37 Toys And Gifts 7-Year-Olds Will Actually Use And Enjoy (And Maybe Learn A Little From)
Lucky for the 7-Year-old in your life that you've got this list, especially around their birthday and the holidays.
&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimg-mkr.buzzfeed.com%2Fbuzzfeed-static%2Fstatic%2F2021-11%2F10%2F18%2Fcampaign_images%2Fdc5d21fb0de7%2F37-toys-and-gifts-7-year-olds-will-actually-use-a-2-456-1636570546-12_dblbig.jpg%3Ftemplate%3Dpinterest-vertical-dots-v1%26title%3DMzcgVG95cyBBbmQgR2lmdHMgNy1ZZWFyLU9sZHMgV2lsbCBBY3R1YWxseSBVc2UgQW5kIEVuam95IChBbmQgTWF5YmUgTGVhcm4gQSBMaXR0bGUgRnJvbSk%3D%26color1%3Dbluedark){kind=link}
We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.
1. A Taco vs. Burrito card game (actually created by a 7-year-old) to turn game night into a food fight by adding "disgusting but adorable ingredients" (via cards assigned point values) to your favorite Mexican meals.
Ages 7+
Note: No actual tacos or burritos will be harmed in this game.
Here's how you play: deal each player five cards, add ingredients, and the player with the most points at the end of the game wins. But watch out for actions cards like "Tummy Ache," "Food Fight," or the dreaded "Health Inspector" that'll force you to throw all your food in the trash.
Promising review: "This game may have been the concept of a 7-year-old, but his 'development and design team' are obviously game-loving evil geniuses with a maniacal sense of humor. I picked this game for my honorary nephews and upon receipt, I was obligated to participate in the first game. As the 'adult' (eh-hem), I have to confess, I was just as entertained as they were. The action cards and the food cards are hilarious, and it’s kinda hard not to giggle as you draw the next card — poker faces are right out the window. Giggling aside, this game is a fabulous demonstration of entry-level adaptive strategy playing, and even the littlest one picked up on it and 'got it' after a couple of rounds. The materials are sturdy, well packaged, and printed. There's room for more cards in the original box so everyone is anxiously awaiting the second expansion pack!" —Jaime the Brat
Get it from Amazon for $19.99.
2. A rechargeable kids' karaoke microphone with four voice effects (high pitch, low pitch, chipmunk, and echo) for young crooners to sing along with their favorite songs (via Bluetooth connecting with a music app) or to 30 included Motown hits (like “Superstition”!).
Promising review: "Hard to express how much my 7-year-old son loves this thing...He loves that it changes his voice to four different sounds, from deep and spooky to hyper chipmunk. He likes the fun echo feature, and listening to him has been hilarious. He is also learning the words to the songs and enjoying singing along. I like that the sound quality of the speakers is good so the songs are not annoying. It's like listening to the radio. One small negative is that the volume controls will never make this toy actually quiet. You can adjust things up or down, but this toy is always noisy. Not a surprise, but I find myself sending him to sing in his room after a while. Still, it's worth it." —Michelle from the UP
Get it from Amazon for $27.99+ (available in four colors).
3. A "magical" CMY cube (cyan, magenta, yellow) that can be an easy anxiety reliever for kids (and adults) as they twist and turn the geometry to create new color combos.
CMY Cubes is a woman-owned small business.
How it works: "Rotating the angle from which the cube is viewed varies the degree to which the specific frequencies of cyan, magenta and yellow are filtered creating a unique, cube-specific spectrum of colors."
Get it from CMY Cubes for $19.95+ (available in multiple sizes and shapes).
4. A Moving Creations with K'nex building kit for young STEM enthusiasts who'd love nothing more than to build working rockets, catapults, and multiple science-based experiments (that won't result in any damage to the home).
Promising review: "We have been a big fan of Hand2mind kits. I was so excited when I saw they released a new one. I have a 5-year-old boy. This is rated for 8 and older but was still a ton of fun. He just needed help. It created a great bonding experience as we built the different models and tested them. I also like they include different facts throughout the book. It was a great way to introduce engineering as well as pneumatic and hydraulics." —Julie Wodzien
Get it from Amazon for $30.60.
