Eight Year Old Daughter Likes Science. Suggestions for Christmas?

Updated on November 23, 2012
J.C. asks from Columbus, OH
25 answers

I'm hoping some of you ladies are in the same situation this year. She's got a microscope, rock tumbler, constellations on the ceiling, etc. Not sure what kind of gift she's going to be excited about this year. Any suggestions?

Thanks for your patience. I'm sure we're going to get tons of gift questions here on Mamapedia, so I hope it's not too tedious.Thank you for your replies.

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W.C.

answers from Phoenix on

There are really cool gardening kits that are scientific. Don't know if Bill Nye (sp?) science guy is still on tv but he has great gifts Best part is you can do together

3 moms found this helpful
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S.S.

answers from Colorado Springs on

Radio Shack has some neat projects to build for kids. One year I gave my son a broken lawnmower from my neighbor and new tools to take it apart. He LOVED it.

2 moms found this helpful

C.V.

answers from Columbia on

Snap circuits. My son has several sets. His very favorite is the green energy set. You can use water and salt to make a battery, it has a solar panel, and hundreds of schematics.

Hop on the Hobby Lobby website to get their weekly coupon (usually 40% off of one item) and go there. They always have a HUGE selection of Snap Circuits and awesome science goodies.

We also have a teacher's supply store near us. This year, we're getting DS a bunch of the classroom posters of the solar system, periodic table, etc. for his room. They have tons of cool things.

2 moms found this helpful

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S.B.

answers from Dallas on

My son is a science geek too. :) Some favorite gifts in this house have been:

-Snap circuits. It's a fun way to learn about electricity.

-Gel ant farm was big fun for a long time. We were able to use it for two "sets" of ants.

-Wacky wierd contraption lab - he got this for his birthday last week. He has spent hours with it.

- Stomp rockets - fun for outdoors. He likes to set up targets and see if he can hit them.

-Build you own solar toy kit. http://www.amazon.com/Educational-Solar-Kit-Build-Science... He got this when he turned 6. He needed more help than he would have liked, I think at 8, this would have been a better gift.

-Baking soda rockets - big fun, but limited when they can be used. If you don't want to lose the rocket, you have to go out to a large field on a day with no wind. It would be much more fun if it could be used any time.

-Legos, marble maze, erector sets, trio blocks and magnetic building toys are also favorites for our little engineer.

4 moms found this helpful
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D.K.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Telescope - if you put one of the sky apps on your phone it makes it much more fun

Geology kit (hardness scale, rock hammer, rocks)
Chemistry set
Books, books and more books (my son's favorite)
A specimen cabinet/box (we got a wooden one with dividers last year) and samples of whatever she is interested in - we got fossil ammonites, trilobites and a fish last year.
A membership at your local museum/science center if you don't already have one.
A week at science camp or an overnight at the museum at your local museum or nature center.

2 moms found this helpful
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L.O.

answers from Chicago on

http://www.thinkgeek.com/

They have many interesting things for the smart masses. For the sci-fi nerd, they have a "build your own Sonic Screwdriver" from the Dr. Who serials.
Crystal making kits that can be changed up(I usually spent my allowance on three of them and combined them to make bigger crystals).
Books on the different types of sciences, practical DIY science experiment books and kits, a subscription to National Geographic and Scientific American.

It's limitless what one can do for one who loves the sciences. Who knows, she may be the next Nikola Tesla!

Hope this helps.

2 moms found this helpful
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K.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

I am a Discovery Toys consultant and we have a couple of science-related toys that your daughter might like.

The first is a Solar Energy System kit. She can build a solar panel to power the included music box, light bulb, and four different color wheels. It also includes three additional experiments and a 10-page manual with bonus info on solar energy. It is on sale for 10% off through 11/28. You can view it here: http://www.discoverytoys.com/PUBLICSTORE/stores/karenchao...

We also sell a HumanWorks plaster casting kit where she can create an 18" model of a human skeleton. It includes all of the materials and will help her learn about the different bones in the body. Extra casting material is available as well if she wanted to make more than one. Here it is: http://www.discoverytoys.com/PUBLICSTORE/stores/karenchao...

Thanks for looking! Let me know if you have any questions or need any other recommendations.

K.
http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/karenchao

Ask how to get yours for free!

2 moms found this helpful

☼.S.

answers from Los Angeles on

We just got our daughter a telescope for Christmas. Last Christmas, she received a year's worth of science kits from Magic School Bus. They ship one a month and they are awesome and really fun to do with your child.

http://www.theyoungscientistsclub.com/themagicschoolbus/

2 moms found this helpful
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R.K.

answers from Boston on

Whatever you get, if it shoots (rockets) or mixes (chemistry) or cuts (engineering), consider also gifting a good set of safety glasses. Those will be used for years!

2 moms found this helpful

R.A.

answers from Boston on

Get her a subscription to Odyssey. It's a kids science magazine. Chemistry set, telescope, slides and accessories for microscope.

