The Best Toys for 8 year olds: Holiday Gift Guide 2022

The Best Toys for 8 + year olds: Holiday Gift Guide 2022

Right around this age is when shopping for kids gets a bit challenging. There are the presents you want to give them vs. the gifts they want. Some (kids) say they want something simple, like a book (yay); some say money (excuse me) or some extravagant toy. How and whatever you gift them is something you know best. What we know best is how to share a curated list of the hot toys we hope they (and you) will like. Here are 8 we love for this age category!

CLUE: Squishmallows Board Game

We love it when a favorite game we grew up with switches it up.
In CLUE: Squishmallows, up to six players can take on the roles of Leonard, Cam, Lola, and more to investigate a fabulous mansion to figure out who may be the mac n’ cheese thief. $45, Ages 8&up, amazon.com.

Psst…The Best Gifts for Babies 0-18 months: Toys and Gifts 2023

Barbie DreamHouse Adventures –Nintendo Switch

Yes, yes, we are on the Barbie train, and most likely, so is your kid. This Nintendo Switch game will allow your Barbie fan to create their perfect dream house with décor and funnel your inner fashionista with stylish outfits. $39.99 Ages:E for everyone is the recommended age but we recommend for age 8 and older. Nintendo Switch.

Lila Monetti, American Girl’s 2024 “Girl of the Year

Kids will love bringing Lila Monetti, American Girl’s 2024 “Girl of the Year,” home for the holidays. Ten-year-old Lila Monetti is a confident gymnast and first-time horseback rider from St. Paul, Minnesota who joins American Girl’s lineup of inspirational characters who impart meaningful life lessons to help girls learn and grow with confidence. Lila’s character comes to life in a beautiful, 18-inch doll, adorned in plenty of sparkle and shine from her glittery pink tank to her cool hair accessories. Kids will love her exclusive look with amber eyes and caramel-colored hair styled in two half ponytails. She is splendidly styled and ready for holiday action in a glittery pink tank and track pants with colorful sandals, bracelets, and hairbands that perfectly match her accessories. Ages 8+, $115, americangirl.com.

Super Mario Brothers Wonder

This game takes classic Mario side-scrolling gameplay to another level with the addition of Wonder Flowers. Kids will love that these game-changing items activate spectacular moments like pipes coming alive, floating through outer space, wreaking havoc as a giant Spike-Ball, and seeing even more unexpected events called Wonder effects. Kids will also love that they can choose from the largest cast of characters in a side-scrolling Mario game, including Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy and Toads. Families will enjoy being able to team up with up to three friends locally and gather around one Nintendo Switch system to experience the game-bending Wonder effects together as you tackle courses as a team and help each other on your way to the Goal Pole, working together or turning a course into a friend race to finish first! Ages 8+, $59.99, amazon.com.

Discovery #MINDBLOWN DIY Prize Pod Robot

Kids will love to construct a unique retro robot vending machine that not only highlights a cool design but also dispenses 12 prize-packed capsules for endless entertainment. Each capsule contains pieces that can be assembled into a separate toy robot, encouraging problem-solving abilities and fine motor skill development. Parents will love that kids immerse themselves in the realm of mechanical engineering with this interactive robot build kit, complete with easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions and that this captivating and educational DIY robot vending machine offers hours of engaging, hands-on playtime. Ages 8+, $24.99 , faoschwarz.com.

Kai the AI Robot

Explore the future of advanced computing technology with Kai the AI Robot. Kids will be engaged building and programming this intelligent, six-legged, app-enabled robot that uses machine learning to react to the gestures and sounds that they make. Kids will love that mechanically, KAI is a fascinating robot that can walk on six legs and rotate its upper body around 360 degrees, allowing it to turn toward any direction on the spot. Composed of 25 red LEDs, its face display can be programmed via the app to show different expressions and scrolling messages and physical gestures and sounds can be recorded and assigned to KAI’s five functions, including walk forward and backward, turn left and right, and stop. Ages 10+, $49.95

Monopoly Chance

The Monopoly Chance game is the new, high-stakes, card-flipping version of the beloved MONOPOLY game. It is a unique and colorful spin on the classic and busy families will love that it only takes about 20 minutes to play! Kids will love that instead of moving a token around the board, each player receives a token deck with Cash cards, Bankrupt cards, and strategic cards that lend an edge like the “Nope” card. Roll the die and flip over up to that many cards. Play it safe and flip over just enough cards to “cash out” or risk it all for the big bucks. Just beware of the dreaded Bankrupt card! Players compete to buy properties around the board by putting Cash cards on property spaces and sometimes over other players’ Cash but only those with the top card at the end of the round will own that property and get to add one of its buildings to their skyline. At the end of the game, the player with the longest skyline wins. Ages 8+, $14.99, amazon.com.