5. An 18-can pack of nonsticky Hey Clay Aliens Modeling air-dry clay that comes with an interactive instruction app to help kids mold all those cute and colorful extraterrestrial creatures.
Promising review: "Got this for my niece, and she loved it. The app seemed pretty solid, and easy for a kid to use, to watch and progress through a series of step-by-step video instructions for creating various aliens, etc. The clay itself was surprisingly lightweight, wasn't sticky, and didn't seem to leave any residue or staining on the table (that last bit made me very happy). Overall, I think this is a good mix of tech usage (app) and hands-on (clay), a great mental exercise for the kids, and fun bonding activity, too." —Nick
Get it from Amazon for $19.95.
6. An Educational Insights Circuit Explorer Rover for exploring the world of simple circuitry through buildable space-based vehicles and play sets. if your kid shows any interest in engineering or NASA then this is a must-get toy for them.
I had a chance to see this play set in all of its glory earlier this year at Toy Fair and I've been anxiously awaiting its release. It reminds me so much of space-related toys I grew up with like Robotix or Starcom. But these sets are next level and teach the very basics of building a circuit and, well, making things go! Can't wait until my son is old enough to play with these!
Get it from Amazon for $21.99.
7. A 50-sheet Little Biscuits Dress-Me Notepad with nine different and diverse illustrations so young fashion designers can hone their sartorial concept skills.
Little Biscuits is a woman-owned small business whose mission is to promote self-expression and inclusivity with children and quality with the products they play with.
Get it from Little Biscuits for $16.00.
8. A two-pack of Pop Fidget llama sensory toys that kids will literally decompress in order to, well, decompress themselves if they're feeling stressed or anxious. Such a simple (and helpful) solution.
Promising review: "I don’t understand these. My kids begged for them so begrudgingly after some extra chores, I purchased these. Apparently, they are not ice ball makers as I suspected but rather some awkward popping toy that looks like an alpaca. Is this like the 'fortnight llama?' IDK. Anyhoo, kids love it, and that’s what matters." —AMac
Get it from Amazon for $10.99+ (available in multiple colors and in unicorn or elephant form).
9. A Franklin Sports Grip-Rite junior rubber football for still-small hands to practice throwing all those tight spirals and making one-handed catches. Touchdown!
Promising review: "This junior football is roughly 10 inches long in size, a little smaller than full-size adult football. My kids really like the raised rubber laces on this football as these make it easy for their small hands to hold the ball and throw it. We have been playing in the backyard and on paved roads and this football has been working pretty well." —Jack Chu
Get it from Amazon for $13.49 (available in five colors).
10. A glow-in-the-dark Crayola light-up tracing pad with 100+ traceable images so aspiring artists (and inkers) can hone their artistic skills via the medium of colored pencil.
Note: three AA batteries required.
Promising review: "This is an awesome purchase. With all of the digital toys nowadays, I find it difficult for my kids to be interested in toys that don't talk back or don't put them into a trance. This was a hit with our 7-year-old. it comes with some images already traced but you can also start drawing and perfecting your own drawings if you'd like and trace over those as well. You can even trace and color the same thing with different scenarios and colors." —Javy's Honest Opinion
Get it from Amazon for $24.99+ (available in five colors).
11. A ThinkFun Gravity Maze falling marble logic game because kids love marbles and adults love when marbles are contained and aren't spilling out all over the floor.
Ages 8+
Promising review: "The concept is simple. Pick a card based on difficulty. Set up the board using the diagram on the card. Each block has black dots on the ends to dictate direction. Once set up it is up to the player to figure out how to get the marble from the start to the red finish block. The card has a solution on the back. This is by no means the only solution. The card also shows on the front the color and orientation of the blocks they use for the solution on the back. For Christmas, we spent at least two hours taking turns. The younger kids (6–10) picked the beginners' cards. Teens and adults picked the higher-difficulty cards. One word of caution is to be careful placing the blocks as the board is plastic and the block holders can become deformed or break. Overall a great quick game to add to the collection." —Joe G.
