42 Best Toys and Gifts for 8-Year-Old Girls, According to Toy Experts and Kid Testers

The Artie 3000 is a Good Housekeeping engineer favorite! It's a drawing toy that teaches kids how to code. Kids can create a design and then translate it into "drag and drop" code on a computer or tablet. Artie then draws the design your kid coded. You'll even see him spin around and lift and lower the markers! Ages 7+

Kids will get a big environmental message when they see these sculptures made from objects reclaimed from beaches and oceans. Each page also has facts about each animal, as well as a seek-and-find challenge that asks kids to look for things like lip balm or hangers in the sculptures. Good Housekeeping Institute testers reported that this was a good book for siblings, since older kids were into the information, while younger kids liked doing the seek-and-find. Ages 6 – 10

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This set comes with 100 traceable images that kids can mix and match and color in to make their own designs. They'll also get a graphite pencil, 12 colored pencils, 10 tracing sheets (so it might be wise to buy more) and 10 blank pieces of paper, and the whole thing lights up (batteries required) so they can see better. Ages 6+

Learn to knit with no knitting needles required! These projects use ultra-soft, chunky yarn that kids can knit with their fingers. Good Housekeeping Institute parent testers were amazed at the projects their kids created with this one! Ages 6+

This previous Good Housekeeping Toy Award winner comes with water-based, specially formulated nail polishes and design stamps for easy at-home manicures! The set even come with a top coat so the designs last longer, but the polish itself is supposed to be easy to remove. Ages 8+

If you're not yet initiated into the world of Nee Doh, all you have to do is give one a squish and you'll be hooked. While they come in many shapes, including balls and cats, there's something extra silly about the fruit. Ages 3+

What 8-year-old wouldn't want this cute little guy sitting on their shelf or dresser? It feels even better to put it on display when your 8-year-old makes it herself with the latch kit. It comes with everything you need to make the character, including a mesh form, snap-in eyes, a heart charm, a looping hook, yarn and instructions. Ages 8+

Give kids a solo puzzle that'll keep their minds sharp! This game flashes a series of colored lights, and then players have to try and repeat the pattern. It's a sly way to build up their memory and their fine motor coordination. Ages 7+

Every kid wants to add a little excitement into their rooms, and a personalized neon sign is a cool touch that's not overdoing it. You can choose the size, the font, the color and even a symbol to add after the name. No age recommendation given

You can choose the font, the chain length and the metal (silver, yellow gold or rose gold) for these personalized name necklaces — and she'll be thrilled to have something that is uniquely hers. You can also just go for the initial/monogram, too. No age recommendation given

Give her an outlet for her baking enthusiasm without having to pre-heat the oven. With your supervision, she can make 12 cake pops at a time (sticks included) in five minutes, and then she can have fun frosting and decorating them, too. No age recommendation given

This kit makes it easy for her to whip up her friendship bracelets. There's a clip at the top and slots at the bottom to hold the strings, and drawers help organize the pre-cut threads. No age recommendation given

This Pikachu is the perfect toy to snuggle up with, considering its sleepy vibes. And, at 18", kids can also use it as a back rest or a pillow. Ages 2+

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Keep them occupied on the go with this board, which is lit from behind and features a large drawing surface. Kids can make their creations with the included gel makers, wipe the board clean and then start again. It lights up so they can use it at night, and also has cool lighting effects. And you can even take the black panel out and use the board for tracing. Ages 6+

Even the experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab approved this one — it teaches kids to use a sewing machine, but uses pre-loaded cartridges so there's no threading. The machine also automatically senses when the fabric is in place, so there's no pedal, either. Ages 8+

They're soft. They're squeezy. They're popular on TikTok. What's not to like? If she's not into this cute griffin, there are plenty of other Squishmallow animals and other friends to choose from. Ages 0+

What's better than 30 new squishies? Ten squishies she can decorate herself! These cream-scented squishies come in a random assortment of shapes — and the real fun starts when she paints them and colors them in on her own (art supplies not included). Ages 3+

If your kid is into writing secret notes to her friends, she'd love this kit, which teaches kids more than 10 different codes, including Caesar’s Cipher and a Pigpen Code. It also sneaks in STEM lessons about topics like light waves, filters, molecules and enzymes. Ages 8+

Kids will be amazed after they cast a spell and see their Mixie creature emerge from the mist inside a crystal ball. Good Housekeeping testers found the reveal had a big "wow" factor. After its conjured, the Mixie can tell fortunes, do more spells and play games together. Ages 5+

In this make-believe laboratory, kids pretend to be a chemist for a bath and body products company. They get to make and test different cosmetic products (kind of like our Beauty Lab experts). This kit includes a lab station and 10 soapy and bubbly experiments, so your 8-year-old can get hands-on STEM learning. Ages 6+

It's good to have this on hand so they can pick up whatever project they want whenever the mood strikes. It comes with more than 1,000 pieces, including pipe cleaners, pom poms, craft sticks, felt, beads, jewels, googly eyes, string and much more. Ages 8+

The subtitle for this volume is "a no-stress, no rules" journal, so you know they're going to make it easy for you to keep up the communication with your daughter. It includes writing prompts, quizzes, drawing pages and lists to get you guys started. Ages 8+

