Thursday 14 September 2017

What to buy an 8 year old boy!

When the kids are small there is a whole range of gifts and toys you can buy, guaranteed to please and impress the youngsters but this year I have really struggled to find birthday gifts I thought he would appreciate and use. During the course of the year his interests have become more techy/ gaming balanced out by outdoor games like football and rugby. As an avid Rugby fan he already has the kit, balls, memorabilia, so not much to get there, he did however ask for a new goalkeeper kit and money towards a new handheld games console. Great, however it didn't leave much for fun presents for him to open.
I sent out a request to see what we could find that could fit onto the big boy birthday present list, here is what we had to review and feature.

Skates JD Bug 200 Matt Black Street Foldable Scooter from Skates

This street scooter offers something lightweight and a scooter that will grow with your child well into their teens/ adulthood with a maximum weight of 15.7st, it boasts adjustable handles and a wider foot plate so as your child grows and gets more adventurous and able to take on those risky stunts they will have a scooter that can handle it. We have always had scooters and a very adventurous boy with little fear! he has always outgrown the scooters so this was an ideal present for him, especially at a time we want to balance out screen time with outdoor activities. Being as he is already well used to stunt scooters he took to this with ease and found it really lightweight to manoeuvre through all his stunts and whilst transporting it, he was easily able to fold it up and carry it. Definitely a present well worth investing in if like me you have a bit of a thrill seeker on your hands, it will last for years, certainly as long as the interest is there.



Top features
  • Superior folding mechanism that folds quickly and easily with a single lever perfect for hopping on or off public transport.
  • Excellent build quality and value for money from an established brand.
  • Lighter than similar models.
  • Great for keeping up with the kids or for commuting to work/school.
  • Bigger, faster 200mm 85a wheels with speed hubs and ABEC 9 rated bearings giving a better roll for longer with less effort.
  • Ergonomically designed to reduce stress on the lower back when scooting.
  • Height adjustable handle bars ranging from 74cm to a maximum height of 106cm meaning that this is great for adults and children.
  • Durable handle tube sleeves to ensure a secure fit into the handlebars without movement or rattles.
  • Extended Comfortable foam handgrips with rubber bar ends.
  • Maximum rider weight up to 100kg (15.7st).
  • Folded dimensions 760mm (L) x 120mm (W) x 250mm (H)
  • Wide aluminium footplate to accommodate larger shoe sizes.
  • Rear flex fender brake to bring you to slow and controlled stop


Bedding from Room to Grow

One thing I have noticed lately is he really wants to move away from themed character bedroom décor and bedding so the opportunity for grown up bedding was really welcome, we have been working on making him a grown up style bedroom so it fitted in well and came at the perfect time. I was sent a single bed set from room to grow which was blue gingham one side and white with blue and red stars on the reverse so we have the option to change as he wants it.


The bedding is really great quality, it feels really soft and washes really well, with some makes you get bobbling and thinness after a few washes and you can see this is not going to do that at all, it really suited his new grown up style bedroom and he loves the option of  changing it round each day to show the different patterns.



Personalised notebook from gift pup

Who doesn't like to receive a personalised gift, it really makes you feel that is a thoughtful and considered gift, and what little boy or girl wouldn't love to see their face on the front of their very own notebook.


This really was well received and is being well used with his new invisible ink pens (see below), there is plenty of other choice for personalised items from gift pup such as mugs, cushions, wall art or aprons too so definitely something for everyone. The process of adding personalisation is really easy, simply select your product, add the name/ text then upload a photo, all achieved in simple steps to guide you, once complete your order is processed, created and dispatched within 48 hours, a great service from giftpup.



Unique gifts from Flamingo gifts

Some times when you have the big present in place then you really need to add some fun presents to the pile or simply want a unique gift for a friend or relative, and Flamingo gifts have an amazing range of gifts you will not find in any old shop on the high street, they are fun and quirky and certainly would be well received, Flamingo gifts have something for everyone, with every taste and style you can imagine, so you are guaranteed to find something for that perfect gift. We received the secret pen set which is the perfect addition to the personalised notebook, and provides hours of fun writing secret letters to us all.



For more outdoor fun what about this pedal racer from Find me a gift

Actually not necessarily just outdoor fun as we have had hours of fun inside, laughter and challenges, not competitive at all!! It is a challenge to get your balance and pedal at the same time and something the kids seem much better at than the adults, a great present for all ages.

The pedal racer is really sturdy and has good sized foot plates to allow fun for all ages, completely addictive and something you feel you have to master! a totally affordable gift from find me a gift, who also have loads of other gift ideas for everyone of all ages and for every occasion including personalised gifts and novelty gifts so you are sure to find the perfect gift for nay personality or interest.
About The Product
  • Pedal Racers are a cross between a bicycle and a skateboard.
  • They have four sturdy wheels and two big red plates to balance your feet on!
  • Wheels and plates move forwards and backwards to enable you to roll steadily along – forwards or backwards!
  • Requires no assembly and comes ready to use!
  • Measures approximately 36 cm x 30 cm x 20 cm

Flummoxed - the foreign language bluffers game
You cannot go wrong with a game to pass the time on a rainy afternoon, so we always look for something like this as an alternative to screen time, now he is getting older the eldest is starting to enjoy games that challenge him, and are more complex, so this was a great game to review.



Flummoxed features a mix of languages and sees players compete to convince each other that their definition of a foreign word is the correct one, can they flummox the other players? the game is suitable from age 8+ and is a great introduction to word play and interpretation, allowing imaginative growth and an introduction to foreign languages so really educational as well as fun for all the family. It took us a while to explain the concept of the game and guide him a little to begin with but was soon joining in on his own, so a really good alternative to screen time. Available from Amazon

Personalised gifts from Its Your Story

Its your story have a great range of personalised clothing, gifts and books which make the perfect present, they use a range of characters in their personalised products so you are bound to find something for any character in the family.


We went for the rock star design on a water bottle to reflect the emerging musical interest we are seeing coming out but there are so many characters you will easily find one to suit. Its your story create some amazing personalised books which are so easy to create, you simply give some personal details and a picture which will all be used to create a truly personal story or educational book. Products are not only for children they can be created for all the family so a perfect gift for mum or dad too.

Azoomee App - We can't leave out some sort of technology as all kids as they get older want some sort of gadget or games console. I have been given a code to try out the Azoomee app for the kids tablets, suitable for 5-9 year olds, it contains shows, games and chat as well as a drawing page to allow your budding artists to show off their designs. The app is backed by NSPCC which gives that extra bit of peace of mind. It features an online safety curriculum - Smart Safe Kind Online - is threaded through the app: a programme of short films, games and activities, unique to Azoomee, which shows how to be independent, safe and responsible online.  This has won Azoomee a BAFTA nomination and multiple industry awards and its less than two years old.
We really liked the app as it was completely child friendly there was no way the kids could access unsuitable content as it is all designed specifically for children. As well as your huge library of games and videos, the app has the function of being able to chat between profiles the parents set up, so siblings can message each other, the app can be installed on up to 5 devices so it makes it possible for the two child profiles to chat to each other, this obviously helps with spelling skills. when setting up profiles you enter your child's date of birth so the app can show age suitable and relevant content. I think this will be great for us while we are on holiday as the kids love the variety of features the app offers and travelling will be just that little bit easier, check it out for yourself and sign up at https://parent.azoomee.com/#/signup Azoomee are offering my readers a 50% discount on a year's subscription by using code FAMILY at registration. 




I am sure you will agree there are plenty of gift ideas here for a grown up 8 year old, plenty of birthday and dare I say it Christmas gift ideas that will make any little man happy.