17 of the best toys for 7 year olds

They've probably grown a fair bit in the past few months, and rapidly refined their balance and coordination skills, so pedal bikes and more 'grown-up' scooters are a great buy – as are toys that require running around exercising those improved gross motor skills outside.

Your 7 year-old spends time playing independently but also loves playing with their friends – and using toys to invent quite complex imaginary worlds. They also like games that can be noisily enjoyed together.

Your child is also ready for toys that take a little time and patience to build, nurture or collect – from craft projects to more complicated construction toys.

Best toys for 7 year olds at a glance

• Great for video game lovers: Pixicade Mobile Game Maker, £19.99
• Great all-action game: Legends of Akedo Powerstorm Triple Strike Tag Team Arena, £49.99
• Great fashion doll: L.O.L. Surprise! OMG Cores Series 6 – Sketches and Melrose, £27.99 each
• Great digital pet: Tamagotchi Pix, £49.99
• Great for shop-themed role play: Li’l Woodzeez Tickle-Your-Taste-Buds Bakery, £21.95
• Great for construction-themed role play: LEGO City Mobile Crane, £39.99
• Great for fine-finger skills: Gift in a Tin Magical Fairy Fun, £12.99
• Great for pet-related role play: Scruff-a-Luvs Cutie Cuts, £29.99
• Great for balance and coordination: Liferyder Infinity Scooter, £135
• Great for interactive fun: Squeakee the Balloon Dino, £40
• Great for farm-themed role play: Schleich Large Farm House, £79.99
• Great for active fun: Air Hogs Gravitor, £24.99
• Great for prehistoric-themed role play: Schleich Volcano Expedition Base Camp, £99.99
• Great for construction skills: Fiesta Crafts 3D Construction Model, £13.99
• Great for outdoor play: Dr Zigs My First Giant Bubble Kit, £19.99
• Great for vehicle play: Hot Wheels Action Sky Crash Tower, £64.99
• Great budget buy: Build Your Own Tyrannosaurus Rex, £9.99

Here is our pick of the best toys for 7-year-olds, as tested by children and rated by their parents

1. Pixicade Mobile Game Maker, £19.99

– Great for video game lovers

Age suitability: 6+ | Best for age: 6+ | Size: L30cm x W23cm xH5cm | Batteries: None
Awards: Editor's Choice, MadeForMums Toy Awards 2022

A great combination of creativity and gaming, Pixicade is all about drawing out a video game on paper and then seeing how it comes to life as a real game. The games can be played on either a tablet or smartphone, and shared with friends in the Pixicade Arcade on the app.

Included in the box are 5 Pixicade pens, 3 game design booklets with an introduction to concepts, activities, templates and 40 drawing pages that take you though ever more complex tasks. Two special QR codes allow you to access the app on 2o devices – and with the app, you upload a pic of your game and, in 30 seconds, the game will be ready to play.

"I like that my drawing comes to life," said our child tester Jack, 7 (pictured above), "and that you actually get to play it as a game. It's my best toy after Lego and playing outside! My favourite games to make are the maze ones and each one gets better."

We were blown away by what a clever idea this is, how brilliantly it shows kids, step by step, how to improve their game creation and fix glitches – and what great value for money it is.

Our younger testers, like Alexandra, aged 6, needed a bit of supervision but her mum Nicola was impressed by how creative it is. "Nicola quickly made a simple game," she said, "where you have to catch stars and ice creams and avoid a venus fly trap and a fire pit!"

Available at: John Lewis, The Entertainer and Amazon

2. Legends of Akedo Powerstorm Triple Strike Tag Team Arena, £49.99

– Great all-action game

Age suitability: 6+ | Best for age: 7+ | Size: L47cm x W46cm x H12cm| Batteries: 3 x AA (not included)
Awards: Silver, MadeForMums Toy Awards 2022

Taking Akedo warrior play-fighting up a notch, this cool 2-player arena playset has space for 6 plastic figurines (3 per team) and features 2 easy-to-use tag-team levers that allow you to switch your warriors mid-battle. Turn up the volume and you’ll hear over 40 high-octane battle sound effects blasting out, then watch the scoreboard light up as you hit your Split Strike button to celebrate victory over your opponent.

