35 Best Toys and Gifts for 8-Year-Old Girls, Tested by Kids and Experts

Give them an outlet for their culinary enthusiasm without having to pre-heat 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, too. No age recommendation given

The Artie 3000, a Good Housekeeping engineer favorite, is 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 and then Artie will draw the design on a piece a paper. It's a great blend of art and science. Ages 7+

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 and even a symbol to add after the name. 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

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+

Kids can DIY their own fashion accessories with this kit, which lets them choose a paper flower and a jewel to go on top, then easily stamps into a hair. They can layer the flowers in their hair for lots of flair! Ages 6+

This set introduces kids to the basics of 3D printing, allowing them to build three-dimensional representations of objects by adding layer upon layer of plastic from thin filaments. The pen is great for reinforcing creativity, spatial awareness and fine motor skills. Ages 6+

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

A little art, a little craft, a little science and a cute room decoration at the end — what more could an 8-year-old want? When it's done, they'll have a lantern they've designed and styled themselves that not only works, it lights up in 13 different colors. Ages 8+

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 a 3D character, including a mesh form, snap-in eyes, a heart charm, a looping hook, yarn and instructions. Ages 8+

Get their brains working in three dimensions as they try to solve this geometry-based puzzle. Players get a challenge card that uses the Kanoodle pieces to create the beginning of a 3D shape, then they have to use their wits to try and figure out how the rest of the pieces fit in. There are 200 challenges to complete, and it all fits nicely into a carrying case so you can take it on the go. Ages 7+

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+

Even the experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute Textiles Lab approved this one — it teaches kids to use a sewing machine, but uses preloaded 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 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+

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+

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

When kids put on these virtual-reality goggles, they'll see the pages of this atlas come to life! They will learn about geography, history, science, topography, food, currency, culture and cuisine in an immersive way. For example, they can watch the Colosseum get build in augmented reality, then hit the hotspot button to go explore more of Rome. 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 badger, there are plenty of other Squishmallow animals and other friends to choose from. Ages 3+

Pinxies is a different kind of building set, one that uses decorated paperboard pieces and plastic links to connect them. Good Housekeeping Institute experts appreciated that the Pinxies line is authenticated by stem.org, but kid testers just really loved the design of the sets. Ages 6+