Struggling with 8yr old son

[CarlyP]

All he likes is minecraft (mainly the youtube videos)

We tried Lego last year (major fail, but not a waste as his sister loves it)

My mum has got him all of the minecraft teddies, I've got him the key rings/play sets.

He likes to play with action figures, so have got him the avenger ones, also got him wrestling ring and figures but he hasn't asked for them.

Every time I ask him what he wants he says he doesn't know, or says just a few cars and figures.

I'm considering buying him an ipad (he uses mine for videos) so then he would have his own to watch and play games on? Or do you think that's too much for an 8year old?

Any other ideas?

 

[Amarna]

As long as he will be responsible with it I'd think an iPad is fine, depends on the kid. I'd never get one for my daughter as I just know she would leave it out somewhere or drop it and it'd get broken. I'd be sure to get a case for it though at that age.

Would he like something sciencey like binoculars or a telescope? My DD got them for her 8th birthday and has used them so much. Or even a chemistry set? Snap circuits were another big hit with her for her birthday. Does he like to read books or comic books?

 

[CarlyP]

We got him a science set last year, his sister did it lol, books are a good idea thank you.

 

[babydustcass]

My Ds has had a tablet since he was 6. We have parental controls on it and it's fine. He gets a time limit and is not allowed to keep it in his room. We've got him a new Samsung galaxy 3 10.1 for Xmas to upgrade his old one and so his youtube videos are bigger. He's 8 in January. It's fab for long car journeys, keeping him busy on the plane to holiday. My dd who is 3 is getting the leap pad platinum for Xmas. She uses my pad at the moment for games when she fancies it, but it's a bit tricky for her to navigate so we've got something more user friendly for her.

 

[lisasheldon]

This is a list of what I have bought my 8 year old son this year:

Samsung Galaxy 4 tab
Lego Dimensions starter set for Xbox 360
Lego Dimensions Jurassic World Team Pack
Lego Dimensions Back to the Future Level Pack
Nikko Vaporiszr RC Car
3D It Model creator
3D It Generic Character Pack
3D It Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pack
3D It Marvel Avengers pack
Qixels Design Creator
Qixels Fuse Blaster
Star Wars Monopoly
Ravensburger Big Ben light up 3D puzzle
Star Wars Micromachines Millennium Falcon
Star Wars Micromachines Deluxe Vehicles Set
Star Wars Micromachines Vehicles Sets x 2
Wild Pets Spider
Nerf Zombie Flipfury Gun
Nerf Zombie Bullets
Dinosaur Excavation kit
Airjitsu Spinner
Crayola Twistable Sketch and Draw Set
Star Wars Annual
Guiness Book of Records 2016

Still to get
Super graph
Star Wars Micromachines Deluxe Vehicle Set
Qixels Theme Refill Pack
Galaxy Tab case/keyboard
Word search Game
Mix CD of some sort

 

[sabby52]

My son turned 8 last month and he got an ipad mini, he also loves youtube videos about minecraft and other games. This is his list for Christmas

Laptop
Lego Dimensions
Lego Dimensions pack
Jenga Quake
Kerplunk
Nerf modulus
Nerf Modulus upgrade kits x 2
Nerf Vest
Nerf Elite gun
Call of duty lego
Bed bugs game
nab it game
Bounce off game
The amazing human body
Books
Steam voucher

 

[o0oCharlieo0o]

My eldest just turned 9 and he is impossible to buy for too, he doesn't know what he wants, he likes minecraft but same as your son the YouTube videos, he has an Xbox which he sometimes plays minecraft on but mainly YouTube videos on his tablet, other than his tablet,the Xbox and DVDs he's not into anything!!! And I mean nothing!! He doesn't play with toys, he doesn't like sports or going outside, he doesn't like reading books, literally he likes watching films, or playing on technology, i don't know what to get him because I try buy other things to give him more of a variety of things to do, try finding him a hobby but nope if he's not playing on technology he will just sit on the sofa chatting, never plays with toys :/ I think I'm going to have to get him some clothes, a few films, maybe an Xbox game and iv no idea what else to get!!

 

[CarlyP]

Great lists.

DH had an idea of getting the equipment to make his own minecraft videos for youtube, although I have no idea where to start!

 

[Eve]

I think an iPad would be great if you know he will use it K has her own tablet (she's 5 so it's not an expensive one) and she loves it for those youtube videos

 

[CarlyP]

Youtube has a lot to answer for, I'm glad it's not just mine

 

[sabby52]

Great lists.

DH had an idea of getting the equipment to make his own minecraft videos for youtube, although I have no idea where to start!

what device would he be using to make the videos ?? I believe doing it on a pc is alot easier but if he wants to do it through xbox then he will need external devices. Minecraft youtube videos is one of the reasons my son is getting a laptop this year

 

[CarlyP]

He has a PC but DH said he would need a better one. Other then that I have no idea what else he would need, video recording software I guess, microphone? They record in game so will have to research.

Just picked him up some TMNT figures from Amazon. Getting there lol!

 

[sabby52]

He has a PC but DH said he would need a better one. Other then that I have no idea what else he would need, video recording software I guess, microphone? They record in game so will have to research.

Just picked him up some TMNT figures from Amazon. Getting there lol!

There is software you can dowmload to your pc,as long as you have a camera and a microphone (alot of pcs have these build in now-a-days) then thats it x

Great that you have started

 

[CarlyP]

He has a PC but DH said he would need a better one. Other then that I have no idea what else he would need, video recording software I guess, microphone? They record in game so will have to research.

Just picked him up some TMNT figures from Amazon. Getting there lol!

There is software you can dowmload to your pc,as long as you have a camera and a microphone (alot of pcs have these build in now-a-days) then thats it x

Great that you have started

Thank you, I will pass that onto DH

 

[motherofboys]

Has he discovered Terraria yet? This seems to be slowly taking over from Minecraft with my 8 and 9 year olds.
Its so hard when their interests are so narrow and they have lost interest in toys

 

[CarlyP]

Just looking at that now, it looks like a minecraft version of super mario lol

 

[motherofboys]

That's a very good description lol

 

[sabby52]

Has he discovered Terraria yet? This seems to be slowly taking over from Minecraft with my 8 and 9 year olds.
Its so hard when their interests are so narrow and they have lost interest in toys

Declan loves Terraria, he has been playing it for over a year now and has a big collection of the figures and swords

 

[toosecat13]

My daughter is 8 and has a ipad she loves it, also loves minecraft and watching the you tube vids.

What i would say if you do get one make sure you get a good case incase it gets dropped.

 

[littletobyj]

My son is 7 and we have struggled with him this year.... We are getting him an electric scooter, Lego dimensions, Lego, PlayStation games, some Minecraft figures. He got a huge remote control car for his birthday which was a huge hit with him and his friends! B&M do Carrera sets-exactly like scaletrix but they do Mario kart or TMNT, they are only £19.99 and the box is quite big compared to their stuff for their age.
Could you do a voucher for a cool activity like go karting or laser quest??