Wondering what to get a 7-year-old for their birthday and scratching your brain? The best toys and gifts for this age help them write stories, draw detailed pictures, build and create.
Seven-year-olds are noticeably better at fine motor skills that help them write and create than they were at age 6, says Dr. Amanda Gummer, founder of Fundamentally Children in the United Kingdom.
Crafts, sports equipment, building materials and other interactive and educational toys are among the top gifts for 7-year-olds, notes Susan Kambrich, head of the Woodland Hill Montessori School in Rensselaer, New York, and treasurer of the board of directors for the American Montessori Society.
At age 7, kids are also becoming more confident readers, ready to explore the world through graphic novels, nonfiction books and more sophisticated chapter books — though they will still get plenty of satisfaction and education from picture books, too. Here, we've found the best gifts to help your favorite 7-year-old hone their developmental skills while also having fun.
Bestsellers | Best toys | Active toys | Best arts and crafts | Best games and puzzles | Best STEM and educational toys | Best dolls and stuffed animals | Best books | Meet the experts
Best gifts for 7-year-olds
Unstable Unicorns Kids Edition
Unstable Unicorns has sold over a million copies worldwide for a reason. The kid-friendly version with adorable artwork is sure to be adored by your 7-year-old and a favorite among the whole family.
Klutz Friendship Bracelets Craft Kit
Whether they’re making friendship bracelets to trade with friends at sleepaway camp or for a certain artist’s tour, they can learn to make complex chevron designs or spice up their usual braided bracelets with the instructions in this booklet. It also comes with string and beads to get them started.
Klutz Make Your Own Puffy Stickers
This sticker maker includes designs that can be colored in and enough material for 60 homemade stickers.
Rainbow Loom Combo Loomi Pals Set
Make your own stretchy bracelets and add cute charms with this set that makes crafting accessible. Friendship bracelets are great for building social networks and fine motor skills.
KiwiCo Basketball Catapult
This STEM toy lets 7-year-olds create an adjustable catapult, then use it to shoot and score, learning about angles and arcs as they go.
Lulu Jr. Illustory Bookmaking Kit
Put them on the path to their first Pulitzer Prize with this bookmaking kit.
3Doodler Start+ Essentials
Kids can make their own 3D art with this kit that provides a “pen” that emits the child-safe plastic building material to make their own shapes. They can follow stencils or create their own sculptures.
Best toys for 7-year-olds
National Geographic Geodes Kit
Break open 10 geodes to discover the cool world inside and learn about rocks and the Earth. With over 25,000 five-star Amazon ratings, shoppers can agree that this “age appropriate,” “exciting” and “quick and easy to explain” activity is perfect for 7-year-olds and science enthusiasts alike.
Tamagotchi Connection
Do you remember playing with your Tamagotchi as a child? Now your little one can have the same experience! This new version of the virtual pet will be officially released in July but you can pre-order now to get in on the fun early.
Lego Dream Village
If your 7-year-old enjoys playing Legos after school, this dream village is the gift for them. This 434-piece set includes an adorable bakery, fun magic shop, and a little workshop for hours of fun.
L.O.L. Surprise Color Change Bubbly Surprise
Collectibles, from trading cards to mini figures like these, can be important for kids who are developing a sense of group belonging, Gummer says.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Pizza Van
They may have the Barbie Dream convertible, but do they have a pizza van? Turtles have to get around too, and they can do so thanks to this toy sprinter van decorated appropriately with pieces of pizza.
The set includes all four turtles and Splinter, but it also includes a pizza launcher that makes up to eight pies.
Lego "Despicable Me 4" Minions' Music Party Bus
They're probably waiting with excitement for the new "Despicable Me" movie that's set to come out this summer. This set comes with a convertible party bus that has different play areas and four minions so they can create as many scenes as their imaginations can come up with.
Mega Barbie Color Reveal Dream House
This building set combines the magic of color reveal Barbie with the engineering of a building set for a dream house in miniature.
Lego 100 Years of Disney Animated Icons Set
Disney is turning 100! Celebrate with this Lego set that provides children with nine squares to piece together blocks that form familiar characters such as Snow White, Olaf, Dumbo, Mickey and more.
With a little over 1,000 pieces and 12 characters to build, they’ll be entertained and challenged yet pleased once they see the final product!
Lego Dots Creative Designer Box
This crafty Lego toy lets young designers create custom decor with items like wall decorations and boxes for desk supplies.
Active toys for 7-year-olds
Franklin Sports Blackhawk Pop-Up Soccer Goal
Sports are becoming more rewarding to 7-year-olds as they gain strength and stamina. Give them a goal net to practice and play with.