Get it from Amazon for $29.99.
12. An augmented reality interactive globe for exploring 1,000+ world facts (via an app) spread across categories like animals, cultures, monuments, inventions, maps, and cuisines of the world.
Note: No borders or names on globe. Also includes a passport, stamps, country flag stickers, and a detailed help guide.
Promising review: "Our family LOVED the Orboot globe! As a teacher mom, I try to find educational STEM activities and this did NOT disappoint! It is the perfect learning toy for our family as we love to travel and enjoy interactive and engaging products. I love how excited our kids were about it and how they could each work on 'their mission' independently from one another. This was our first introduction to augmented reality and we definitely want more! Each of our kids (ages 3, 6, and 9) enjoyed different categories that were in the app. Our youngest (3-year-old) loved 'matching things on her screen with the globe.' It was a perfect game of hide-and-seek for her! Our middle child (6-year-old) loved learning about the monuments and thought it was SO cool to see some of the places she's traveled to before. Our oldest (9-year-old) could have listened to the facts and stories all day long. A truly great item for families and classrooms to have! We also liked how it worked with all kinds of devices and was easy to install! From our Kindles to iPads, iPhones to Android. The app was easy to find, use, and navigate!" —April W
Get it from Amazon for $54.99.
13. A ThinkFun Dog Crimes logic and brainteaser game with 40 canine-themed mysteries to solve, like "Who ate the homework" and "Who took a massive...," well, maybe not that one.
For ages 8+ (but we can make an exception here for mature 7-year-olds).
Promising review: "Who doesn't love dogs? These are all adorable and the cards are well made. Who doesn't love being a detective and solving a mystery? The levels available are appropriate for 6-year-olds to adults, just select your level. A child can play alone or with a friend. Higher levels are appropriate for playing as a family. The questions are written in the format that children see in math problems (if "a" is here, then where is "b"?), so as an educator, I approve! Great quality and great fun!" —Winnie
Get it from Amazon for $14.99 (also available in a cat version).
14. A 5,500-piece bucket of Perler beads — pieces of which you'll be finding around the house well into the kid's teen years — but hey, nothing combines arts and crafts with ironing quite like this.
Promising review: "My kids were introduced to Perler beads at school, and they both fell in love with them. I purchased this kit as an indoor summer activity for them, and it has kept my 7-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter occupied for three days. They have both completed one to three projects per day without being prompted. This is a complete kit with pegboards, instruction diagram sheets for the designs, and plenty of beads to make many projects. Ironing paper is also included with a set. After the kids set the beads on the board, you cover them with the ironing paper and iron on medium heat for approximately 20–25 seconds until the beads melt together. The instructions say to iron both sides, but my kids prefer only one side because that is how their art teacher did things at school. They have already asked me to purchase additional sets." —Asbe
Get it from Amazon for $13.54.
15. An indoor/outdoor hanging seat hammock to give kids a peaceful place to escape to while enjoying the soothing swinging sensations from their own little above-ground nook.
Promising review: "We are so happy with our pod swing! We will be purchasing two more for our other children because they all fight over it. The fabric is so cute and durable. Our 7-year-old...received this for Christmas and it is his favorite gift. He is able to climb into his swing when he doesn't feel like having contact or is overstimulated. It has held up well with everyday use." —Reilley
Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (available in five colors).
16. A wear- and fade-resistant tramapoline, uh trampampoline, no, OK, a trampoline with a safety net so no one bounces out and takes a header into the backyard lawn. A 400-pound maximum load means the neighbor kids can join in too.
Promising review: "Reading trampoline reviews is like reading a Stephen King novel...one scary review after another. We purchased this 15-foot trampoline and have had no issues. Yes, it took three hours to assemble. And yes, it was a pain to string the rope tying the mesh guard to the inner side loop of the springs. But that was expected. It has worked great with my two kids plus an adult without any stretching, warping, etc. We have only had it a month, but it looks great and we have had no issues. The kids use it every day!" —Russell Weekley
Get it from Amazon for $149.99+ (available in four sizes and five colors).