Faction Skyfire Target Drone

Faction Skyfire Target Drone flies by itself on autopilot, levitating and maneuvering to avoid your attacks, making for an exciting single player experience. Kids will love to rack up the hits before time runs out with Skyfire’s built-in hit detection and it will automatically land in defeat. Track your hits, accuracy and reaction times on your phone with the free Faction Battle App. Use the app to fly manually for a 2-player game of drone vs. blaster…or just have fun flying it around like a regular drone. Ages 8+, $30.99, walmart.com.

Explore MetroWest Boston

<h1>Turn Whining into Winning in MetroWest Boston</h1> From beer gardens to corn mazes, state parks to beautiful art, MetroWest Boston is a great destination for a weekend trip! Enjoy <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/get-outside/?imgoing-place=hopkinton-state-park-61a91acef30b531a665ab64d">Hopkinton State Park</a>&rsquo;s gorgeous foliage while kayaking on the lake or hiking, mountain biking, or snowshoeing on the amazing trails. In the evening, catch a play, musical, concert, art exhibition, dance performance, or immersive theatrical event at <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/culture/?imgoing-place=hopkinton-center-for-the-arts-63c03d7e0d792d753263b4d1">Hopkinton Center for the Arts</a>. Get a great night&rsquo;s sleep at one of the region&rsquo;s hotels, such as <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/where-to-stay/?imgoing-place=the-verve-hotel-boston-natick-tapestry-collection-by-hilton-61aa4790f30b531a666119e4">The VERVE</a>, with its fun and funky pop art d&eacute;cor, or <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/where-to-stay/?imgoing-place=aloft-framingham-6216279ccc891d1d0862c8c2">Aloft</a> with their pool tables and lobby games. In the morning, visit the <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/culture/?imgoing-place=danforth-art-school-61a8e11cf30b531a66592d90">Danforth Art Museum</a>, a jewel box housing 3,500+ artworks from three centuries, including groundbreaking sculptures depicting the African and African American experience by Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller. Cross the street to the <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/culture/?imgoing-place=framingham-history-center-61a8e11cf30b531a66592d92">Framingham History Center</a> to explore their new multilingual exhibit that traces the city&rsquo;s immigration story, from those fleeing the 1690s Salem Witch trials, to the Irish and Italian influx in the 1800-1900s, to the current migration of Brazilians. &ldquo;Framingham&rsquo;s Collective Journeys&rdquo; includes oral histories, interactives, and artifacts. No visit to Framingham is complete without stopping at legendary <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/eat/?imgoing-place=jacks-abby-craft-lagers-61a8e11cf30b531a66592da0">Jack&rsquo;s Abby Craft Lagers</a>, one of 17 breweries in MetroWest, where you can enjoy a flight with a schnitzel sandwich or their famous Framinghamburger. Afterwards, spend a few hours at <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/activities/?imgoing-place=level99-64a8389c51f92a351a6a3f06">Level99</a> testing each other with 50+ mental and physical escape rooms and challenges. The next day, tour the <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/where-to-stay/?imgoing-place=longfellows-wayside-inn-61aa7aa3f30b531a66621f57">Wayside Inn</a>. The oldest inn in America&rsquo;s 100-acre property includes the Old Barn, now a farm stand with displays of antique farming tools, the historic Grist Mill, and beautiful grounds containing the Longfellow Memorial Garden, the Redstone Schoolhouse from the poem &ldquo;Mary Had a Little Lamb&rdquo;, the Martha-Mary Chapel, and Josephine's Pond for fishing. Stay for a delicious gourmet meal in their historic dining room. Spend the afternoon at the <a href="https://www.metrowestvisitors.org/culture/?imgoing-place=american-heritage-museum-61a92852f30b531a665b17bf">American Heritage Museum</a>. Start your tour in the depths of a WWI trench listening to a nurse&rsquo;s first-hand account from the Western Front while bombs explode above you and the floor begins to shake. This extraordinary museum features one-of-a-kind historic aircraft, tanks, cars and rare relics from the Revolutionary War to today, in immersive exhibits and living history events. Afterwards, wander the charming shops and boutiques of downtown Hudson. <h3>MetroWest Boston offers these and many other attractions, activities and events for the whole family!</h3>

