When children reach the age of eight, their inquiries into the world around them become more in-depth. They might try to recreate what they see, take things apart, or conduct cause-and-effect experiments at home. They also know more about themselves and what they like, which means they have more ideas about how to dress, what accessories to wear, and how to decorate their bedrooms.
So how would you surprise them? There are no hard and fast rules for this because 8-year-olds are pretty hard to impress. The first thing that comes to our mind when we think of surprising kids is toys. But what kind of toys for 8-year-old girls and boys include STEM-related education? Check out a list of such educative, creative, and thought-provoking toys for 8-year-old girls and boys.
Now apart from toys for 8-year-old girls and boys, how else can you surprise them?
They’d also like to make their jewelry, make their clothes, or make crafts to decorate their rooms. Then there are the little things that are just for fun, like the ever-popular fidget toys, which are great gifts for kids to get for their stockings. Some of our favorite surprise ideas are listed below.
1. Invite Your Child to a Special Date With You!
A nice invitation will get kids excited about going on a date with you, and kids love to get extra attention. Toys for 8-year-old girls can never top the excitement of a tea party date with their favorite humans (you!). Set the table with their favorite colors, play sets, and a candle to set up the right vibe. Bring their favorite cookies if it’s a day date and their favorite dinner dish if it’s a dinner date. Help them into their best dresses or whatever they wish to wear and viola, you have created a core memory for them!
2. Create a “Yes Day” for Your Child
A “yes day” is a day when you accept every idea and suggestion from your child, even if they are out of the ordinary (like eating breakfast on the kitchen countertop). You can still prohibit the child from breaking certain rules, such as refraining from dangerous activities. But it can be really fun for both of you to let the child decide what you will do! You can start with a “yes morning” to see how it goes if you are not prepared for a full day of this.
3. Decorate Your House
The best way to plan a surprise at home is to make everything before the child goes to bed. This way your 8-year-old has a surprise waiting for them in the morning. Try these simple suggestions:
- Put a sweet message for the child on their bathroom mirror and let your imagination run wild with its decoration You can use a dry-erase marker or a window marker to do this.
- Invite your 8-year-old to pop a balloon with a note inside. This note could be just a love note from you or an invitation to a surprise activity. Fill the living room with them at night and they will be thrilled to find them in the morning.
- Put sweet notes for the child all over the house, where you know they will be able to find them easily throughout the day.
4. Plan a Free Day in The Middle of The Week
If you are a working parent, scheduling a free day in the middle of the week can be a wonderful way to surprise your child! You can continue with your usual morning routine and inform your kid that you will spend the entire day together just before you arrive at preschool. This surprise will delight any child irrespective of age! You can plan a lot of fun things to do together during the day that you don’t usually get to do during the week, like participating in a workshop, going to the zoo, and eating lunch together.
5. Set Up a Playdate!
Plan a surprise playdate with your child’s best friends’ parents and arrange a surprise playdate. Kids will be delighted to see their friends unexpectedly passing by!
6. Who Doesn’t Love Game Nights?!
Make a movie, a game night, or a special game night for the family. There are many ways to make a family night special:
- Plan a film race with your kid’s #1 motion pictures
- Purchase another tabletop game and piece it together
- Welcome your kid’s best friend to go along with you for a game evening or a film night
7. Prepare a Surprise Celebration
You don’t need a special occasion to celebrate! You can simply inform your child that you want to celebrate your happiness at having such a wonderful child. You can also throw a small “birthday” party for their favorite doll or stuffed animal.
8. Throw a Lavish Dinner
No surprise is simpler than spicing up your dinner menu or just adding some extra elements to it. Here are some suggestions for elevating the dinner experience:
- For dinner, make your child’s favorite dish.
- Bake a mini-cake or some delicious muffins for dessert, or buy them.
- Use the party supplies you already have in the house, like party plates, balloons, hats, and confetti, to make dinner special.
- Make a handmade card for your child with a sweet message.
- Built a nice fort inside it with a table, a blanket, decorations, and a celebration.
A Final Word
Surprising an 8-year-old may or may not be a task depending on your child’s personality. Toys for 8-year-old girls and boys are one of the easiest ideas to surprise them but then isn’t that too simple? Go a little bit further to create unforgettable core memories for them by amping up their everyday activities like dinner, playdates, movie time, and others.
FAQs
1. What do 8-year-olds like to play with?
Jump rope, biking, rollerblading, ball games, and hopscotch are all great for building muscle. Also enjoy drawing, braiding, cutting, jigsaw puzzles, weaving, woodworking, and basic sewing, all of which require fine motor skills. In games and toys, incorporate reading, writing, and basic math.
2. What to buy for 8 years old?
Here’s a list of things you can buy for your 8-year-old:
- Games and toys.
- Science kits and toys
- Games for boards
- Foam blaster toys
- Sets for making toys
- Puzzles with jigsaw pieces
- Games of cards
- Tablets with graphics
3. How many presents should an 8-year-old have?
The “rule of three” indicates that a child receives three gifts, one for each present that Jesus the baby received. Others hold four beliefs: something to wear, something to read, something you want, something you need, and something to want. Additionally, some entirely adhere to other guidelines.
