This $23 Mind Puzzle Keeps Kids Entertained for Hours

As the holidays roll around, when it comes to shopping for gifts for kids, 8-year-old boys are at an in-between stage. They're still into toys, but they're looking for ones that offer something more, be it a mental challenge to complete, an outlet for their energy or a way to express their creativity. By now, you might know what topics engage them more deeply and can try to find a way to nurture those interests, be it through STEM sets or art kits. And yet you still want to get them items that offer lots of opportunities for fun, be it by encouraging pretend play, getting them outside and active, working their critical-thinking skills or teaching them something cool, like a new art skill or how to code.

In order to find the absolute best toys for kids, the toy experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute keep track of trends and test the most promising toys on the market. After evaluating them for safety and easy of use — and to make sure they're not too annoying for parents — the toys are handed over to kid testers, who play with them in order to find out which toys and games 8-year-olds return to again and again. Some of our recommendations below are even past or present Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award winners, along with bestsellers and editor picks. When all factors were considered, these emerged as the best toys and gifts for 8-year-old boys in 2022.

This year, educational toys seem to hit the top of the list, along with board games to play with the family, brain teasers and puzzles and fidget toys to keep things fun.