35 Unique 8th Grade Graduation Gifts to Send Them on Their Way

This little printer takes photos from their smartphones or social media and prints them onto 2”x 3” sticker paper, which they can use to decorate lockers, notebooks and laptops. (No separate instant camera needed!) They can also use editing software to add touches like borders and emojis. It comes in several colors, too, some of which ship faster than others.

If they're looking to transition their room from a middle-schooler's room to a high-schooler's, they might get a thrill out of seeing their name in lights! The size, color, font, symbol and backplate shape are all customizable, but no matter what they choose, it'll be a conversation starter.

If you need just a little something to go with your card (or money), this smiling gherkin is just the thing. Each one is handcrafted and comes with a congratulatory note and a little wooden stand,

Versatile, cute and sleek, everyone from tweens to grandparents are clamoring for Lululemon's Everywhere Belt Bag. And we can see why: It's just the right size to hold the essentials, it comes in tons of colors and has an adjustable strap — reasons why it was named the best fanny pack by the Good Housekeeping Institute.

Good Housekeeping Institute testers were truly impressed with how fast and how far this drone plane could fly — so much so that it won a Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award. And yet, it was still highly rated for is ease of controls, and takeoffs were pretty seamless.

Black agate and tiger-eye stones give this bracelet a gender-neutral look. You can also get a rope bracelet with a graduation cap instead of a beaded one. Both are adjustable in size, so they can keep wearing it as they grow.

Somehow, they never get too old for Squishmallows. Celebrate their accomplishment with a new squish friend, be it IndieMae the axolotl, Alexie the cow, Finley the Irish setter, Perry the dolphin, Zozo the Bigfoot, Arella the brown owl or Lemus the gray elephant. All of the graduation-themed Squishmallows come wearing a mortarboard cap.

RELATED: The Best Axolotl Gifts

There's nothing wrong with giving cash as a grad gift — they'll be able to use it on exactly what they want. But that doesn't mean you have to stuff bills in an envelope. This gift offers a big "wow" factor: The grad opens the box, and a helium balloon floats up with bills attached to the string. This kit comes with the gift box, two balloons, 24 bill sleeves and the balloon string — you have to supply the bills and the helium.

This compass necklace charm will let them know that they can choose their own direction in life, starting in high school. You can get it in gold, rose gold or silver, or choose other graduation-ready charms, like interlocking circles or a tree of life, all of which come with a card that has an inspirational quote about their next chapter.

This generation has grown up with Mo Willems's pigeon books, so they'll definitely feel nostalgic over getting this as a gift (especially if there's a meaningful inscription from the gift-giver). It's a picture book, but it has that all-ages feel to it, and grads will definitely relate to the Pigeon touting its own accomplishments. ("I did the work!")

In high school, they're going to have to get to their classes on time. Give them a way to keep track of the hours without relying on their smartphones. This watch is rugged, water-resistant, keeps track of the date and also looks cool.

They're growing up — time to get them an "adult" wallet. This has slots for cards and IDs plus cash, and it can hold everything they need without getting too bulky. It blocks RFID signals, and it comes in multiple colors and patterns.

After the rough-and-tumble middle school years, it might be time to retire their backpack. The sturdy Fjällräven Kånken comes in a lot of fun colors and prints, and also has room for everything they need with small pockets on the side, a zipper pocket in the front, a laptop sleeve and a roomy main compartment.

As they move onto high school, they might need to upgrade their tech to handle their bigger assignments. In Good Housekeeping Institute tests, users found Acer Chromebook laptops lightweight and easy to use at a more affordable price point than other laptops, which made it a great option for school.

RELATED: The Best Laptops

If they're into changing up their looks, this travel makeup kit comes personalized with an initial, has pockets for all their brushes and uses adjustable dividers to keep everything organized. You can even fill it with some of their favorite beauty brands, like Sol De Janiero, Summer Fridays, Rare Beauty or Beauty Bakerie.

If you just need a little something to mark the occasion, this bear is the perfect fit, looking adorable on a desk or shelf. The bear sits seven inches tall, and you can get a couple styles of bear, a could different cap/gown colors or an owl instead of a bear.

Get them ready for more advanced science with this book, which combines LEGO building with STEM concepts. They'll create things like a drop tower, a labyrinth or a grabber. “The visuals in the book were accurate, and it was easy to determine where each piece went,” said one Good Housekeeping parent tester.

RELATED: The Good Housekeeping Best Kids' Book Awards

Whether they're listening to music, watching videos or playing games, wouldn't everybody in the family be happier if they could do it through headphones? These connect wirelessly using Bluetooth, charge quickly and come in four colors (though the blue is definitely a standout).

This journal makes it easy to send on your true thoughts and emotions to your graduate. It offers fun, sentimental, or helpful fill-in-the-blank prompts like, "If I created a sandwich for you, here's what would be on it..." or, "I probably don't tell you this enough, but one thing I want you to always, always know is..."

Since everything comes full-circle, Gen Zers — especially those obsessed with the "Y2K aesthetic" — have been getting into collecting CDs again. Let them make the most of that collection with this portable CD player, which also comes with a Bluetooth speaker/transmitter, a line-in jack, an FM radio, a flash drive player and a remote control.