Darts Magnetic Dart Board
A magnetic dart board is great for motor skills and competition without the danger of real darts. “It’s so worth the money,” one reviewer said, adding “We love this and play all the time.”
Mini Indoor Basketball Hoop Set
Consider a gift for an active 7-year-old that allows them to channel all that extra energy. This indoor mini basketball set comes with everything they'll need to ball like a professional right in their own bedroom — the basketball hoop, backboard and soft rubber mini basketballs are all included.
Kidwinz Shock-Proof Binoculars
Gear like these binoculars, backyard tents and walkie-talkies encourage outdoor play and exploration.
Crazy Forts Glow in the Dark Set
Kids can create their own one-of-a-kind play space with this award-winning kit. Coolest of all, it glows in the dark!
Go For It Golf Extendable Kids Putter
This extendable putter is perfect for them to join mom or dad on the green. It'll grow with them as they get taller and older so they can have it for years to come.
Best arts and crafts for 7-year-olds
Just My Style Tie Dye Design Studio
Get in on the tie-dye trend with this studio in a box that lets kids dye up to 18 projects.
Klutz Sew-Your-Own Unicorn Bunny Slippers
These cozy slippers are a fun craft project and a nice way to stay warm while remote learning.
Hey Clay Animals
Complete with 18 cans of clay that aren't sticky or toxic, this gift will allow your 7-year-old to make beautiful 3D creations. Let their imagination run wild!
Slime Making Kit
This oddly satisfying slime kit is fun for both kids and kids at heart. Strangely fascinating and tactile, it also relieves stress.
Grandparent Pen Pal Kit
What better way to get a 7-year-old (and their grandparents) excited about writing?
VTech Kidizoom
Little photographers can take pictures and instantly print black-and-white images with included paper. The digital screen lets them embellish photos with stickers and drawings.
Best games and puzzles for 7-year-olds
Educational Insights Kanoodle
This classic game includes plenty of brain teasers a 7-year-old can try alone, and it’s portable for travel. It might even be a hit with the whole family! "When I first brought this around my family, everyone at every age wanted a try," says associate editor Kamari Stewart.
Twister
Get the whole family in on the fun — and the twisting and turning and bending and snapping with this classic game.
Uno Party
With over 300 cards, who will be the first to shout out “Uno!” in this multiplayer game? Meant to be played with large groups (up to 16 people), your 7-year-old and their friends will be entertained for hours, especially thanks to the addition of new wild cards in the deck.
Taco vs Burrito Card Game
This game was created by a 7-year-old made specifically for 7-year-olds. All right, parents can play, too; it’s actually a great card game for any age. This is a fun game centered around strategy and competition.
Mudpuppy Amazing Insects Glow in the Dark Puzzle
Puzzles help with fine motor skills and problem-solving, and this one includes a geography lesson, too.
Bananagrams
Like an entry-level Scrabble, Bananagrams is fun and helps with spelling. This double version of the game comes with enough pieces for up to 16 players.
Shape Shifting Box
This is a creative yet fun toy perfect for all ages — a transforming fidget toy. Your 7-year-old will have their eyes locked on this memorizing gift for hours.
Overcooked! + Overcooked! 2 for Nintendo Switch
Is your 7-year-old a video game lover? Gift them this cooking game for Nintendo Switch to play solo or with up to four people.
ThinkFun Laser Maze
This logic game adds an educational component to puzzles by incorporating critical thinking and STEM skills. Try the junior version for kids who might appreciate a more approachable challenge.
Best STEM and educational toys for 7-year-olds
National Geographic Crystal Garden Science Kit
This science kit by National Geographic allows kids to tap into creativity and science. According to the brand, kids choose a shade, color in the tree, then with a little growing liquid, the tree will develop into crystals right before their eyes. This kit even includes a book that’s packed with crystal facts.
Crayola Color Chemistry Lab
This kit includes 50 different colorful experiments, from an erupting volcano to “rubber goo.” With “hours of enjoyment,” tap into their creative genes with this chemistry set.
Magical Frozen Bubbles Kit
If your child is a lover of magic, they will surely appreciate these frozen bubbles. This innovative kit includes bubble solution that forms icy crystals in roughly 20 minutes. Your 7-year-old will have loads of fun blowing bubbles while learning about science at the same time.
Bitzee Interactive Pet
If they’ve been begging for an IRL pet, have them put their skills to the test with this techie gift that they can feed, put to sleep and even pet. Their “fur baby” interact and respond to movements with noises and reactions of their own, similar to a real pet.
Moose Toys Beast Lab
If science is their favorite subject in school, they’ll have a beast of a time with this lab, mixing ingredients to create their own creature in order to create an action figure. Even better is the fact that this toy is reusable, able to create up to two different characters, but with different phrases, sounds and colors each time.