It’s good fun in a silly, bash ‘em up kind of way that children of all ages – and even adults – will enjoy. Our child tester, Ahmed, 6 (pictured above), absolutely loved it.

"I like pulling the trigger to change my warriors, listening to the songs while I played – and winning!" said our other child tester, Lucas, 6.

Lucas’s mum, Angela, thought it worth the money. "This is a toy with great entertainment value," she said. "We especially loved that we could press the split strike button when one of us won the battle."

Comes with an instruction manual but – do note – only 2 Akedo warrior figures. You can play with just 2 figures but you won't be able to play tag-team without buying more.

Available at: Very and Argos

3. LOL Surprise! OMG Core Series 6 – Sketches and Melrose, £27.99 each

– Great fashion doll

Age suitability: 4+ | Best for age: 7+ | Size: H23cm| Batteries: None
Awards: Gold, MadeForMums Toy Awards 2022

These 2 articulated dolls, sold separately, are loud, bright and colourful and very poseable. Sketches has long rainbow-coloured hair while Melrose has blonde hair and big purple eyes.

They come – as you'd expect from the LOL! Surprise label – with 20 'surprises', in little paper parcels, that you unwrap to find clothes, a hair brush and accessories – and there's also a stand. The clothes seems a bit tricky to get on and off at first – until you discover that the doll's hands are removable.

“The first thing my little girl said when she got Sketches was 'Wow!'," said Ellie, mum of our child tester Edie, 7. "I feel like they're a more fun and upgraded version of the Bratz Dolls I used to play with when I was a child. The quality is great: every element is fantastic."

Samantha, mum of our other child tester Isabella, 6 (pictured above), was equally impressed. "Isabella likes the outfits and has been having fun interchanging them with each other. She loves Sketches’ long rainbow hair and Melrose’s cool guitar bag. The dolls have encouraged some great imaginative play."

Available at: Bargain Max, Argos and Very

4. Tamagotchi Pix, £49.99

– Great digital pet

Age suitability: 6+ | Best for age: 7+ | Size: L7cm x W6cm x H3cm| Batteries: 2 x AAA (not included)
Awards: Gold, MadeForMums Toy Awards 2022

This revamped version of the classic '90s toy allows you to interact with your Tamagotchi pet in a whole new way, thanks to a built-in camera. You can use the camera to take photos with your Tamagotchi character, play with them, cook for them, bathe them and customise your items, then connect with friends and send your Tamagotchi on playdates.

You can collect multiple Tamagotchi characters and raise them with different traits and jobs, and you can also complete missions on Tamagotchi.com to unlock additional features. Although it is a little bit pricey, especially as it runs on batteries rather than being rechargeable, it's very cool and a lot of fun.

Our child tester Niya, 7, was immediately sold. "I love this Tamagotchi," she said. "I love to use the camera to take photos with it and also take selfies with it. There are so many games, and also I like to complete the missions – some of them are really hard and challenging."

Sofia, mum of our other child tester Elizabeth, 8 (pictured above), added, "Every morning when she wakes up, she thinks ‘'Tamagotchi time!' and is excited to check on her pet. She particularly likes the babysitter function, but does not enjoy parting with the 'money' she's earned to pay for it!"

Choose from pink, purple or a balloon design.

Available at: Amazon and Smyths Toys

5. Li’l Woodzeez Tickle-Your-Taste-Buds Bakery, £21.95

– Great for shop-themed role play

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 7+ | Size: L20cm x W30cm x H15.5cm| Batteries: None
Awards: Silver, MadeForMums Toy Awards 2022

This sturdy, wooden bakery playset comes with lots of detailed accessories, including little oven mitts, baguettes, loaves, doughnuts, a double tier of cupcakes, 6 pieces of fruit, 2 big cakes, baking and mixing tools, an apron, croissants and cookies and a gingerbread man that pops out of a roll of pastry. Although there are over 60 pieces, it doesn’t come with any Woodzeez play figures, which is a shame.

