Gifts for Tweens and Kids Aged 8 to 12

Drones, experiment kits and robots to build: science gifts for kids aged 8 to 12, girls and boys alike.

30 days to change your mind

Our gift ideas for ages 8 to 12 (54)

All prices Under $30 $30 to $60 $60 to $100 $100 and up

Can't decide? Four ways to choose

The gift they want to try the minute the wrapping comes off.

Micro Drone

  • Built to stand up to drops and bumps
  • Simple controls, 6 to 8 minutes of flight per battery
from $79.99Choose

Junior Telescope

  • 70 mm lens, two eyepieces and a 3x Barlow lens
  • A smartphone holder and a Moon filter in the box
$182.99Add

80s Robot Toy

  • 369 pieces to build, then drive by remote or app
  • Runs on a rechargeable battery once assembled
$67.99Add
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A kid aged 5 to 8 A teenager A space fan Gift boxes

Gifts for tweens and kids aged 8 to 12 work best when they can be built, flown or examined with their own hands. At this age, typical science gifts are drones, magnetic building sets, electricity kits, robots to assemble and microscopes. For a 10 year old, girl or boy, the minimum age shown on each product is the first thing to check.

Toys for 10 year olds, by what they love

Experiments

With the Electric Circuit Kit ($79.99), colored modules snap onto a base to spin a fan, set off an alarm or launch an air rocket: a hands-on way to see how a circuit works. In the Chemical Garden Kit ($44.99), colorful crystals start rising from the bottom of a small jar within a few hours, a slow piece of chemistry to check on day after day. The Magic Sakura Tree ($24.99) blooms within a few hours once its paper branches are wetted with the solution provided, no green thumb required.

Building and flying

The Micro Drone (from $79.99) is designed to be easy to fly and to take drops and bumps, which helps on a first flight; each battery gives 6 to 8 minutes in the air. The Drone for 8 Year Olds ($79.99) goes from air to land to water, and is made for pilots aged 8 and up. The Wall Climbing Gecko ($49.99) climbs walls and creeps across the ceiling, with red LED eyes that intrigue the whole family.

Space and stars

The Galaxy Light Projector ($74.99) turns a bedroom into a small planetarium and helps kids learn the constellations, from Ursa Major to Orion. The Cosmonaut Robot Galaxy Projector ($104.99), a little astronaut riding a rocket, projects 13 scenes: the solar system, nebulae and galaxies. To aim at the Moon, the Childrens Telescope ($99.99) comes on a short aluminum stand, with two eyepieces, a finder scope and a compass. More ideas are waiting among our space gifts.

Nature and microscopes

The Mini Microscope for Kids ($36.99) fits in a pocket and magnifies 60x to 120x, with an LED light, for close looks in the backyard or on a walk. The Handheld Digital Microscope with Screen ($74.99) goes from 200x to 1000x, shows the image on its 2-inch screen and comes with 6 prepared slides and a 32GB memory card. The Dinosaur Egg Dig Kit ($49.99) is a prehistoric dig: 24 figurines to free with a hammer, scrapers and a brush.

How much to spend on a gift for an 8 to 12 year old?

BudgetExamplesWho it suits
Under $30Drinking Bird Toy ($19.99), DIY Ball Launcher Kit ($19.99)A classmate's birthday party, or a small extra to slip in with a bigger gift
$30 to $60Da Vinci Catapult Kit ($44.99), Mini Microscope for Kids ($36.99)The handy kid who wants to see a build actually work, or the backyard explorer
$60 to $100Drone With Camera For Kids (from $94.99), Handheld Digital Microscope with Screen ($74.99)A first drone with a camera, or a closer look at cells and grains of sand
$100 and upJunior Telescope ($182.99), Robotic Hand Kit ($119.99)A big birthday or holiday gift for a future astronomer or engineer

Gifts for 8 year olds and up: what changes by 12

The gap between 8 and 12 is wide. An 8 year old, girl or boy, wants a quick result: a bulb that lights up, a drone that takes off, crystals that grow overnight. By 11 or 12, kids will happily take on a longer, more technical build, like a robot with a few hundred pieces or the Robotic Hand Kit ($119.99), recommended from age 10, whose fingers move through water-filled tubes. The age on each product is a minimum: never go below it. A kit to share with a brother, a sister or a parent also keeps the fun going long after the gift is opened.

For a younger child, see our ideas for ages 5 to 8; from 13, our gifts for teenagers take over. You can also browse our gift boxes.

Frequently asked questions

What are good gifts for tweens?

Between 9 and 12, kids want something that really works, not a toy that looks like one. The Robotic Hand Kit ($119.99), recommended from age 10, has 200+ parts and moves its fingers with water-filled tubes, no batteries needed. The Ferrofluid In A Bottle ($22.99), for ages 8 and up, bristles into spikes when a magnet comes near. The Building Block Aquarium Set ($74.99) has 725 pieces that snap together into an ocean scene lit by LEDs.

What are good gifts for 10 year olds?

Start from what they already enjoy doing. A builder will like the Da Vinci Catapult Kit ($44.99): 98 pre-cut wooden pieces fit together with no glue, then it launches small projectiles. A curious mind will spend hours with the Handheld Digital Microscope with Screen ($74.99), which shows cells or grains of sand on its own screen. For the bedroom, the Galaxy Star Projector ($107.99) comes with 7 interchangeable films and white, yellow or blue light.

What are good gifts for 8 year olds?

At 8, kids want a quick, concrete result. The Drone for 8 Year Olds ($79.99) is made for pilots aged 8 and up, in the air, on land and on water. The Hand Crank Generator Kit ($24.99) lights a real LED with nothing but a wheel turned by hand, no batteries needed. The Mini Microscope for Kids ($36.99), recommended from age 6, magnifies 60x to 120x and slips into a pocket. Always check the age shown on each product before choosing.

What are good gifts for an 8 year old girl?

At 8, girls like building, observing and experimenting just as much as boys do, so start from her interests. If she likes to create, the 3D Pen for Kids Starter Set ($59.99) draws in 3D at low temperature, with 3 spools of filament included. If she looks at the sky, the Childrens Telescope ($99.99), for ages 8 and up, has two eyepieces and a compass. If she likes to watch things change, the Chemical Garden Kit ($44.99) grows crystals in a few hours.

What are good gifts for 12 year olds?

At 12, kids accept a longer build and a more technical result. The 80s Robot Toy ($67.99) has 369 pieces to assemble, then moves by remote control or from an app. The Junior Telescope ($182.99) comes with a 3x Barlow lens, a Moon filter and a smartphone holder for photos of the night sky. To go further, see our gifts for teenagers, which start at 13.

Can I exchange the gift if they don't like it?

Yes. You have 30 days to change your mind, enough time to give the gift and see whether it gets used or stays in its box. If it doesn't suit, you can return it within that period. There is also free shipping on orders over $59.90, handy if you add a small extra for a brother or sister.