17. A National Geographic Mega Crystal Growing Lab that makes chemistry fun and colorful for the kiddies. Grow blue, pink, red, purple, green, orange, yellow, and teal crystals and make them glow with a night-light display.
Promising reviews: "My 6-year-old loved this. It's a great opportunity for hands-on science and teaching basic lab safety and techniques. We made one to two crystals at a time and improved our processes along the way. One batch we left for four weeks and they were a lot larger than the 7–10-day crystals so let some grow longer if your kids allow! Also, it comes with some sample gems and a small book on gems. My 6-year-old found it really interesting and brought the book and gems to school to share with her class. Great set. Highly recommend." —Sarah
Get it from Amazon for $39.99.
18. A multiplayer Super Mario Piranha Plant Escape! tabletop game where would-be plumbers roll the dice, move their character figures, and press the trigger button to see if Petey Piranha will randomly be eating some Italian for dinner.
Ages 4+
Promising review: "So much fun and no batteries needed! If you are a Mario fan, this is a fun game for the family." —lola8668
Check out the Super Mario Shaky Tower Balancing Game too!
Get it from Amazon for $36.61.
19. A kids' origami kit that inlcudes 54 different paper projects (and luckily 55 pieces of paper) for nimble little fingers to learn the fine art of paper folding. Just be prepared for the migration of cranes that will soon be landing all over your home.
Promising review: "I gave this to my 7-year-old nephew for his birthday. He wanted to open shortly after and we worked together on the spaceship. Turned out great! (even though we had to go back and refold a couple of times 😉) Durable paper plus it was pretty easy to follow once you got the hang of it. It's nice that because of the printed paper it feels like you've got something before you even start, which is encouraging. The end product is really cute!" —Jodie Jurgens
Get it from Amazon for $13.95.
20. A vintage-style personalized initial cap with wool lettering because the kids are still young enough not to have the lifelong pain of your personal sports fandom fully inflicted on them just yet. "But daddddd, the Mets suck!"
Hi Little One is an Etsy shop located in Red Hook, NY, that specializes in personalized children's clothing.
Promising review: "This hat is awesome! Super fast shipping and it was exactly what we needed to complete our son's tee-ball uniform. Thank you! ⚾️" —Jay Woodard
Get it from Hi Little One on Etsy for $22 (available in eight colors).
21. A Popdarts suction cup throwing game to encourage players young and old to put down the screens and engage with some good old-fashioned family fun (and competition). There's no more satisfying sound than hearing on of these darts stick to a surface!
Ages 8+
Popdarts is a small business owned and operated by two brothers who created this game to "bring friends and family of all ages together, fuel creativity, and challenge their abilities."
Promising review: "I recently came across a video of Popdarts on social media and immediately had to get myself a set. I noticed there’s multiple game sets like this on Amazon, but it’s VERY clear these are the REAL Popdarts and any other ones are fake copycats. Throwing them takes some getting used to, just like any throwing game would, so don’t get discouraged if they don’t stick the first several times! I even found that they have tutorial videos on how to throw. The quality is amazing, and they stick VERY well. I was even able to pick up a barstool with one stuck to it! 10/10 I will be buying more as they come out with expansion packs and other colors, and I will be telling all my friends about this game!" —Hannah Marie
Get it from Amazon for $28.99.
22. A pair of foldable, pop-up soccer nets with a carrying case so no matter the pitch, the kids will be able to practice or play some footie. Goallllll!
Note: Goals are 4 feet by 3 feet.
Promising review: "My son had such a surprise when he saw these as he had been asking for years for some. He puts them up and away whenever he decides to play soccer. I was so happy to buy these and they hide well where you place them. And have a strap to carry if needed." —Sabrina
Get it from Amazon for $43.99.
23. A five-pack 3D coloring puzzle set that's equals parts calming and chill (the coloring) and problem solving (the puzzling). And instead of putting the puzzle back into the box, kids can display their colorful works of art in their rooms.
Set includes butterfly, seaplane, dinosaur, peacock, and the Eiffel Tower.
