14 of the best toys for 7 year olds in 2023

Amazing Facts Every 7 Year Old Needs To Know, £4.99 - Amazon (opens in new tab)

Children will start to show more interest in reading and discovering fun facts by the age of 7. There are some fun fact books you'll find available too. 

We like the age-appropriate Amazing Facts for 7 Year Old book by Catherine Brereton. It includes answers to questions such as: Which bird can fly backward? How many years can a crocodile last without eating? And more.

L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G Styling Head- Candylicious, £33.99 - Smyths (opens in new tab)

The age of 7 is a big moment for the development of identity, so being able to play around, harmlessly, with lots of different 'looks' is more important than brushing a dolls' hair may appear. 

This L.O.L. Surprise! Styling head comes with tons of accessories for endless styling possibilities- and best of all, the head sits on a plinth which features a draw, so there's somewhere to keep all of those clips etc when they are not adorning the hair!

Chilli Pro Reaper Stunt Scooter, £154.95 - John Lewis (opens in new tab)

For the energetic 7 year old, this sleek scooter is an ideal way to burn off excess energy with standard scooting, or as an introduction to the skatepark.

The Chilli Pro Reaper is lightweight, strong and safe- it even has a rear-wheel brake, so you know that your 7 year old can stop when they need to. 

A super-sleek and speedy way to get to school, this scooter will make your 7 year old the envy of their friends. Just remember to get them some safety gear too!

Collins Key - Double Fake Food Challenge Showdown, £16.99 - Amazon (opens in new tab)

Inspired by all the shows in which people create food to look like hyperrealistic versions of other objects, this is a great way of playing with that concept at home. 

In this set, there are 2 serving platters with covers, a couple of toy tools and the compounds needed to create the fake food items in the challenge. 

The idea is that you compete with a friend to create the food item, which was revealed as your challenge- which also has instructional steps, using the tools and compounds supplied. The included spinner then decides the winner of the competition.

It's a fun and silly way to use all those skills learned from years of Play-Doh, now your 7 year old has deemed themselves 'too old' for that!

Throw Throw Avocado by Exploding Kittens, £24.99 - Amazon (opens in new tab)

A collecting and matching card game that involves throwing is certain to be a hit with any 7 year old!

Maybe not one to be played near Grandma's antiques, this game relies on between 2 and 6 players collecting 3, hilariously named, matching cards before anyone else does, in order to earn points. However, also part of the card deck are avocado cards to collect, which then lead to throwing the  included- but very soft foam- avocado halves at each other.

For 15 minutes of fun and silliness, this is the ideal way for your 7 year old and their friends to blow off steam, or engage in an active card game as a family.

Kanoodle Fusion, £21.99 - Bright Minds (opens in new tab)

This brilliantly clever game involves layering translucent coloured pieces to create and solve different colour puzzles. 

Inside the carry case is a back-lit game-play area, 10 translucent puzzle pieces, 3 'x' puzzle pieces and a game book with 50 different puzzle challenges. 

A simple concept to understand, this logic game will help 7 year olds, and beyond, to develop their problem-solving and critical thinking skills too.

LEGO DOTS Unicorn Creative Family Pack Toy Crafts Set, £35 - Argos (opens in new tab)

LEGO DOTS are a great way for 7 year olds to express arts and crafts creativity, without the mess of paint and glue.

In this set, as well as a load of colourful little tiles for decorating, there are 2 bracelets, a message board, bunting kit and unicorn stationery box included. 

For the less artistically sure, there are easy-to-follow patterns, so you can start by trying those out before creating your own designs.

This makes a great, quiet and calm solo activity but with so much included in the set, it's also great for group or family moments too. 

Sticky Wall Crawlers, £6.95 - Wicked Uncle (opens in new tab)

These bright and sticky balls make for fun and tactile play.

Included in the box are 4 different neon coloured balls which squish, stick, splat and crawl slowly down any vertical surface they land on. 

