We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.
The Ultimate Guide to Gifts and Toys for 7-Year-Olds
Unique, educational and just plain cool gifts that will shoot to the top of their lists!
You've probably noticed your 7-year-old becoming a lot more independent and interested in pursuing their own passions. "Around seven years old, children are developing confidence in all areas of life through schoolwork, friends, physical activity and the arts," says Jennifer Rothman, LCSW. "Motivation for learning and focus on friendships guides children as they become more independent from the family and begin to build their self image."
For these reasons, when it comes to toys and gifts that support this independence, she says things like board games, construction and building toys and complicated puzzles help them work on their newfound skills and feel accomplished in their own right. Arts and crafts and DIY sets are helpful, too. "Making something of their specific individualized interest and customizing creations also promotes their emerging identity formation," says Rothman.
That leaves a lot of options when it comes time to get gifts for kids this age. And even if you narrow it down to a specific category, there's still so much to choose. That's why the Good Housekeeping Institute tests and evaluates toys throughout the year while on the hunt for our annual Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award winners. To find the best of the best, we test all the newest and most popular toys of the year both in our Lab and at home. First, experts evaluate the safety and durability, then real 7-year-olds give their own feedback about how fun they are to use. To put together this list of the best toys and gifts for 7-year-olds in 2023, we rounded up their top picks (plus a few perennial best-sellers and editor favorites) and grouped them by price.
This year, we're seeing DIY kits and craft sets rise to the top of kids' must-have lists. So have educational toys, especially when it comes to STEM sets, as well as building kits and other collectibles. Brainteaser games are also a hit, so you can feel good about improving the mind of any 7-year-old in your life. For even more gift ideas for birthdays and beyond, check out our guides to best toys for 7-year-old boys and the best toys for 7-year-old girls.
Under $25
Kanoodle 3D
Kanoodle 3D
It looks simple, but its deceptively difficult. Each puzzle challenges players to copy a design from the instruction book, then complete it using the remaining pieces. They'll have their brains thinking overtime as they try to work out the 3D and 2D shapes. Ages 7+
Crayola Wixels Animals Activity Kit
Crayola Wixels Animals Activity Kit
There's a little STEM lesson in this art project: Kids moisten a board filled with squares, touch the marker to each space, and watch as capillary action fills the square with color to make a picture in a pixelated style. It comes with two animal patterns for them to follow, or they can make their own designs. Ages 6+
'A Case of the Zaps'
'A Case of the Zaps'
Good Housekeeping Institute testers appreciated the way this book handled the topic of anxiety, without it getting too heavy or serious. It's about a robot who gets "the zaps" when he's nervous, until he visits Doctor Bleep Boop and learns some coping strategies. It was co-written by producers of the musical Hadestown and reviewed by the Child Mind Institute, but kid testers really just liked the story. Ages 4 – 8
Reversible Axolotl Plushie
Reversible plushes are still the rage. Axolotls are the animal of the moment. Put them together, and you've got an unmistakable hit. Flip this axol inside-out to change its mood from happy to angry while keeping its cool blue-and-teal color scheme. (Though it does come in several other colors.) Ages 3+
Hide & Seek Rock Painting Kit
Hide & Seek Rock Painting Kit
The perfect rainy-day project for 7-year-olds, this kit lets kids decorate rocks either with their own painted-on designs or with cool water-based transfers (like a temporary tattoo for rocks). Then, when it's nice out again, they can use the rocks to decorate a garden or be a hidden moment of surprise along a path or trail. It comes with 10 rocks, but you can also send them out into nature to scout out more. Ages 6+
Kids will complain less about washing up when they've made their own soap in fun, cool shapes. They'll learn that a lot goes into making soap, from mixing the ingredients to molding the shape to adding fragrance. There are even ideas for soap-based, at-home experiments kids can do while their soap hardens. It comes with enough to make 10 soaps in shapes like stars and cats, plus color tablets, glitter, coconut papaya fragrance and even gift boxes and tags. Ages 6+
Worlds Smallest Games Collection
Worlds Smallest Games Collection
Board game lovers will find these collectible, miniature versions of their favorite games so cute they'll want to get them all. Not only are they pocket-sized, but they're actually playable and feature all the pieces and parts of their larger counterparts. Our testers loved unboxing these mini toys even more than playing them. The collection includes classics like Connect Four, Uno, Jenga, Trouble and more. Ages 6+