The set is sold as suitable from age 3 but the accessories are really very small – which add to their charm – so we reckon this is a playset that comes into its own at age 7 or so. And our child testers certainly gave it a big thumbs up. "I love this bakery," said Annabelle, 8 (pictured above). "I like that it has an open and closed sign and lots of things to fill the shelves. I like the gingerbread man that comes out and all the details are really cool."

Annika, mum of our other child tester Elowyn, felt it was good value for money. "It has so many detailed pieces that some other brands would charge 4 times as much for: the cookies, rolling pin and the dough that you could even pop a gingerbread out of. The detail is amazing."

Available at: Amazon

6. LEGO City Mobile Crane, £39.99

– Great for construction-themed role play

Age suitability: 7+ | Best for age: 7+ | Size: L25cm x W8cm x H9cm (once built) | Batteries: None
Awards: Gold, MadeForMums Toy Awards 2022

This 340-piece set builds (over a couple of hours) into a fantastically sturdy, realistic crane, complete with moveable winch and boom, and working support legs. The boom can rotate and extend, as well as move up and down, and you turn a little wheel to raise and lower the winch. It really has great post-build playability.

"I liked building the crane,” said our child tester Albert, 7. "It was fun and I like the different bits that move. I really like that the people can sit in the crane to move and drive it!"

Fellow child tester Ethan, 7 (pictured above), added: "I like that I can lift and lower the winch and hook the plate with it, then transport it wherever I want. It’s so cool that the cabin can rotate too, because it makes the crane looks like a real one."

Comes with 2 mini figures, and accessories including wrench, walkie-talkie and safety helmets, and an interactive guide that, if you download the (free) LEGO app, lets you rotate and zoom in on your model in 3D.

Available at: LEGO, Amazon and John Lewis

7. Gift in a Tin Magical Fairy Fun, £12.99

– Great for fine-finger skills

Age suitability: 6+ | Best for age: 7+ | Size: L10cm x W14cm x H5cm (tin) | Batteries: None

This is a complete craft set in a tin, including all the materials you need (including pipe cleaners, fabric flowers, thread and glue) to make up to 8 wooden-headed fairies and a fairy door.

The instructions are easy to follow and picture-led and there's plenty to keep little fingers occupied over several crafting sessions – unlike some kits where all the fun is quickly had and then it's over.

Our child tester Roselyn, 6 (pictured above), happily spent an afternoon crafting away with her older sister Jasmine, 8. Roselyn needed a little help from time to time but Jasmine managed everything independently. And both were absolutely delighted with what they made, according to their mum Janet.

We particularly like the fairy door in this kit - it's very sweet – and makes a great prop for fairy play after all the crafting is done.

Available at: Amazon and Bright Minds

8. Scruff-a-Luvs Cutie Cuts, £29.99

– Great for pet-themed role play

Age suitability: 5+ | Best for age: 6+ | Size: L15cm x W25cm x H23cm | Batteries: 2 x AAA (included)

This super-shaggy puppy (choose from a Yorkie or a Frenchie) comes with clippers for you to clip its fur into a tidier shape and stuff the clippings into a little cushion for your pup to sit on.

The box includes a comb, collar tag, doggy nail polish and other styling accessories – and the box itself doubles as a pooch-pampering salon.

It certainly has a lot of wow factor: the clippers make a great buzzing sound, there are accessories to unwrap and, well, who wouldn’t love to paint a pup's toenails?

The dog itself is a cute soft toy once shaved and shampoo'd but obviously the thrill is all in the initial unboxing and clipping. "I loved cutting her hair and washing and drying her," said our child tester Annabelle, 7 (pictured above) . "It was a lot of fun and I loved bathing and drying her. This is one of my best toys and I really hope Santa will bring me another one."

Available at: Amazon and Argos

9. Liferyder Infinity Scooter, £135

– Great for balance and coordination

Age suitability: 5+ | Best for age: 7+ | Weight: 5.5kg | Max user weight: 50kg | Batteries: None

This stylish, all-terrain foldable scooter has 2 big 12" wheels and handlebars with 3 height settings (extending from 75cm to 85cm). It’s available in more than 35 different graphic designs – which can be peeled off and replaced as your child's tastes change.

