The 57 best gifts and toys for 7-year-olds in 2024

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 | Toys | Active toys | Arts and crafts | Games and puzzles | STEM and educational toys | Dolls and stuffed animals | Books | Meet the experts

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.

This sticker maker includes designs that can be colored in and enough material for 60 homemade stickers. These puffy stickers are a perfect way to bring out your 7-year-old’s creative side.

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.

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. If your child is interested in physics or basketball, this toy encourages both.

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.

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.

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.

Break open 10 geodes to discover the cool world inside and learn about rocks and the Earth. With over 26,000 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.

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 was just released in July.

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.

Collectibles, from trading cards to mini figures like these, can be important for kids who are developing a sense of group belonging, Gummer says. It comes in two colors and the items in the balls add a fun surprise.

Did they love the new "Despicable Me" movie that came 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.

Race these colorful, light-up remote control boats with family and friends. There are only two buttons and the boats travel at a speed of 12 km/h, so they are easy for kids to navigate.

This helicopter is a great activity for a 7-year-old; it’s durable, easy to control and fun to watch. It can even light up to display 7 different colors, so you can use it in the day and night.

If your 7-year-old is in a vehicle phase, this toy is made for them. The two trucks also come with little road signs and barricades, so a child can completely set the scene.

Disney is 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!

This building set combines the magic of color reveal Barbie with the engineering of a building set for a dream house in miniature. This dream house comes with four dolls and all the accessories and furniture a 7-year-old needs to live in Barbie world.

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.

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.”

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.

Gear like these binoculars, backyard tents and walkie-talkies encourage outdoor play and exploration. The magnification of these binoculars is 8x and they are shock proof and easy to focus.

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.

Kids can create their own one-of-a-kind play space with this award-winning kit. It's durable, allows kids to use their imagination to create what they want, and coolest of all, it glows in the dark!

These cozy slippers are a fun craft project and a nice way to stay warm if it's chilly in the morning. It's also a great introduction to sewing because it requires no prior experience.

This oddly satisfying slime kit is fun for both kids and kids at heart. Strangely fascinating and tactile, it also relieves stress.

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!

What better way to get a 7-year-old (and their grandparents) excited about writing? These letters will both help strengthen a connection, and a child's writing skills.

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.

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.

Get the whole family in on the fun — and the twisting and turning and bending and snapping with this classic game. "This game never gets old," says Shop TODAY editor Rebecca Brown. "I especially love watching my niece and nephews all play together; it's always hilarious."

Puzzles help with fine motor skills and problem-solving, and this one includes a geography lesson, too. With a 100 piece that glow in the dark, this will entertain kids for hours.

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.

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.

This 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, centered around strategy and competition.

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. "I'm always in awe when my daughter figures out another shape," says Brown. "It really keeps her occupied."

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.

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.

We Love it for: interactive play.

Kids will love feeding and playing with their very own interactive toy. It's 3D, so the toys will interact with kids' touches and kids can watch them grow.

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.

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.

These diverse dolls include accessories such as cochlear implants and hobbies like star gazing or fossil hunting. They fit right in a child's hand, so they can be a constant companion on adventures.

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.

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).

This avocado is part of Squishable’s “comfort food” line, an unusual addition to the usual stuffed animal menagerie. It has over 3,000 5-star reviews on Amazon, and reviewers love how soft it is.

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.

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.

In beautiful verse with artwork to match, this picture book explores the unexpected ways children might grow into themselves. It is the perfect book to inspire young children to follow their dreams.

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.

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.

Science-inspired mysteries let kids understand scientific principles while solving thorny riddles. It's an engaging way to help kids learn the foundational basics of STEM subjects.

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.

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.

Don’t forget to check out Shop TODAY’s other gift guides to find the perfect present for every kid on your list including babies, 1-year-olds, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds, 5-year-olds, 6-year-olds, 8-year-olds, 9-year-olds and 10-year-olds.

Lisa Tolin (she/her) is a contributor to TODAY. Her debut picture book,"How to Be a Rock Star," illustrated by Daniel Duncan, published in 2022. Previously, she was head of special projects for TODAY and supervising health editor for NBC News Digital, and held various roles for The Associated Press, including East Coast lifestyle and entertainment editor.