The Language Workshop For Children

After offering both group and private lessons for many years and analyzing the results over&nbsp;time, The&nbsp;Language Workshop for&nbsp;Children, founded&nbsp;in1973, has decided&nbsp;to emphasize private remote lessons at shorter intervals.&nbsp;Our skilled educators&nbsp;will&nbsp;focus their attention exclusively on the&nbsp;unique needs, learning style, and interests of your child.&nbsp;This allows a&nbsp;bond&nbsp;to develop&nbsp;between teacher and student, which&nbsp;has been&nbsp;shown to&nbsp;drastically improve retention.&nbsp; OUR METHOD&nbsp; Developed by the pioneers of language education for children, our programs bring decades of&nbsp;experience to your living room with individualized, active language classes. Each lesson is based on proven methods and materials perfected to capture your&nbsp;child&rsquo;s attention during the ages when he/she absorbs information the fastest. &nbsp;&nbsp; While other online language classes rely on videos for passive learning, we deliver interactive, and engaging lessons with native-fluent teachers. In addition, all our teachers are certified in the Thibaut&nbsp;Technique which has been featured&nbsp;in the New York&nbsp;Times, the&nbsp;Wall Street Journal, and many other well-respected&nbsp;publications.&nbsp;&nbsp; Our short one-on-one lessons give kids the chance to focus, hear pronunciation clearly, and practice speaking in their target language.  THE PROCESS&nbsp; First, students have a short meeting with our Director&nbsp;Francois&nbsp;Thibaut, in&nbsp;English, with&nbsp;their parent(s)&nbsp;present.&nbsp;Mr. Thibaut&nbsp;will determine&nbsp;the best course of study, including&nbsp;class length and&nbsp;frequency, the&nbsp;right&nbsp;teacher, lesson&nbsp;format and materials (or action games for younger students.) Then the learning&nbsp;begins!&nbsp;Mr. Thibaut will continually check in on your child&rsquo;s learning to assure they are getting the most&nbsp;of&nbsp;their&nbsp;classes.&nbsp; OTHER OFFERINGS&nbsp; We can also help your child prepare for: the French subject tests for SAT, AP &amp; CLEP, the European DELF/DALF, the Canadian TEF and other standardized testing, college entry exams, studying or traveling abroad,&nbsp;cultural changes when moving abroad,&nbsp;and much more!&nbsp; &nbsp;

Play On! Studios

Play On! Studios offers theater day camps and after-school classes on the UWS that are guaranteed to give kids a summer full of acting, music, and fun they won't soon forget! Young actors will rehearse and perform in a full production, work with professional NYC actors/teaching artists, build up their skills in a nurturing, non-competitive environment and play lots of drama games! Creative Drama Camps are perfect for kids entering grades K-4. Campers will work each week to put on a brand-new show! Each session, they will receive a script, rehearse a production, make a set and costumes, and perform their play. Kids will also play drama games, play outside (weather permitting), and have tons of fun! Musical Theater Camps are aimed at kids entering grades 4-9. In Musical Theater Performance Camp, campers put on a complete musical production in a professional NYC theater! Campers will stretch their skills with drama exercises and games, vocal coaching, field trips, and building a professional set. Our incredible teaching artists and campers come together to put on a truly remarkable show! During the school year, classes are great for beginners or more experienced actors - sing, dance, and put on a play! Whether your child is just starting out, or ready for Broadway, we&rsquo;ve got the class for them. Classes are available for grades PreK-8, after school or on Saturdays! Come play with us. &nbsp;