paintbrushes, ready for your kid to paint however they like, before getting to the squishing and displaying that’s the other half of the fun.
26. LEGO Friends Spaceship Set
LEGO set designed to be enjoyed with friends, inspiring imagination.
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LEGO Friends is a series designed for kids to build and play with their friends. This 8+ LEGO set will challenge your young girl’s creativity and logistical abilities, making it a pretty great STEM toy as well as a purely enjoyable one. What’s more, “Olivia’s Space Academy” is perfect for young girls who could do with some encouragement to reach for the stars and believe in their dreams.
27. Complete Tie-Dye Kit
Everything she’ll need to design herself a totally groovy wardrobe!
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Tie-dye has, let’s face it, always been cool, but the art of it seems to have fallen out of use. Now, thanks to the wonders of the internet, you can find the kit you need to do it once again, DIY, at home. This complete tie-dye kit walks the birthday girl step-by-step through the process of designing her own t-shirts, skirts, shorts and jackets. It comes with a bucket, two pairs of gloves, rubber bands, instructions, and eight bottles of dye. Messy, but a heck of a lot of fun and imaginative play!
28. Personalized Family Cartoon T-Shirt
White cotton t-shirt designed to feature everyone in the family.
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Let’s end this list with one of the coolest gifts for 8-year-olds we can think of: something which looks good, but also keeps their families close at heart. A high-quality cotton white t-shirt printed with cartoon versions of every member of the family doing the thing they love the most. Dad riding his bike, the other dad painting, baby sister smooshing food around her mouth, older brother dancing, and the birthday girl in question singing, playing soccer, writing - whatever it is is her passion! Uncommon Goods is a site full of unique and interesting gifts for kids and adults alike, and this is one of the finest.