What to Get a Highly Intelligent 8Yr Old Who Seems to Only Love Video Games!

Get him a magazine subscription about gaming. A gift of reading is a good gift. Mine loved reading their nintendo magazine when they were little.

Something hands on, like a science set? They have volcano building sets and other neat things like that at craft/hobby stores and then to do it with him, or take him out for an activity. Gamers like to do little else.

If he does really like to read then how about a Kindle? You and a relative could go in on one if the price is too much.

My daughter enjoys ThinkFun games in the car- they are games you can play alone and involve strategy (much like... that's right... video games!)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000DMER is a link to just one of them

She also enjoys logic puzzles- you can buy big books of brain teasers/logic puzzles/etc. in bookstores or online.

We love GameWright card games in my house too- they are fun for adults too. Here is a link to a pirate one called Loot:
http://www.amazon.com/Gamewright-231-Loot/dp/B0009XBY30/r...
Bananagrams is fun and there is even a book with loads of different ideas for using the game beyond just the instructions.

MadLibs are pretty fun and help build vocab and grammar skills. They're pretty inexpensive if you want to throw one of those in.

There are also "fidget" toys that are fun and kind of decorative to have in the room (any of these can be found on Amazon, etc.)

Some ideas would be:
A "Ball of Whacks"
Oblo Spheres
Jeliku (get a few- they are fun and addictive, but tiny and fun to connect)
Moving sand picture sculpture
Pin art

If he likes arts/crafts at all, a gift card to a craft store or hobby shop would be appropriate. A comic book store gift card might also work if he is into comics at all.

All kids love popsicles, don't they? Some fun assorted popsicle molds and a kids popsicle cookbook might be fun. There is even a machine that makes popsicles super-fast called a Zoku that my kids have on their wish list.

I would NOT get games, no matter how much he is into them. I think kids need alternatives, even if they collect dust on a shelf for awhile. One day he might pick up the item you gave him and enjoy it and realize there is life out there other than being "plugged in" and who knows what it could spark?!

Let us know what you decided on and if he liked it!

Ummm ... I am a mother of a gamer and I can not tell you how much he LOVES LOVES LOVES anything from gamestop anything else is just fodder and gets thrown away or tossed into the toy box that is covered in dust. I will however suggest a day out could be fun. A trip to the pier, zoo, great america etc would be a nice thing instead of a gamestop card. Honestly it is the only thing I can think of that would be used or appreciated by a gamer kid.

A camera to take his own videos.

What about the book Dairy of a Wimpy kid the new book comes out next week I think and that’s popular with all boys. I know my son is really into those books and cant wait for the new one..Good Luck !!

Pokemon is related to video games.. How about the Diary of a Wimpy kids book series. U could order them from scholastic online or barnes and noble has them. Just get a gift recite. My 8 year old enjoys theses books.

I don't understand why you would want to get him something he will probably hate but to each their own. Of the ideas I read I would second the Kindle. I am getting the new Kindle touch that comes out in a couple weeks. If it makes you feel better I like playing video games as well and I am very excited about my Kindle. :)

Oh since I know Pokemon, the games are the only way to go, the cards are stupid. They used to be cool when my 23 year old was around 10, now they are not! My kids play the video games on their DSIs. No cards, so not cool!

How about some type of scientific toy of sorts? Have you ever looked at Fat Brain Toys? They are some awesome toys that are more interesting than normal. You can go to their website and search by age and gender and are some great suggestions. Here is a direct link (not sure if it'll get disabled or not!):
http://www.fatbraintoys.com/toys/toys_by_ages/boys/top_pi...

My vote is for a science kit of some type. Young Scientist Series and Little Labs makes some great ones. Hands-on and active and a lot of fun!

I think that most 8 years olds enjoy the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. They are easy to read and funny. My 8 year old reads them in bed almost every night. Maybe see if he already has them. You could also get him one of the books and one of the dvds (there are 2 dvds and 7 books).

If you live near him, what about tickets to a planetarium, laser tag, or Chuck E Cheese, with the promise of taking him and a friend sometime soon?

Maybe if family memeber go in on it you can get him a the Lego Mindstorm kit, it is legos with a robotics and computer programing. Itis really expenisive though. But I have the same thing going on with my son. Mindcraft online, is very popular although he is a bit young to be on chat rooms, but it is very geeky and techy. I just have to be vigilant in wathcing his open chats, but he has learned so much playing it.

