Gifts for 7 Year Old Girls

Consider Their Developmental Stage

At seven, children have made significant developmental leaps in language and social-emotional abilities. They’re also growing rapidly, seemingly shooting up and outgrowing clothes and shoes overnight. Physically, your seven-year-old girl has finished the majority of her motor skill development. That makes this a great time for her to gravitate toward physically active outdoor toys and games she personally enjoys, letting her develop a love of time spent outside in motion. Staying active isn’t just good for her heart and muscles, it’s also essential to her developing brain.

From a cognitive standpoint, her language skills and vocabulary have grown exponentially. She uses logic to solve problems, and is able to pay attention for the significant spans of time that school requires. It’s likely that her unique learning style is beginning to be evident to both you and her educators, offering perspective on the types of curriculum and educational toys that will benefit her most. She’s adept at games, takes turns well, and finds satisfaction in following the rules and being a valued member of a group. Science tools and kits that encourage her to explore her world are great picks now, especially when they can be shared with friends and siblings.

Socially, her drive to fit in with her peers is at an all-time high. Particularly if she’s in traditional schooling, she’s starting to see the way that social groups naturally form. This is often served up with a side of rebellion, and she may start mirroring less-desirable behaviors she’s seeing in other kids. It’s a great time to encourage structured social games, which teach valuable lessons about group dynamics and tend to focus group energy that might otherwise turn into mischief.

Entertainment vs. Education

Now that she’s school-age, your seven-year-old girl is taking in a lot of new ideas, concepts and skills in her curriculum. She might even be receiving homework for the first time, which can be challenging to kids as they’re first adjusting to the school years. Fun toys that reinforce their reading and math skills are a great addition to their repertoire, but toys that encourage entertaining outdoor free-play and socialization offer a different kind of learning that’s essential to their development at seven.

Entertainment vs. Education

Her balance and coordination have developed nicely, and her hand-eye coordination has seen drastic improvements since her sixth birthday; now, physical play is all about staying active, entertained, and social. It’s an important time for encouraging physical play, which sometimes falls by the wayside when kids begin school. Sports toys like NERF blasters, bikes, scooters and pogo sticks that offer opportunities to stay active while hanging out with friends offer boosts to the developmental trifecta – physical, cognitive and social.

Learning toys that offer cognitive boosts are always welcome, but kids are taking in a lot of information at school already, so don’t feel pressured to over-supplement their existing education. Games and toys that support their reading and math education and science kits that walk them through visually and mentally engaging experiments offer general skill boosts and improvements to logical thinking.

The most important thing for her socially now is that she have free play opportunities with her friends. It’s a time where she’ll learn a lot of important lessons about interpersonal communication and become more aware of and comfortable with her own boundaries, so it’s important to her future success and happiness. Not many toys are needed to facilitate this, but any game that facilitates open-ended outdoor group activity fits the bill here.

Digital vs. Manual

The older she gets, the more aware your seven-year-old no doubt is of the ubiquity of technology. Whether or not you choose to let her have her own devices, setting screen-time limits is ideal. It’s best if they’re not using digital toys for more than two hours a day, as it cuts into playtime that would be better spent outside with friends. Manual toys that encourage physical activity and creative expression are ideal at seven, especially when more than one child can play.

Wrapping Up

She’s funny, clever, social and sweet, and your seven-year-old girl is finding and asserting her identity wherever possible. The best gifts for 7 year old girls meet their rapidly-changing developmental needs while also taking their growing personalities into account; you know her best! Whether she’s eager to express her creative side or just can’t wait to get outside, you’re now equipped to make a pick she will lov