Promising review: "This set of five color-and-build sets is a GREAT value, coming in at under $4 per 'project'! The kit comes with lovely-quality, double-tipped markers that allow kids to add as much or little detailing as they want or as their coloring skillset allows. Once pieces are colored, the shapes/parts for each puzzle are easy enough to punch out of the foam core boards that the younger set can handle with no scissors needed. Assembly is nice, too, with dry-fit, no adhesive necessary. We bough one set for granddaughter and liked it so much, we bought another as a backseat travel gift for a family friend." —Mimi Taylor
Get it from Amazon for $16.99 (available in two different sets).
24. An app-based Avengers Hero Inventor Kit so kids can go all Tony Stark (cause Iron Man was all about STEAM) and build their own wearable and programable gauntlet that emits lights and sounds, thus bringing new meaning to the phrase "Avengers, assemble!"
Promising review: "My daughters and I have spent a couple of hours experimenting with the Inventor Kit and have had a great time. The companion app is intuitive and walks you through all of the steps of creating circuits, testing them, and then customizing them. My oldest is slightly younger than the target demographic, but she had a great time assembling circuits, creating her own Hero Icon, and then of course wearing the gauntlet (that she built!) and showing off her own design to family. Scrolling forward through the app's various modules, it appears that we have only started to scratch the surface of what this set offers for hands-on engineering/design activities. My kids also loved mixing and matching the various sets of stickers for the gauntlet — including the blank create-your-own ones." —B.
Get it from Amazon for $100.
25. A Roblox Ninja Legends deluxe play set that puts the online gaming world of Roblox in the hands of lil' ninjas to build their favorite characters exactly how they want with an array of mix and match accessories.
26. A Whirly Board spinning balance board made from Canadian maple skateboard decks topped with grip tape for fun agility training (for kids and adults), especially for those future skaters of America!
Whirly Board is a small, family-owned business run by a husband-and-wife duo.
Promising review: "We bought this for our kids ages 7–4. They all love it. Hubby and I use it too. Great for core and stability work. Currently, use it on the carpet in the basement, but will eventually switch to the hard floors as that will be more challenging." —colsus
Get it from Amazon for $139.95 (available in two styles).
27. A waterproof pair of walkie-talkies that includes two compass bracelets and 22 channels that work up to a 3-mile distance. This is a great "get-them-outdoors" type of prezzie. Over and out!
28. A Sabobatage bubble milk tea card game where kids act like a boba shop owner who's trying to make different drink sets of teas, flavors, and toppings. Just watch out for that health inspector card!
Ages 7+
More rules on how to play here.
Sabobatage is an Asian American–owned small business started by a brother/sister team.
Get it from Sabobatage for $25+ (available in four different pack sizes).
29. A durable, light-up-the-sky RC-controlled quadcopter drone with protective guards (no fingers getting sliced by the propellers) and one-click takeoff/landing so newbies can get a handle for flying/hovering right out of the box.
Note: controller requires three AAA batteries, not included.
Promising review: "This little (9" diameter) drone is loads of fun. I charged the battery right out of the box just to make sure it was on a full charge. It comes with two batteries, and charging takes about one hour. The instructions say eight minutes of flight time, which seems about right. The LEDs are great. The instruction manual is easy to follow. This drone is user-friendly, very easy to fly! Press a button and it will start itself, fly up to around 4 feet and just start hovering. Press another button, turn the joystick right or left and it will actually do a complete 360 flip and re-stabilize. The actual flying part does take some getting used to, especially if you're a beginner. But, learning is half the fun." —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $39.99.
30. A Blackpink "Glow in the Hearts" lightstick that glows (in three different modes) to any song's (BP or otherwise) beat. K-Pop kids will love it, parents will pretend they know who Blackpink is.
Promising review: "My niece loved this for her birthday. Perfect for the always moving and dancing Blackpink fan!" —Skyla Blady
Get it from Amazon for $14.99.
31. A vinyl Organauts figurine to teach curious children about the organs of the human body with super fun (and kind of gross, but cute-gross) characters like Captain Aorta Hart (heart), Mr. Cortex (brain), Nom (stomach), and more!