The value of a few minutes of silly sensory play is still significant for a 7 year old, which is why they are included in this list. Now, who's for a game of throw and splat?

The LEGO Ideas Book, £19.99 - LEGO (opens in new tab)

LEGO is such a popular toy for children and grown-ups alike, there is probably not a household in the country that doesn't own some, and if yours is a home with plenty of LEGO already, this is an ideal addition to your 7 year olds' collection. 

A new edition for 2022, this book contains 200 pages of LEGO building ideas to inspire new ways of combining existing bricks and making exciting things.

If you want to reignite your 7 year olds' love of the LEGO they already own, this colourful book is bound to do just that. 

Usborne Book and Jigsaw - Planet Earth, £9.99, Waterstones (opens in new tab)

Puzzles are great for kids at any age, but for 7 years olds they are especially good as the challenge of putting smaller pieces together will test their spatial reasoning. It will also match their newly developed skills as they become more complex thinkers. That's why puzzles are so important in our round up of best toys for 7 years olds in 2021.

When completed, 7 year olds will thrive from the sense of accomplishment and seeing the picture that they finished themselves. We love the Usborne Planet Earth Book and Jigsaw. It features 300 pieces, which means it will take a while for kids to put it together. As well as being a fun challenge, it will also teach them about the different landscapes of our planet in the process.

Hape Pocket Swing, £19.99 - Amazon (opens in new tab)

Measuring H15 x W5 x D19cm, the Hape Swing is ideal for popping out of the bag whenever you want to set up a swing between two strong trees. 

Kids can make use of it when out and about on nature walks or in the garden too. ''I love popping this in my rucksack when we go for long walks with the kids,' says Susie, mum to Emilie and Charlotte. 'It's lightweight and easy to carry and makes adventure walks more fun. The kids love to swing on it and use it as a seat too.'

Mache Magic, £11.99 - Amazon (opens in new tab)

Many children have long enough attention spans to enjoy painting and drawing and general crafting. By the age of 7 they also have developed their motor skills, allowing them to become more detail-focused. We love the Mache Magic craft set from Tomy. The kit features a twist and press Mache magic craft maker that lets kids get creative with papier mache using toilet paper. Yes, you read that right - toilet paper - which makes a change from having to save up all the finished rolls. The set comes with glitter pens and stickers that kids can use to decorate their creations once dry.

Slightly more advanced painting and drawing kits, such as painting by numbers sets, are great for engaging children of this age and challenging them. Look on Amazon (opens in new tab) and there's a wide range of painting and drawing kits. Hobbycraft and Baker Ross are also great places to check in on to find art ideas for kids.

Bananagrams, £14 - Amazon (opens in new tab)

This word game will either make you go bananas, or be a top banana- but either way, it's a fun family game that will enhance your 7 year olds' spelling skills.

The fabric banana contains 144 letter tiles, which is all that's needed for this fast paced anagram game. Each player starts with the same number of tiles from a central pile and then arranges them into their own freestyle crossword grid as quickly as they can. When a player has used all their tiles, everyone takes more, until all the letters have been shared out. Then the first person to use all their tiles, in correctly spelled words, is the winner. 

The beauty of this game is its' simplicity and speed- there is no waiting for turn-taking- and it's a great leveller too, kids can play versus adults, and with nimble little fingers, they are just as likely to win as the grown-ups.

Opti 7 x 5ft Football Training Target Goal And Rebounder, £50 - Argos (opens in new tab)

By the age of 7 a child might be starting to get into team sports. As well as enjoying playing and practicing their new hobby they will also show a growing interest in the sport in general.

Feed their interest with toys that allow them to engage with sport, whether that's kit to practice at home like a football and net, books about the sport or an outfit of their favourite team. Any game that encourages outside play is, in fact, a great idea. A rebounder net such as this one from Argos makes for a great gift for kids as it's something they can play on their own or with friends.

