The Best Toys for 7 year-olds: Gift Guide for Christmas 2020

Looking for toys and gift ideas that will stimulate and engage your 7 year-old this Christmas? These are my top picks of the best toys for 7 year-olds that will develop their imagination, create learning opportunities and will have them coming back to play again and again.

How to choose the best toys for 7 year-olds this Christmas?

• Toys that can be used in different ways – these will keep your child’s attention longer because of the variety.
• Toys that will grow with your child, these will have different difficulty levels or varying options of how to play as your child gets older.
• Toys that encourage exploring, experimenting and problem-solving.
• Toys that focus on hands-on play – open-ended activities will engage your child’s creativity.

ThinkFun Gravity Maze Marble Run

Gravity Maze is a popular STEM toy that was a Toy of the Year Award winner in 2017. The gravity-powered maze game comes with 60 challenges of increasing difficulty, from beginner to expert making it a great present for kids who like puzzles, smart games and challenging activities. Gravity Maze is made with high-quality components, and comes with a very clear and easy to understand instruction manual – you’ll be able to play within minutes of opening the box. Gravity Maze has an educational aspect – it’s built to develop critical thinking skills and tie into STEM subjects, like science and engineering. It contains 60 challenges from beginner to expert, a game grid, 9 towers, 1 target piece, and 3 marbles.  

Why do I love this toy? 

• There are so many ways to play – follow the cards, create your own, make it big or make it long etc.
• Even adults will love the challenge of this maze, a perfect way to spend family time together. 
• It will sharpen children’s minds by improving logical reasoning, spatial reasoning and planning skills.

Crayola Light-Up Tracing Pad

The Crayola Light-Up Tracing Pad gives kids everything they need to learn to draw. The sturdy light-up tracing pad will allow your creative artists to trace the 100+ images included or they can find their own images to trace from magazines, photographs and comic books. Drawing in the dark brings a new element to their artistry – the LED drawing tablet illuminates the tracing sheets so kids can be imaginative at night or in daylight. They’ll love drawing, shading, and adding colour to their mini masterpieces. The set includes: 1 graphite pencil, 12 short coloured pencils, 10 tracing sheets, and 10 blank sheets. The tracing pad requires 3 AA batteries that are sold separately. 

Why do I love this toy?

• The evenly lit surface makes tracing lines easy to see, even in areas with low lighting. 
• There are more templates online that can be downloaded for free.  
• It encourages creativity and hand-eye coordination for young artists.

Activ Life Kid’s Flying Rings

Keep kids active with the Active Flyer, the best lightweight flying ring. The unique design flies straight and can be caught in the smallest of hands, on the wrist or even the foot. The flying rings weigh 33g, 80% lighter than standard flying discs, which means safe and comfortable catches for children. They can even be used supervised indoors due to their lightweight design. The rings float, so they can be used in the summer as a beach or pool toy. Kids and adults love this active gift that gets people moving around and exercising. Each 2-pack of Activ Flyers comes in a full-colour gift box.

Why do I love this toy?

• It is easier to throw straight compared to a traditional frisbee and the hollow centre makes in easier for children to catch. 
• They are available in 8 different colours. 
• It’s a great way for kids to practise hand-eye coordination while having fun at the same time. 

Crystal Growing Science Kit

National Geographic’s Crystal Growing Kit is the perfect project for kids and serves as a great introduction to geology and chemistry. The full-colour learning guide is packed with fascinating crystal facts that will teach kids the science behind the experiment. This science kit includes crystal growing powder, seed rock, a stir stick and a real calcite crystal. This kit will spark a love of science in your child that will last a lifetime.

Why do I love this toy? 

• It’s easy and quick to set up. 
• Kids don’t have to wait long for results – within 24 hours the crystals start to form and after 7 days the crystals look like the photos on the box.
• If your child likes this kit, they can try the National Geographic Crystal Growing Garden. 

Harry Potter Top Trumps Match Board Game

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter gets a new adventure with this brand new edition of Top Trumps Match. The aim of the game is to get 5 wizards, witches or creatures in a row – horizontally, vertically or diagonally, to win the game. Children will love playing with 15 of their favourite characters from Harry Potter to Hermione Granger, Professor Dumbledore to Ron Weasley. Soon they will work out strategies of how to win the game and how to steal the game from their opponents. 

Why do I love this game?

• It is a cross between 3 popular games – Memory, Connect 4, and Tic Tac Toe.
• The game packs up well so it is easy to take travelling.
• If your child enjoys this game, there are other themes available such as The Avengers, LOL, Super Mario, Toy Story and Frozen.

Choosing the best toys for 7 year-olds this Christmas doesn’t have to be difficult!

Remember that educational does not have to mean boring! If you get involved with unpacking and understanding how to use these fun, developmental toys, your child will want to get involved as well. My recommendations for the best toys for 7 year-olds will allow you to have fun with your child, engage with them and enjoy spending time together – there is no greater way to bond.