Know Yourself is a small business owned by a husband-and-wife duo and is home to award-winning children’s educational anatomy toys.
Each Organauts figurine also comes with a mini comic book and collector’s guidebook.
Get it from Know Yourself for $12.99 each or a five-pack for $51.96.
32. A portable basketball hoop with a shatterproof backboard to defend against "Shaq attacks" that adjusts in increments of 6 inches from 7.5 to 10 feet to grow with the game and height of little hoopsters.
Promising review: "The product is exactly as described. Very solid and well designed. The only point to take into consideration is that you really need to have some experience building items and have the tools available. I feel very comfortable with tools and building furniture (Ikea-like). The product has many parts and it is important to have some help mainly at the end. I built it with my 12-year-old son and we had no issues. In the end, my son is very happy with this hoop." —Angel Barrios
Get it from Amazon for $421.99.
33. A soap and bath bomb making kit to save a trip to Bath & Body Works while teaching some chemistry to the kids. Mix citric acid, baking soda, Epsom salts, baby oil, coloring, and fragrances into molds to create some DIY bath time fun.
Promising review: "I got this for my 9-year-old since we are homebound. She enjoyed that she could make the soaps and bath salts however she liked. The scents are wonderful, not too strong but not weak. The instructions were easy to read and follow. We were not able to master the bath bombs, they crumbled on us, but it was still fun to make and experiment." —Kelly Gates
Get it from Amazon for $29.99.
34. A Pokémon Carry 'N' Go volcano playset with an erupting volcano, winding whirlpool, and battle launchers that folds into a fashionable shoulder strapped carrying case complete with Poké Ball logo.
Note: Includes Pikachu, Charmander, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle figures.
I know like close to nothing about Pokémon. From afar, it seems like relatively harmless, card-based cockfighting for kids, but then again what do I know? Actually, what I do know, at least from getting a hands-on sneak peak at this play set, is that kids are gonna dig it, especially when it folds up into a neat little carrying case. Sure to be a holiday hit! Make sure you order yours ASAP!
Get it from Amazon for $39.99 (in stock November 1).
35. A KidKraft x Nerf Scout Geo Strike headquarters to create an actual base (or in this case, a geodesic dome) for all those backyard blaster battles. Potential bonus for parents: getting all those Nerf darts out of the house (for now).
Includes three entrances/exits for tactical escapes, a hidden periscope in the dome for spying (on whoever needs to be spied upon), a place to properly store Nerf blasters (huzzah) or even a bike, and plenty of spinning and stacked cup targets for improving aim (bullseye!).
Get it from KidKraft for $599.
36. An Uno "Nothin’ But Paper" card game made from fully recyclable materials (for the first time ever). Now kids can get as much enjoyment from helping Mother Earth as they do from dropping a Wild Draw Four card whenever they play.
Ages 7+
Promising review: "Soy-based inks, recycled content paper, no harmful chemicals and no plastic (well, except the Amazon envelope it came in — sadly). Exactly what we wanted for our family to play with!" —Borys & Lindsay
Get it from Amazon for $6.49.
37. A flying-off-the-shelves-faster-than-we-can type-this Squishmallows Food Squad plush stuffed toy that might become the modern-day version of Beanie Babies (so you can totally relate to a child's obsession with super-soft cuteness).
Promising review: "I bought this avocado for myself after gifting Maui to a friend. He is a legitimate Squish and I love him so much! I keep him on the sofa where me, my family, and my pets use him as a cushion or cuddle buddy. He still looks brand new and I think he has gotten fluffier since the day I got him in the mail! He's very round and his smile is so cute! These Squishmallows are very hard to find in stores these days in general and are often overpriced...with Amazon selling and shipping, I got him for an excellent price. :) Def recommend this avocado!" —Cici
Get Austin the Avocado for $19.88+, Carl Cheeseburger for $26.43, or Bernice the Boba Tea for $34.89 all from Amazon (available in multiple sizes).
The reaction you'll when the kids open their gifts...
Looking for the perfect gift for any occasion? Check out all of BuzzFeed’s gift guides!
Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.