We found it to be a wonderful ride for an older child – it has a real glide and a lovely wide footplate. We also like the big wheels, the grippy handlebars and, of course, the choice of designs.

Holly, mum of child tester Evie, 7 (pictured above), said: "My daughter loves this scooter and this is her preferred choice over her bike and another scooter she has. She loves the funky design on the scooter which makes it really unique and she feels really grown up."

Available from: Liferyder

10. Squeakee the Balloon Dino, £40

– Great for interactive fun

Age suitability: 5+ | Best for age: 7+ | Size: L40cm x W22.5cm x H30cm | Batteries: 6 x AAA (not included)

This green plastic dinosaur is shaped like it's made of balloons and programmed with 70+ interactive sounds and movements.

It comes with headphones (put them on him and he'll dance) and a squeaker bone (squeak it to make him stomp and roar, put it in his mouth and he'll chomp down and play tug of war with you). You can also 'pop' him and pump him back up, with the included play balloon pump.

Squeakee's a bit of a battery-guzzler but he's impossibly cute – and has real wow factor. Our child testers were all absolutely enthralled with him and immediately wanted to show Squeakee to all their friends and relatives.

"I love Squeakee so much – he's just so funny!" said Rowan, 7 (pictured above). "My favourite is making him fall down asleep, and then I get to pump, pump, pump him up like a real balloon! Sometimes he even farts!"

Available from: The Entertainer and Argos

11. Schleich Large Farm House, £79.99

– Great for farm-themed role play

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 6+ | Size: L49cm x W14cm x H34cm| Batteries: None

This generously-sized playset features a 2-level farmhouse with a kitchen and bedroom, extending out to a detachable stable with hay loft, fences and a winch.

It comes with 2 people figures and 7 animal figures and accessories including hay bales, a bed, flower boxes, a wheelbarrow, a dog bowl and a carrot.

It's designed beautifully and with great attention to detail. Our child tester Stanley, 7 (pictured above), liked the hay winch and the little mouse best. We like the detachable roof and the opening windows and the hatch in the hay loft floor for taking the hay down to the animals. And we're impressed that the farmer figure has movable arms so he can hold and 'push' his wheelbarrow.

Don't be fooled by the 3+ age description: this is definitely an older child's toy – with lots of little accessories that a preschooler would probably just lose or struggle to pick up.

Available from: Smyths Toys and Amazon

12. Air Hogs Gravitor, £24.99

– Great for active fun

Age suitability: 4+ | Best for age: 6+ |Size: L17cm x W20cm x H7cm | Batteries: 1 x LiPo (included, with USB charging cable)

This clever toy drone is suitable for use indoors. It can sense altitude and will hover above and below obstacles. It also responds to your hand movements, which means, with a bit of practice, you can make it do all sorts of tricks, including the 'shoulder slide' and the 'alley opp' (instructions are included). With the addition of the 'trick stick' in its centre, you can also play with others, tossing it to your partner and catching it back.

It’s incredibly lightweight (so won't damage your furniture or dent your walls) and pretty robust (so won't break or collapse). It takes a bit of mastering but once our child testers got to grips with it, they'd loved the fact they could control it with their hands, as if by magic.

Our child tester Andy, 6 (pictured above), said, "I love it! Learning new tricks is amazing. I like to check the videos on YouTube that help you learn more tricks. It is really fun to try and control it and it's really funny when it bounces into stuff around the room. I feel like a magician when I play with it."

Available from: Amazon and The Entertainer

13. Schleich Volcano Expedition Base Camp, £99.99

– Great for prehistoric-themed role play

Age suitability: 4+ | Best for age: 6+ | Size: L43cm x W45cm x H35cm| Batteries: 3 x AA (not included) and 4 x LR44 (included)

It vibrates, smokes, has a river of light-up lave and actually erupts, spewing out stones. And, if you can take your eyes off the volcano effects for just a minute, this playset all ofeatures a research station, an obstacle course, an escape slide and a secret cave.

