Found! The Best Birthday Present for Kids

I looked through this to see if anyone asked about that cake… It looks so good! Did y’all make it? Is there a recipe somewhere?

My 8-year old always loooooves Lego. And Kapla blocks (do they have those in the US?) Basically, they are just plain pieces of wood and kids can go all over the place with them.

I am looking for fun things for 8-year olds that sparkle their creativity and can keep them busy. There’s plenty of Lego in our house, and I really would love to entertain my kid with something else than Lego. If anyone has tips? Would MagnaTiles still be fun at 8 years old?

My 8-year old loves to create worlds, he loves making up stories while playing with toys. Also he loves building whatever comes to mind. If anyone has any fun creative tips I would looooove that!

PS: If you are looking for fun Lego things but don’t want to buy an entire set just for 1 minifigure, I highly recommend Bricklink. It’s active all over the world and it’s a dedicated community of Lego lovers and works like a charm!

PS: We have also had a lot of fun playing Rummikub. That game is timeless if you ask me.

We’re in the toddler crew at our house but our gift of choice to the under-5 group is a bubble machine with a huge refill bottle!

In the same vein: A good gift for a slumber party of smaller kids is a tiny flashlight for each kid. Lights out, and they’ll stay in their beds/sleeping bags forever, shining the lights around the room, incredibly entertained.

We just bought a house that had been rented for the last few years, to students at the local university. My husband and I kept nervously driving past the house while we were under contract, and those college kids FOR SURE had a multicolored/color changing/semi-strobe light situation as their primary decor in the living room. Proof that this gift should work for kids up through 22 at least!

The light bulb is also an awesome new parent present. Red light doesn’t wake you up, but it provides just enough light so that you can help your nursing barracuda, oh I mean baby, latch in the right place. And you don’t have to fiddle with a light switch while you’re half-asleep.

I gave my twin niece & nephew a portable hue lamp for their 1st birthday, because they were obsessed with lights. They could easily switch it on and off and could haul it around, too. Plus: it’s been a year and the lamp is still working, despite the tough love it receives. ;)

Added bonus: parents can use the lamp and control it via phone, too. The colours can be switched like the light bulb mentioned in the post, It’s great for mood lighting or as a night lamp, too.

Also, how can Anton be eight already? Wasn’t he just a baby? :O

Highly recommend the Beamo- it’s a lightweight (but giant!) fabric frisbee that can fly up to 75+ feet. Easy for young (age 5) kids to throw but super fun for all ages.

Wait what?! ANTON IS EIGHT??!!

These suggestions are great! Getting together with the whole family, at last, in a month and will be in a cabin with lots of adults and 3 kiddos. Excited to be the favorite aunt!

Joanna, was that picture taken in England? I am sort of obsessed with Johnson Brothers china and also with soup plates, and those are delightful!
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This rotating disco lightbulb is fun, too. Actually my older sons (13 and 11) think pretty much everything from this site is cool. :)
https://www.vat19.com/item/rotating-disco-light-bulb

We’re stocked up on these Super Duper Darts for birthday gifts (from the most random of websites). They’re crazy cheap, fairly big and have impressive sticking power–especially for their light foam weight. My boys (ages 7 and 5) as well as my husband and myself love to throw them against the wall or ceiling.

https://www.christianbook.com/super-duper-dart/pd/235505?event=ESRCG

My genius idea (that’s so good I am almost reluctant to share!) — a pancake pen. I have given one to almost every 1-year-old I know. And I use it every holiday and birthday to make theme pancakes for my kiddo. So it’s kind of a gift the parents use, but kids love it and use it for YEARS.

This is the year that my kids (7&8) will be getting one of those $6 barrels of cheese balls from the grocery store. It won’t be the only gift, but I expect it to blow their minds!

THIS. IS. GENIUS.
I don’t know a single kid who wouldn’t love this!

My 9-year-old received one as a present and it’s definitely a hit. Previously he would sneak the remote from my bedroom that controls the upstairs lamps, so it was a double win! Ours even has an up/down option that offers a very low-light option for a nightlight.

My husband bought one of these for our kids but didn’t tell them. They were hanging out in their room and he was controlling it from another room. It blew their minds! Then when they called out “You guys! Check this outtttttt!” He would turn back to regular light just when we opened the door. It was hilarious. They are 8 and 12 so old enough not to be freaked out and loved the gag when it was all revealed. So fun. Especially during lockdown. Happy Birthday A! You guys always pick spot on gifts.

For older kids into music you can get an inexpensive shower speaker. If you want to spend a little more add a gift card for their favorite music streaming service.

And when your kids are at that middle school awkward period where they won’t commit to anything that could embarrass them, generic gift cards are OK! I sometimes add a “birthday cake flavor” chocolate bar or pack of gum to make it more festive.

Genius! Wishing these were around when my kids were going to Birthday parties every week!

When my eldest was 6 or 7, I turned some of her artwork into a hardcover photobook with her name on the cover. She was gobsmacked!

Walkie talkies have been a major hit for us!

These pop it’s are a thing with the under 12 crowd! https://www.amazon.com/Sensory-Silicone-Pressure-Relieving-Children/dp/B08SLZ712T/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=pop+it&qid=1624300482&sprefix=pop+it&sr=8-9
It’s like bubble wrap that never ends. Originally marketed for kids who have sensory difference, it turns out that everyone loves them. Including my husband, who pops one while reading his book after the kids have gone to bed.

I recently gifted my two kiddos binoculars and they looooove them. Fun for walks and any old time they want to play “adventurers.” If your kids love to embody Bear Grylls, as mine do, then binoculars will be a hit.

My niece was thrilled to receive a multicolor retractable ballpoint pen (6 in 1 I think) when she was 7 or 8. A present doesn’t have to be super expensive or high tech to blow a little kid’s mind.