As for books I would go with a bit older reading, my son started reading the Young James Bond series at that age, author is Charlie Higson. It is very suspensefull, very bond, with the eyes of a young teen. But it is fairly graphic. My son thought most books that were in his age and reading level were to nice, to happy, not boy at all. I told him to have at it, and while I did most reading of his first book, his reading level jumped way high, since he got tired of waiting for me to read to him. In one year his level went from below average to above, and it started with the Bond books.

Not even his relatives/parents know what to get him. Thus they can't provide you with any help/helpful ideas.

He only loves video games.
Other things then, to me, will be a waste of money and/or not be used, at all, by him.
If that is the only interest he has.

If you 'hear' he likes books... then ask his family, what kind. Otherwise, it will be a shot in the dark. There would be no way, to guess what kind of books he likes.

Or what about a skateboard? Unless he does not like physical activity.

Or HexBugs? My kids, love those. It is reasonable. It is a robotic insect.
http://www.hexbug.com/

My 8 year old gamer son is really into Pokemon right now too. For reading he likes the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and any non-fiction books. He likes anything Pokemon (they carry the stuff at Toys r Us). They have the figures for sale and some action sets. Otherwise, there are Pokemon books http://www.amazon.com/Pokemon-Black-White-Handbook-Schola... or this one is a favorite here http://www.amazon.com/Pokemon-Silver-Ultimate-Sticker-Pok... There are also sets of Pokemon cards in stores. The new ones are Heartgold/Soulsilver or Black&White.

What about a gift certificate to some type of activity/entertainment venue? Laser tag, the movies, an amusement park (if you have one in your area), mini golf, go cart racing, a special interest class, etc. Something to get him AWAY from the video games & out doing something.

I would probably give him a gift certificate for some kind of activity that will get him out the house and experiencing something new. Honestly, only being interested in video games seems very one-sided and unless they also have him enrolled in some kind of sport or other activity, his parents are not doing him any favors letting him only play video games. It could be something like a paint-your-own-pottery studio, or laser tag, or for a lesson on how to ski or snowboard (which is was what I got for my video-game addicted nephews last year!). Or maybe an electronic keyboard or guitar to see if it gets him interested in learning to play music. Or even just something as simple as a chess set and teach him how to play chess.

If he's into reading at all, try to find out from his parents what he's read so far, or what he might be interested in. Harry Potter is huge!

My 9 yo son loves to read and has read the Harry Potter series (several times), the Percy Jackson series (also several times), and is currently reading the 39 Clues series. Many of his friends have also read these books, so i believe they are quite popular with boys his age. That being said he may have already read them. A gift card to a book store is a nice option too.

Sounds a lot like my just turned 9yo son. He's gifted/ADHD and has been hyperfocused on videogames for a few years now.

Which, to my mind is great. He's already writing scripts and doing complex maths and filming and video editing (adobe after effects, stop action animation, computer animation) and is further along the road to being a video game designer/programmer than a lot of college freshmen.

Of course, it's FAR from the only thing he does... but it's what he LOVES. The way some kids love baseball, or horses, or princesses. It's the single most exciting thing in the world to him... so that's what he talks about all the time, ESP when he hasn't seen someone in awhile. He wants to share something exciting.

The same way horse crazy girls like books/posters/etc about horses, and baseball crazy boys love books/posters/etc about baseball... he loves the same thing about HIS games.

((You DO get that saying
"I want to get horse crazy Suzy something about CATS!" is going to be met with an
"Okay.....?"
"Well what about CATS do you think she would like?"
"Um....?"))

Either go with what the kid loves, or something completely different, but don't expect it to be very exciting for them!

My almost 8 yo is the biggest Pokemon (cards/video game)/ video gamer I know! This year he's getting a skateboard, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book box set, swim lessons and his very own watch so that he can be more responsible when he goes to friends' houses. Not very glamorous, I know, but I also refuse to get him any video games.