2 moms found this helpful
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M.S.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Membership to science museum if your town has one. If not, maybe you can take a special road trip with her from Ohio to Chicago, 5 hours maybe, to go to the Museum of Science and Industry and the Adler Planetarium. Two of the best museums in the world!

2 moms found this helpful
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B.F.

answers from Dallas on

Terrarium. May be with a turtle in it?

2 moms found this helpful

S.G.

answers from Grand Forks on

Museum membership, planetarium membership, a Mad Science party or camp http://www.madscience.org/aboutus/index.aspx, stick bugs, telescope, books or experiment kits.

2 moms found this helpful
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K.B.

answers from Detroit on

Telescope or chemistry set?

1 mom found this helpful
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M.B.

answers from Austin on

Much of that depends on what facets of science she is interested in.....

Frankly, the telescope is kind of cool, but not that useful..... looking at a star close up is still a blob of light in the sky..... We've had them, and only get them out very rarely.

Here's a good website to look through....

I don't really know that we got our daughter anything special in science... and she's our one that just finished her PhD in Microbiology.... we just got her regular stuff, but encouraged her science interest with activities and books at home (gardening, etc...) ... it helped that M. and dad were science geeks, too.

http://www.discoverthis.com/

1 mom found this helpful

C.T.

answers from Santa Fe on

Snap circuits! They are very fun.
Chemistry kit
Science Journal
lab goggles, lab coat
Real telescope (family gift maybe?)
Good binoculars for bird watching, marine mammal surveys ;)

1 mom found this helpful
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B.R.

answers from Columbus on

hearthsong.com has some neat science-y gifts. There's a cool snap circuits jr. kit that lets you safely build your own circuits that do different things.

1 mom found this helpful
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M.T.

answers from New York on

Does she have a chemistry set, or a circuit set? My son liked these gifts when he was about her age. Maybe a telescope?

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L.R.

answers from Washington DC on

"Science" is so broad that it would be good to involve her, frankly, so she can help you target the subjects that most interest her. Talk to her about what aspects of science interest her right now. If you get her, for instance, a gardening science kit, but she really is interested in DNA right now, she'll still appreciate whatever you give her but might be more on fire for something related to her current interest. (Yes, there are kids' kits about DNA!). Look at the catalog or web site Museum Tour (I'm sure they're online) for a lot of good ideas.

Also, you can give her experiences as well as kits etc. Check with your local parks and recreation department and see if they have nature classes or one-time nature events for kids (if nature and biology are her things) or check with museums in the area or in your nearest city -- museums often offer things like kids' one-time workshops in aspects of science or technology. Getting her to do things with other science-mad kids, in the environment of a museum or lab, would do a lot to stoke her interest. Most museums are well aware that they need to offer a lot of hands-on things for kids, and many are one-day or half-day things if you don't have time for a class that goes on over several weeks.

By the way, is she involved in any extracurricular science? Does your school, for instance, offer "Mad Science" or any other after-school science program, or are those things available elsewhere in your area? Does the elementary school participate in Science Olympiad? (www.soinc.org) She's a little young for Science Olympiad (it usually begins around fourth grade) but that's something to look into, as are Mad Science and other programs.

My daughter, now nearly 12 and in sixth grade, has always loved science and things like Science Olympiad and other activities do a lot to keep things interesting. I especially recommend taking your daughter to lots of museums whenever and wherever you can, and working with her on experiments at home -- there are many, many science experiment books for kids in public and school libraries, so let her do them at home!

1 mom found this helpful
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F.B.

answers from New York on

I just bought my god daughter a weather station.

http://www.ssww.com/product/?sku=EC6067&cm_mmc=Paid+S...

Green labs also has a number of science toys for the younger set.

Good luck to you and yours,
F. B.

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C.J.

answers from Dallas on

My daughter loves science and she wants a telescope this Christmas.

1 mom found this helpful

R.H.

answers from Houston on

Ask the science specialist at her school. The science teacher may not be her regular teacher. She can fill you in on what was the rave at this year's science fair.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.V.

answers from Washington DC on

Is there a field of science she's interested in? Here is a link to a bunch of scientific toys: http://www.scientificsonline.com/science-kits.html?gclid=...

My DD (who is 4) got a grow window and loved growing peas and seeing the roots.

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S.Q.

answers from Bellingham on

I found a combustion engine kit yesterday. May be a bit advanced for an eight year old though.

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J.K.

answers from Mansfield on

if she is interested in astronomy at all i say get her a nice telescope. My dad is big into astronomy and my kids have a few telescopes here at the house from him. They love to go out and look for thing he has taught they to identify. Also there are tons of books if she has an area of science she is most interested in- you can go that route. There are really cool 'make your own' whatever (bouncy balls, bubble gum, rock formation, whatever type things) kits available too.

1 mom found this helpful
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