Lego Super Mario Adventures
Turn Legos into a real-life video game with this kit that also includes interactive elements.
“Building can engage children in higher-level thinking and creative problem-solving through hands-on design and construction,” says Kambrich.
Any Lego kit will be a hit for 7-year-olds, but this one promotes STEM skills along with construction.
Best dolls and stuffed animals for 7-year-olds
Warmies Fox
Pop this furry friend into the microwave for soothing and relaxing snuggle time — the brand says these Warmies are lavender-scented, making them the perfect bedtime companion. Choose from a fox, sloth, dog and other cute animals (bonus: they were one of Oprah’s Favorite Things).
Autumn Leaves Lottie Doll
These diverse dolls include accessories such as cochlear implants and hobbies like star gazing or fossil hunting.
L.O.L. Surprise Magic Flyers
This toy is a spin on the popular L.O.L Surprise doll your child is sure to know and love and takes it to new heights (quite literally!) Dolls come packaged in a sphere and can be unboxed to reveal a high-flying doll. Charge this toy overnight for up to minutes of flying fun.
Squishable Comfort Avocado
This avocado is part of Squishable’s “comfort food” line, an unusual addition to the usual stuffed animal menagerie.
Furby Interactive Toy
The '90s called — and Furby is coming back! Whether this toy haunted your toy bin as a child or became your furry confidante, now your child can experience it all for themselves.
They're chatty. They're furry. They respond to prompts with phrases, sounds and dances of their own. This stuffed animal also responds to taps on the head, and includes a pizza charm so it never goes hungry.
Best books for 7-year-olds
Animals, Animals, Animals! Mad Libs Junior
For long road trips, spark some creativity and encourage silliness with this animal-themed Mad Libs activity book.
With 48 pages to complete, they'll be secretly learning the difference between adverbs, verbs, adjectives, plural nouns and more tenses through these tall tales.
“Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye,” by Geronimo Stilton
Fun fonts, illustrations every other page and an adventure story are all reasons why children cling to this beginner chapter book series. There are 82 books in this series, however they don’t need to read them in order to be able to understand the series.
“Cat Kid Comic Club: Collaborations,” by Dav Pilkey
The newest book in the graphic novel series from the creator of “Dog Man” has the club making mini comics like Chubbs McSpiderbutt to inspire collaboration and storytelling in readers, too.
"Dork Diaries," by Rachel Renee Russell
"I remember liking these books at that age," says associate editor Sierra Hoeger, who calls this a "good gateway book" to get them excited about reading.
“The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza,” by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris
This Read With Jenna Junior pick started as live cartoons for kids stuck at home during the pandemic. It’s now a graphic novel featuring a whimsical moon queen, a toenail-clipping robot and an astronaut cat who may or may not eat pizza.
“The Year We Learned to Fly,” by Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael López
Children who are stuck inside learn to use their imaginations to fly — a message that will resonate deeply with children who lived through a pandemic, who must adjust to a new place or cope with any life changes or hardships.
“Patchwork,” by Matt de la Peña and Corinna Luyken
In beautiful verse with artwork to match, this picture book explores the unexpected ways children might grow into themselves.
“Farmhouse,” by Sophie Blackall
Climb inside the precious world of Sophie Blackall’s old farmhouse, where a family lives and grows as years pass, with intricate illustrations and one long sentence that somehow suspends time.
“Sleuth & Solve: Science,” by Ana Gallo and Victor Escandell
Science-inspired mysteries let kids understand scientific principles while solving thorny riddles.
Audible Subscription
For learning readers, audio books are a welcome way to connect to stories without stress. Audible has classics including “Anne of Green Gables” and “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” alongside original content like “The Weirdies,” by Michael Buckley, narrated by Kate Winslet.
“Endlessly Ever After,” by Laurel Snyder and Dan Santat
This choose-your-own-adventure-style fairy tale follows a trail of breadcrumbs from many familiar stories but leaves the reader in charge of the remix. The options aren’t quite endless, but they’ll entertain ever after.
“Amah Faraway,” by Margaret Chiu Greanias and Tracy Subisak
When Kylie goes to visit grandma so far away, she is shy and nervous about unfamiliar customs. But she warms to the visit and leaves ready for another in a mirrored storyline that takes the hesitation of the beginning into excitement, using the same words.
Meet the experts
- Dr. Amanda Gummer is the founder of Fundamentally Children in the United Kingdom.
- Susan Kambrich is the head of the Woodland Hill Montessori School in Rensselaer, New York, and treasurer of the board of directors for the American Montessori Society.
