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From crafts to STEM toys, we called in a team of very lucky helpers to find the best
Seven-year-olds are like magpies – they appreciate anything shiny. But when it comes to finding a gift that will be returned to again and again after the initial wow factor wears off, it’s not quite so easy to impress.
No longer “little kids”, seven-year-olds can read a bit, spell a bit, and exert their opinions every minute of the day. They want to be seen as more grown up, and anything considered babyish is frowned upon. They also tend to love a craze or trend – especially ones inherited from older kids.
The best thing to do when buying gifts for seven-year-olds is to tap into their interests, then think outside the box. If they’re into space, for example, look to STEM toys that will encourage their love of science. Perhaps they love drawing – a craft kit could be perfect for them. Seven-year-olds have a good attention span and should be able to shoulder the feeling of losing a bit better than younger kids, so, gifting games is a great option, too.
Kids of all ages are screen obsessed and more tech savvy than any generation before them. They can probably get Alexa to do more things than their parents can. So, we’ve balanced out a love of tech with a love of screen-free play. Of course, all tech here is age appropriate and can be moderated by adults.
Keep reading to find out which gifts had our young testers jumping for joy.
We called in the big guns on this one – roping in every seven-year-old we know, to help with testing. We looking at how much of an initial wow factor the gift had, followed by seeing how often our testers returned to each gift after the initial excitement wore off.
Our testers put in the hard graft, testing all the products for hours and hours. We wanted to ensure we had gifts to suit all budgets, whether you’re buying a big-ticket present or something for yet another class party. Value for money, quality and durability were all very important when creating this round-up, too.
Our testers loved the bracelet maker from Maped. It was easy enough to use and created decent accessories. We were really impressed, and liked that it sneaked in some fine motor skills practice, too. However, for something that’s likely to go down equally well with boys and girls, our top spot goes to the Photo Creator instant camera, for hours of happy snapping. If your budget doesn’t quite stretch that far, we also really rate the Eugy 3D sea otter model, for a serious dose of cuteness. Meanwhile, even reluctant readers are likely to be enthralled by The 13-Storey Treehouse.
Ensure little adventurers stay hydrated, with our review of the best kids’ water bottles