Pokémon Super Extra Deluxe Essential Handbook
If there's a Pokéfan in your life who needs to know about every move set, evolution and region, this brick of a book is exactly what they need. It covers more than 875 characters (which, shockingly, still isn't all of them), so kids can look up their favorite Pokémon to find out its strengths and weaknesses. Ages 7+
Foster their love of science and keep their rooms looking cool with this 3D-printed lamp, which re-creates the craters and bumps on the surface of the moon. It also comes in four sizes and lights up in 16 colors; kids can change the colors at the push of a button with a remote control. No age recommendation given
Air Hogs RC cars have long been a hit with Good Housekeeping Institute testers, who appreciate that the wheels are soft enough to drive indoors (but still big enough to drive over obstacles). This one is also designed to do spins and tricks, and there's a red car on one side and a blue one on the reverse, so it'll keep going no matter which way it lands. Ages 4+
One Question a Day for Kids
One Question a Day for Kids
If the creative 7-year-old in your life likes the idea of journaling but doesn't know what to write, this journal will prompt them with a thought-starter a day. It asks questions both fun (favorite superpowers) and serious (about who they trust the most). When they're done, they'll have a time capsule that covers three years. Ages 5+
Corner Crush Game
It's a four-in-a-row game just like you remember, but with a twist: The game actually wraps around the sides of the 3-D playing tower, so it tests memory, too! Our testers loved rotating the tower. Ages 7+
Good Housekeeping Amazing Science
Budding scientists will thrill with the 83 hands-on experiments in this book, which are led by the scientists from the Good Housekeeping Institute. The book goes from room to room in the house and explains the scientific concepts behind the phenomena you might find there, like why bathroom mirrors get foggy or what makes sweaty sneakers so stinky. Then, the experiments let them dive deeper into the concepts. Ages 7+
Pass the Pigs
Our game testers found this "dice" game hilarious — and when you're throwing pigs around the table, how can you not laugh? Players must roll the pigs, and then earn points based on the positions they land in. Parents also found this one to be an easy-to-transport travel game. Ages 7+
BrainBolt Genius
BrainBolt Genius
This brainteaser will keep your little ones engaged while challenging their smarts. Players use their memory skills to re-create patterns that the game flashes on the buttons. Our testers love that this game can be brought along while traveling and even has a silent mode. Ages 7+
Solar Robot DIY Kit
STEM-inclined kids will jump at the change to make a real, working solar-powered robot on their own. When they've assembled it all, they'll have built a robot that walks around in the sunlight. To add a little more creativity into this science project, there are also instructions with ideas for how to turn recyclable household materials (like cardboard) into adaptations that turn the robot into a dinosaur, a monster and more. Ages 5+
We all know kids love telling a good joke, now it's time to get them to start writing some jokes of their own. This book leads them through different ways to come up with a joke — like seeing what happens when you replace "crack" with "quack" in words like "nuctracker" and "firecracker" — and gets them thinking about things like puns and joke structures. There's even tips about performing. Ages 7+
Star Wars Rivals Premier Set
This two-player game has a little of everything: There are some collectible figures, some strategies, some missions and plenty of Star Wars characters, locations and references that kids know and love.
Star Wars Rivals has players choosing to champion either the light side or the dark side, then battling for control over different sectors of the galaxy using movable character figures. The set comes with four exclusive characters and 12 locations, but kids can expand their collection with booster sets. Ages 7+
$25 to $50
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; she previously wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found dominating the audio round at her local bar trivia night or tweeting about movies.
Rachel Rothman (she/her) is the chief technologist and executive technical director at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she oversees testing methodology, implementation and reporting for all GH Labs. She also manages GH’s growing research division and the analysis of applicants for the GH Seal and all other testing emblems. During her 15 years at Good Housekeeping, Rachel has had the opportunity to evaluate thousands of products, including toys and cars for GH’s annual awards programs and countless innovative breakthroughs in consumer tech and home improvement.
Watch Next
What Barbie Looked Like the Year You Were Born
The Best Toys and Gifts for 10-Year-Old Girls
The Best Toys and Gifts for 10-Year-Old Boys
The Best Toys & Gifts for 9-Year-Old Girls in 2023