It certainly delivers on the excitement front: sounds, vibrations, flashes lights, smoke – wow! "The volcano is great," said our child tester Ted, 7 (pictured above). "I like making the rocks fall down!"

The whole set is extremely well designed, with some great accessories and lovely detailing on the good-sized ankylosaurus and gigantosaurus figures that come with it. "If someone likes playing with dinosaurs, they will really like this," added Ted. "The best bits are the caves underneath and the laboratory at the top – and the firing cannon!"

Comes with 1 dinosaur researcher figure, 2 dinosaur figures, a firing canon, a removable laboratory container, crystals, stones, plants, and a stalactite.
Available from: The Entertainer and Schleich

14. Fiesta Crafts 3D Construction Model, £13.99

– Great for construction skills

Age suitability: 6+ | Best for age: 7+ | Size: Varies but roughly L45cm x W32cm x H25cm | Batteries: None

With this foam-board, slot-the-pieces-together construction kit, you can build a detailed 3D fire station, hospital, castle or a train station – no glue, scissors or tools required. The inside of the building is open at the back and the model comes with furniture and accessories to place inside.

The build itself is great – long enough to require some concentration but not tediously long – and the instructions are clear. But it's the open back and the attention to detail in the finished model – from opening doors and sliding windows to a helicopter to land on the hospital helipad and a firefighter to send down a fire station pole –that set this craft kit apart and gives it some brilliant play value after the build's complete.

Our child tester Leo, who's just turned 8 and made the fire station (pictured above, right), was really impressed. "Wow, I love this because I want to be an engineer when I grow up. The way the garage doors can slide open is really cool. You can also see everything inside the building from the back!"

'It's very high quality and a very reasonable price," said Margaret, mum of our other child tester Jessica, 7 (pictured above), who made the hospital. "The instructions were great – this toy is very good to build and play with!"

Available from: Amazon and Fiesta Crafts

15. Dr Zigs My First Giant Bubble Starter Kit, £21.99

– Great for outdoor play

Age suitability: 3+ | Best for age: 6+ | Size: H25cm (bubble wand) | Batteries: None

This eco-friendly bubble kit comes with enough concentrated mixture to make up to 1,000 giant bubbles, a bubble wand, cotton rope and a book of instructions and tips to help your child get started.

It takes a wee while to get the hang of making the bubbles (and diluting the mixture correctly) but the results are truly squeal-makingly spectacular.

Our child tester Jaime, 7, said. "The bubbles are incredible – this is super cool and exciting!"

We like that the mixture is biodegradable and that some of the proceeds from sales go to a charity that's buying ventilators for an intensive care unit in Wales.

Available from: Amazon

16. Hot Wheels Action Sky Crash Tower, £64.99

– Great for vehicle play

Age suitability: 5+ | Best for age: 7+ | Size: L83cm x W50cm x H70cm |Batteries: 4 x D (not included)

This tall tower, complete with a looping track, means you can race multiple cars up and down at the same time. It features a motorised booster that makes the cars jump high and crash in mid-air, and comes with 1 Hot Wheels vehicle (others sold separately).

It's nice and sturdy – and huge (although happily the base does fold when not in use). Our child tester got hugely excited watching the cars cross each other – they go really fast with the booster – and, of course, the crashes are awesome! It's easy to assemble, though placing all the (super sticky) stickers are a bit of a faff, and it does only come with 1 car.

Available at: Amazon

17. Build Your Own Tyrannosaurus Rex, £9.99

– Great budget buy

Age suitability: 8+ | Best for age: 7+ | Size: 38cm-long (once built) | Batteries: None

This clever kit contains 23 thick cardboard parts that you slot together to build into a sturdy T Rex that stands in a suitably menacing crouch – and, when you pull a tab, opens its fearsome jaws.

"I like how the T Rex roars when you move it," said our child tester Ethan, 7 (those are his hands proudly displaying his finished dino in the picture above). "Some bits were tricky to build and I needed help but I liked looking for all the different pieces and fitting them together. It looks great when it's finished!"

The instructions could be a little clearer in places but the build is great fun and takes about 40 minutes. Comes with a press-out T Rex Fact Stand.

Available at: Build Your Own

Images: Product websites

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