'My boy loves football and when he doesn't have friends to play with or his brother is not up for kicking around with him, he uses this rebounder,' says Laura, mum to Oliver. 'He loves being out in the garden simply practising his footy skills. As it has holes in the rebounder he uses it to develop his target skills too.'

K'NEX Creation Zone 50 Model Building Set Assortment, £26.99 - Smyths (opens in new tab)

Building toys are often a winner for 7 year olds who love the challenge and reward of taking different pieces and creating something new out of them. K'nex has been around for decades, and is still a STEM bestseller for good reason. Kids can use K'Nex in a number of configurations to make a range of items and random objects to get their creativity flowing. This kit includes over 400 pieces and has step-by-step colour-coded instructions for you to build up to 50 different models and is ideal for 7 year old hands.

'My kids play with this and always enjoy making different things from such as a bike that they've created using the step by step instructions,' says Emily, mum to Bethany and William. 'A bit like Lego, it's the kind of toy that they won't grow out of easily as there are so many things they can make with the same set.'

Tomy Screwball Scramble 2 Game, £20 - Argos (opens in new tab)

A sequel to the retro classic game of Screwball Scramble comes Level 2, which still has vintage charm and will keep little ones suitably entertained. We love the vibrant design of this toy, which comes in a pop of colours including sunshine orange and zesty green and blue. It's a toy with a nostalgic charm and can even be used next to the original level to make a longer game.

Kids can play solo and control the actions using the buttons, twisting and turning the obstacles in different directions. Onboard kids will have to navigate the ‘zig-zag steps,’ which leads to the 'see-saw' and ‘ferris wheel maze’ and onto the ‘corkscrew’. A final catapult blast leads to the finish bell.

Orchard Toys - Pigs In Blankets, £5.50 - Amazon (opens in new tab)

A great sub-£10 toy for a 7 year old, this Pigs in Blankets game is ideal as a gift. It's a  particularly good option if the 7 year old recipient has younger siblings as it's a relatively straightforward game for them to play together.

Like all Orchard Toys, this pairing game mixes the ideal amount of fun and learning in one. It's designed to develop matching and memory skills and encourage observational skills in the process. Simple, yet effective and most importantly, fun.

Huffy Delirium Kids Bike, £130 - Halfords (opens in new tab)

With its 16-inch wheels, the Huffy Delirium bike is suitable for 7 year olds up to 126cm. It comes in a stylish black and green finish with a number 16 race plate on the side to entice a child with a love of riding.

With its air-filled 16-inch rubber tyres and a robust steel frame it makes a great option for kids learning to ride too. The padded seat is comfortable to sit on and can be adjusted as the child grows. Most importantly, it’s 5-step assembly makes it very easy to put together.

NERF Vortex Aero Howler, £10 - Amazon (opens in new tab)

By the age of 7 a child will no doubt have developed close bonds with their peers, perhaps vocally choosing 'best friends' and certainly participating in a larger friendship group. Buying them toys that they can play with alongside other children - such as the Nerf Vortex Aero Howler - is a great way to foster and encourage these friendships and bonds.

The aerodynamic design is an important aspect of the Howler, which is made of foam rubber and lets you achieve throws of up to 90 metres. It will provide them with endless opportunities to play together (and entertain themselves) when they have play dates and hang out outside of school.

Essentially, the Nerf Vortex Aero Howler is a very cool upgrade of game of good old-fashioned catch, and, the better your throw, the louder the noise it makes- which is a satisfying way to quantify your technique.

Toucan Box (3 Month Subscription), £39 - Toucan Box (opens in new tab)

This craft subscription box service is bursting with original ideas each month, which is why it makes for a great gift idea for a 7 year old. Whether you choose to give one box or start a subscription for a child, there’s a host of arts and craft activities included in each box.

Individual boxes include themed ones such as the safari box that includes all the materials you need to make a giraffe periscope and a snapping crocodile, for example. The costume box is rather fun too as it has all the artistic tools a child needs to make a dinosaur and a raccoon, plus it comes with stickers, a collectible surprise and an activity magazine.