35 Best Toys and Gifts for 8-Year-Old Girls, According to Real Elementary Schoolers

With this kit, they'll be expressing their style in no time! It makes it easy for them to paint their nails neatly, then stamp a cool design on top. "It was fun and easy to clean if a mistake was made," one tester said. Ages 7+

Give them an outlet for their culinary enthusiasm without having to preheat the oven. With your supervision, they can make 12 cake pops at a time (sticks included) in five minutes, and then get creative frosting and decorating them. No age recommendation given

This kit makes it easy for her to whip up her friendship bracelets. It comes in several color combos, there's a clip at the top and slots at the bottom to hold works in progress in place, and drawers help organize the pre-cut threads. Ages 8+

Lots of 8-year-olds want to personalize their rooms, and a neon name sign is a cool touch that doesn't overdo it. You can choose the size, the font, the color, the power source, and even a symbol to add after the name. No age recommendation given

This ingenious device uses any Crayola marker as ink for an airbrush sprayer. It comes with stencils, but testers also liked making their own designs. It also comes with eight markers, though any from the stash will work. Ages 6+; four AA batteries required

RELATED: I'm Calling It: This Is the Best Gift for Kids This Year (and It's Under $30)

When it's time for relaxation, this little capybara gives them a sensory experience in a fidget-toy package. It comes with a pail and a water pump that can be used to give a squishy capybara a bath. Then inside, there are beads, and its belly lights up in water. Even dry, they can have fun squishing it. Ages 4+

After seeing KPop Demon Hunters, who wouldn’t want a Derpy they could snuggle up to at night? This one is a big, soft, cuddly 18 inches. “I like how it's big so it's impactful, but it's not so ginormous that it's too big to store,” one parent said. Ages 6+

To a kid, every zipper is an opportunity to hang a doodad. These feature the same vinyl face/plush body combo as Labubu, only they’re Care Bears, and their cozy outfits include a gem-covered belly badge. Ages 8+

Adults may feel a pang of nostalgia when they see kids reading the graphic novel adaptations of the beloved book series. In this sunny entry, Dawn heads out to California and thinks she may want to move there—but what would that mean for the Club? “My 9-year-old niece loves this series!” said the aunt of one of our testers. “It’s really ignited her love for reading; she really enjoys the storylines and that she’s able to read it completely by herself.” Ages 8 to 12

RELATED: The Good Housekeeping Kids' Book Awards

It's a fast-paced game of skill that will get kids working on their logic and motor coordination at the same time. A challenge card shows a pattern of blocks on the pegs, and players have to move their pieces from peg to peg—using only one hand!—to see who can match it first. “Though it’s for a family of four, my 10-year-old spent a lot of time doing some rounds on his own because he liked the mental workout," one parent tester said. Ages 8+

This kit combines kids’ love of Minecraft with their never-ending desire to do DIY personalization. It comes with a bracelet that has beads inspired by Minecraft mobs. Some of the beads are actually rolls of stickers that they can put on notebooks, on their devices, or in an included collector’s book. “The stickers were really fun to put on the cards,” one tester said. Ages 4+

TikTok sensation Kanoodle is celebrating its 20th anniversary in a big way—with more puzzles than ever before. This set comes with more than 200 puzzles and even new pieces inspired by fans. Each puzzle starts with a few pieces fit onto the grid already, then players have to see how the rest of the pieces fit in, so it’s a little workout for their brains. Ages 8+

Testers reported they had to double up and play as teams with this game—it was so much fun, people kept wanting to join in. The secret is the challenge cards: Some will ask players to do things like throw their cat-shaped bean bags over their shoulders, or some will only count points from a certain level. Ages 7+

Animal lovers get three LEGO builds in one with this set: First they can build a panda family, then take it apart and use the same pieces to make penguins or orcas. Testers liked how the animals can be posed after they're built: "The panda also has some joints to allow it to make a variety of postures," one parent tester said. Ages 8+

If they're into art, they'll love layering these transparent sheets to make a scene, tracing everything, and coloring it all in. It even lights up to make the tracing easier. The set comes with some colored pencils and tracing paper to get them started, too. Ages 6+; three AA batteries required

With a soft body and a sculpted head, this little Grogu combines the best of a stuffed animal and an interactive toy. Press his head to hear one of 50 sound and action combinations, each more adorable than the last. Ages 4+; three AA batteries included

Barbie really can do anything—including growing crystals! This STEM kit comes with the materials to make three different crystals in three colors (pink, purple, and blue). In addition, there’s information about the science of crystallography, along with a real rose quartz sample for them to inspect up close. Ages 8+

Testers loved everything about this not-sticky putty: They adored the silky texture, the cool blue color, and even the fragrance! It’s the perfect thing when they need a little pick-me-up or a quiet fidget. Ages 3+