A companion to Cat Crimes, this game turns kids into detectives. Each of the increasingly difficult challenge cards offers a list of clues as to which canine committed a crime, and kids have to put them together to deduce the culprit. It comes with 40 challenge cards, and kids can play this solo or as a team. Ages 8+

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They'll be mesmerized with this box, which unfolds into different 3D shapes, and then becomes a puzzle with the challenge of getting it back into a cube. The ultimate fidget toy, it comes in a variety of patterns. No age recommendation given

For a new twist on a fidget toy, this board is filled with a gel that has beads suspended in it. She can move the beads around with her finger or the stylus to make patterns on the background image. It comes with one two-sided background, but she can always print her own. Ages 5+

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They can take their LEGO craft creations to the next level with this set, which has all the pieces they'll need to decorate cool projects for their rooms. It comes with a note tray, a picture frame, a bracelet, adhesive and stitch-on patches, message tags, a desk tray, and a pencil pot, plus more than 800 tiles to decorate them all. Ages 8+

Good Housekeeping testers loved this game because they actually got to do real cooking with real ingredients (and test the results). The game offers challenges, like prepping one-handed or taste-testing an ingredient while blindfolded. It also comes with two child-safe knives. Ages 7+

Budding scientists will thrill to the 83 hands-on experiments in this book, which are led by the scientists from the Good Housekeeping Institute. The book goes from room to room in the house and explains the scientific concepts behind the phenomena you might find there, like why bathroom mirrors get foggy or what makes sweaty sneakers so stinky. Then, the experiments let them dive deeper into the concepts. Ages 7+

Blinger lets kids add jewels into their hair in seconds. Testers loved adding the gems to their look — it even worked on thin shirts. This set comes with the tool and 75 gems. Ages 6+

Kids can use the 335 pieces to build the coolest cupcake cafe ever. The set includes 2 mini-dolls (Emma and Andrea) and a Zobo robot figure, as well as a rotating cupcake server, a cupcake-dispensing machine, a play kitchen and a removable table and chairs. Ages 6+

If your 8-year-old loves creative toys, then a craft like this would make the perfect gift. She can create an enchanted patchwork unicorn using a variety of pre-cut stickers that are super easy to apply with glue. This set includes a paper mâché unicorn, four sheets of stickers, glitter decoupage glue and eye stickers. Ages 6+

Get her to work on her critical thinking skills with this mystery, which challenges readers to solve 20 challenging mysteries. Does she have what it takes to be the next Holmes?

Any Rainbow High student would be lucky to get this fashion closet — there are enough pieces in there to make 400 looks. But sorting them all on little hangers and in different shelves is half the fun, too. (Note: Rainbow High doll not included.) Ages 6+

Sewing craft kits are are rising trend, and we can see why, since they're creative and let kids work with their hands. With this 2019 Good Housekeeping Toy Award winner, not only can kids learn the basics of cross-stitch, they can use it to make wearable art. The kit comes with enough supplies to make 12 pendants. Ages 8+

This little guy is the Spider-Man of remote-controlled cars! It can drive up walls and ceilings, thanks to a suction-like system that keeps it from falling off (without damaging walls). Simply point the laser in the direction you want the car to go in, and watch it go! Inside the box, you'll find a zero gravity laser, one controller, a USB charging cable and an instruction guide. Ages 8+

It's a stacking game like you've never seen it before: Since you have to stack squishy cubes of putty goop, once it shifts and squishes, you don't know how it's going to affect the balancing platform. Kids have to use their strategic thinking skills to roll their slime into a ball, squish it or stretch it to keep it from falling off. The person to get rid of all their goop cubes first wins! Ages 7+

If they're not yet sure of their way around the kitchen, this will give them 50 easy recipes they can use to get started. In addition to instructions for how to make things like Ooey-Gooey Glazed Cinnamon Rolls or Totally Twisted Pasta with Cherry Tomato Sauce, it also offers tips from Good Housekeeping experts on kitchen tools and techniques. Once they've mastered these, they can move on to Good Housekeeping Kids Cook! Ages 4+

This dress was made as an homage to scientist Margaret Geller, Cartographer of the Universe. And while it's fun to wear no matter what, it really shines in the dark — literally — since the constellation pattern glow. Sizes 2T to 11/12 years

This is a great gift for kids who love to collect and trade accessories. It comes with a standout elastic, which can be used as either a bracelet or a hairband — it even changes color! Then, once she opens the bundle, she'll find four more surprise bracelets, two stickers, 100+ nail stickers and a cute scrunchie. She can hunt for rare varieties of charms! Ages 6+

Prehistoric creatures roar into three dimensions with this origami set, which features enough paper to make three copies of eight different designs. If she doesn't like dinos, there's also tropical origami. Ages 4+

From chemistry to physics, all sorts of scientific concepts leap of the page with this virtual-reality-enabled science kit. It comes with 135 pieces of equipment and step-by-step instructions where science legend Bill Nye leads kids through 50 hands-on science projects. Ages 8+

She's got big plans. Let her write them down in this notebook, which comes with 100 lined pages where she can write down her goals and dreams. No age recommendation given