Best 8th Grade Graduation Gifts (2024)

Kindle Paperwhite
Teens read almost everything on a screen, so it makes sense to invest in a device that’s lightweight, waterproof, glare-free and can access thousands of titles.

I know…that’s a hard sell to traditional book lovers who want to hold a real book and turn the pages…but it’s reality for this generation whether we like it or not.

Some of my college students use the Paperwhite for their textbooks and love the Amazon discounts they can snag. This Kindle comes in 4 colors, 8GB or 32GB, has a battery that lasts for weeks and includes Audible.

Scratch Off USA Map
We love these scratch off US maps! If your 8th grade graduate loves to travel or wants to travel more often in high school, this scratch off map is the best gift to keep track of their adventures.

Or they can get creative, especially ifthey’reavid readers who are always looking for new things to read. Search for books that are set in different parts of the US and scratch offstates as they read or learn about them.Don’t forget the magnetic frame hanger!

Waterproof Digital Camera
Moms raved aboutunderwater cameras in our gift groups! It’s a great giftfor high schoolers to capture special moments in rain, snow and water thatthey can’t get with their phones. This camera shoots high-quality video and photos, and comes equipped with electronic image stabilization.

If you want to splurge and get the best of the best, check out theGoPro Hero9.

Award Rack
Give middle school graduates agreat way to displaytheirmedals! We love the unique look of these award racks to celebrate their hard work.

Choose from 1, 2 or 3 levels and customize the top with a name, activity or favorite saying.Height varies based on levels, but all are 23.5 inches long. Your purchase ships free and supports a small business!

Video Games
You really can’t go wrong with a video game if your young graduate loves to play on Xbox One, Nintendo Switch or Playstation 4.

Some of our favorites for these young teens include the LEGO Harry Potter Collection for fans of Harry Potter, Agatha Christie: Hercule Poirot for kids who love mysteries, Guardians of the Galaxy for Marvel fans and The Sims 4: Cottage Living for Sims players who want to explore farming and gardening.

Fitbit Charge 5
A lot of my college students have a Fitbit and swear by it. They love the slimmer design of the Charge. If you want a perfect graduation gift for an athlete, the Charge 4 will track workout intensity (including swimming!), sleep stages and both target and resting heart rates. They can control Spotify playlists and get notifications for calls, texts and other apps.

The functionality is pretty impressive and the price point is less than half of a new Apple Watch. It’s a great idea to help them be more aware of their sleep, activity and stress levels so they can learn to manage those in a healthy way.

Sunrise Alarm Clock
Getting a middle schooler up for school is hard, but waking up a high schooler is even more challenging. Reviewers rave about this clock, describing it as “the perfect alarm clock” and saying “I can’t live without this!!”

Sunlight is simulated with natural sounds and brightness increase from 10% to 100% in 30 minutes before the alarm goes off. Choose from 7 colors and 20 brightness levels.

It includes 42reusable pages with 7 different page styles for planning, listing, goal setting and note taking.

They can use the free Rocketbook app to send their notes to popular cloud services like Google drive, Dropbox, Evernote, box, OneNote, Slack, iCloud, email and more.Choose from 9 fun colors.

Wire Bookmarks
She’ll love this bookmark if she’s a reader.We saw these wire bookmarks on Instagram and fell in love! We’ve ordered several as gifts and they always get compliments. Lots of colors available.

You can customize with her name, school, inspirational word or phrase…anything you want. You’ll find over 5,000 5-star reviews on this mom’s Etsy site and comments about how wonderful and easy she is to work with.

Personalized Makeup Bag
Get her something cute and practical that your 8th grade girl will use all through high school. This cotton canvas makeup bag with a metallic zipper comes in 11 colors with tons of color options for her name and heart.

This small business has fantastic customer service and has over 55,000 5-star reviews on Etsy! If she’d prefer a tote bag, we love this personalized one!

Tie Dye Party Kit
We’re big fans of experience gifts because memories are honestly the best gifts you can give. A tie dye party kit is the best of both! Your 8th-grade graduate willhave a shirt to keep along with memories and pictures from a celebration with her friends or family.

This kitincludes 12customcolors (2 bottles each), 1 bag of soda ash, 9 pairs of gloves, 60 rubber bands and step-by-step directions. (See our full list of experience gifts here.)

DistressedLeather Wallet
If he doesn’t have a wallet yet, this is the perfect time to give him one. Moms in our Facebook gift groups were fans of this distressed leather wallet with a compact design that can be personalizedor left plain.

Choose from 3 different colors. It ships free and your purchase supports a small business with over 57,000 sales and 5-star reviews!

JBL Clip 4 Waterproof Speaker
Portable speakers from JBL are our favorite to use and recommend! This is the latest clip version that’s perfect for teens to listen to their favorite songs.They can take it to the pool or the beach without worrying about getting it wet. My teen keeps his in the shower!

The sound quality is a bit better than the Clip 3 speaker and this updated version has an integrated carabiner. It’s Bluetooth enabled and gets 10 hours of playtime from a single charge.

Sports Water Bottle
Both of our families have a few Super Sparrow water bottles and they’re now our favorite, especially the sports water bottle. Non-toxic and BPA free, this water bottle comes in lots of colors and includes a carry-strap.

But the best part? The flip top cap that opens with one click and allows boys to drink normally or waterfall it. Whether they toss the bottle down on the field or their car or the locker room, the cap protects it and keeps it clean. It also doesn’t leak. Seriously, he’ll want more than one of these (and so will your other family members).

7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens
I’m sure you’re familiar with Dr. Stephen Covey’s bookThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. His son, Sean Covey, adapted those habits specifically for teens. Brilliant! We know some of our college students have read one of these books and we can tell it’s made a difference for them.

Note that the hardcover is less expensive, but that’s because it’s a mini version.

Cookbook for Teens
I spent the first five years of married life in a men’s residence hall because my husband was an Resident Director. After that experience, I decided that if I ever had boys, I’d teach them how to do basic things like laundry, cleaning and cooking before they’re out of the house.

Whether you’re buying for a girl or boy, this cookbook is a perfect 8th grade graduation gift. Yes, they can look everything up online, but here’s what I love about this book: it includes information like how to correctly measure ingredients, what common cooking terms mean and how to avoid common cooking mistakes.

This is a book they’ll keep–and their future roommates and spouse will thank you!

I Am Malala
Most 8th graders have probably spent more time complaining about school than being grateful for it.That’s normal (we did the same thing too at their age). Celebrating eighth grade graduation is a perfect time to step back and see the reality of education around the world.

Malala fought for the right to an education in Pakistan, and was shot while riding home on the bus when she was 15. This memoir from the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize winner isan incredible story about the power of education. It’s a must-read for everyone.

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World
This book is based on the 2014 UT-Austin commencement speech by Admiral William H. McRaven. The hardcover edition is a wonderful keepsake.

Your teens won’t always listen to you, but they may pay attention to life lessons from a Navy SEAL. It’s a book they’ll go back to again and again next year in high school and beyond.