Christmas Present Ideas for an 8-Year-Old Boy

You can find the perfect toy your 8-year-old boy will love.boy playing with new toy image by sonya etchison from Fotolia.com

Shopping for an 8-year-old boy's Christmas present can be a challenge, but there are many choices in this age range for kids with a variety of interests. As you look through the science and nature toys, sports-related toys and games, you will discover the perfect Christmas present for the boy on your gift list.

Science and Nature Toys

Fascinated by science and nature, many 8- year-old boys would love to receive a present from this category. Planet Frog, a live frog habitat from Uncle Milton Industries, Inc., is escape-proof, break-resistant and comes with plastic plants and a pond. Zero Toys offers the Zero Blaster, a toy gun that launches fog rings up to 14 feet by using the same non-toxic liquid use to make special effects fog in movies. The Voice Changer, from Schylling, lets kids change, distort, and lower their voices with push-button settings. Thames & Kosmos has a Physics Discovery Kit that comes with supplies to build 12 models that demonstrate fundamentals of mechanical physics and teaches kids about simple machines and forces.

If the 8-year-old boy on your list is into sports, consider The Discover Channel's Virtual Distance Football, which measures how far you throw or kick the ball. PlayTV Snowboarder, from Radica, is a plug-and-play video game that includes a realistic snowboard controller that lets the player feel like he's hitting the slopes for real. Pro Performance Sports offers a Pro Mini Hoop, a realistic-looking basketball goal that can be installed indoors on the back of a door. The Safe Aim Archery Set, from One Step Ahead, includes safe suction-cup arrows, a target, a stand, and an easy-to-pull bow.

The large variety of games for this age makes this a fun shopping category. The Spill Your Guts Human Body Game, from Learning Resources, allows kids to pretend to be surgeons. Hearthsong has a best-selling game, the Domino Race Set, in which you compete to see who can make the fastest-falling domino line. Magnetic Silly Faces, from Lee Publications, lets kids mix and match magnetic facial features to make hundreds of silly faces. The Nerf Dart Tag Targeting Set is a dartboard game that encourages kids to have exciting Nerf battles.