Ask your nephew what books he likes - can you take him to peruse a book store and see what he is interested in? Our son is about that age and he likes nonfiction about disasters (like the Titanic). He likes any books to do with rocks/minerals. He likes reading Big Nate, the Bogus series, Mythbusters, Guiness Book of World Records, the Bad Kitty series. There are pokemon books that explain all the different characters...our son has one and loves it. The things in museum stores really appeal to our son - all the science type experiment kits. He also loves puzzles and puzzle type toys. He is also really into spy stuff so any spy gear toy or book on spies is interesting to him. He also is fascinated by magic - they make magic book/kits for kids this age that are cool.

I'd recommend the "Basher" science books - there are ones for physics, astronomy, rocks and minerals, periodic table, etc., and the basic concepts are explained via pokemon-esque cartoon characters with a dose of puns and humor that even nerdy adults like me find quite entertaining as well as educational - HUGELY popular with the 3rd and 4th graders at our school (librarian just got a batch of them a couple weeks ago and one of my 4th grade DDs informed me that they were all checked out within 2 days)- check out some examples here:

http://basherbooks.com/usa/aboutbooks.html

Perplexus is a lot of fun.

How about drawing or animation books? There are books now that have characters that are usually found in video games, movies and comic books that show you how to draw them step by step. It may be something fun for him. For example my 7 year old just got a Star Wars drawing book that comes with supplies and he is having a great time drawing the characters. Also, there may be animation step by step online games or programs that he can create on his own. Good luck!

A gift card to an all purpose store like Target, Walmart, Sears, etc. is the best bet for a kid like this. Then they can pick out what they want for themselves. A Barnes and Noble card might be okay too, that is, if you're sure he really likes books.

Otherwise try shopping for something unique at places like the following:

www.fatbraintoys.com
www.thinkgeek.com
www.mindware.com
www.vat19.com
www.youngexplorers.com

If he likes pokemon then get him pokemon "stuff". Pokemon t-shirts, pokemon backpack, lunchbox. You can get pokemon character plastic figurines at toys r us. They also have plush versions of the characters.

Get him the electronic toy/game called "Bop It!" He can play it alone or with friends.

My kids are 3, 6 and 8 and LOVE their Nintendo DSi's, which I finally gave in and got them this summer. I regret that I have contributed to feeding their love of video gaming, but to some extent, I feel like, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em (at least when it's not something immoral or illegal). I tell you that so that you will understand that I have kids who, like your nephew, loves video games BUT ... they also love a toy I got for them at Target for about $16 called "Bop It!". It looks like there is a new version out called "Bop It! XT" that is a few dollars more. It's probably just an excuse to raise the price - it looks almost identical to the non-XT version I bought at Target this past summer. My kids LOVE it, and so does my husband. I would probably get addicted to playing it myself, but I haven't tried since I don't want to get sucked into wasting time playing it when I could be online answering questions on Mamapedia! :)

going for original: a slingshot & some targets! Seriously...all of the boys (& a few girls) have received them from us, & they're loved & well-used. We always ask the parent's permission...& it's always a well-received gift. BB guns are also popular... & the best part of these gift ideas: Outside Only!! Guaranteed to pull the kids away from the electronics....

We usually make these purchases at WalMart. & either my DH or the father teaches safety before the kid is released to try out the gift.....& seriously, these gift ideas are always a hit - all pun intended! :)

try this link i googled it

http://www.squidoo.com/top-10-toys-for-8-year-old-boys

It's a bit expense so it could be a group gift but what about a Nook or Kindle? There are a lot more kid books out there for them. My 11 year old got hers a year ago and LOVES it. It's electronic so it feels cool for the kids who love videos/video games. My 8 year old is dying for one!

For birthdays and Christmas, I now get her gift cards to buy books.

Get him a Perplexus!!! They are a wonderful toy!!!

There are Pokemon books out there, including ones about the video games. Our eight-year-old son is a Pokemon nut and sounds just like this boy. He loves getting new Pokemon books. You can also get sets of Pokemon cards (trading cards) at Target or Walmart.

erector sets, legos, knex

What about beyblades? you can get a stadium with two beyblades that way he is set and if he does like them he can continue to build his beyblade collection. Usually kids who were/are into pokemon tend to like the beyblades as well.

get him a gift certificate for something to do.... movies, xtreme trampoline, cosmic bowling, yo9u get the idea.

good Luck

My 8.5 year old right now is loving the Easy Snap model airplanes....
And he loves history, especially WWII. My nephew got him a coffee table book of WWII aircraft art and pound-for-pound it has received the most use!