The 7 year old first grade/second grade girl is so fun! They are more independent, more creative and can hold attention longer with activities. This past year I’ve loved watching Brielle grow and explore different things and, like in years past have been taking note on what she’s enjoyed playing with and I, as her mom, would recommend to others. Today I’m sharing this year long cultivate lists of favorite products for a 7 year old.
DISCLOSURE: I am part of the Horizon Group USA influencer program and was provided free product samples, some of which are seen in this post. In addition, this post may contain affiliate links that come at no cost to you. Know I only promote and share products I personally use and recommend! To learn more, please review my disclosure policy.
Just like in years past, I do preface this list by saying many of the items can be “girl” oriented (HEY I do have two girls) but I fully believe that most of this list would be enjoyed just as equally by a boy! Books, science kits, crafts and games are pretty gender neutral categories in my book so explore the list for the 7 year old in your life, boy or girl.
Games:
- World of Disney Eye Found It Card Game – we already have the board game version that we love but now it’s in card form so it’s easy to bring on the go or to have when traveling!
- Yahtzee – 2nd graders are big into growing their math skills so Brielle really likes playing this dice game. Both my girls now know what a four of kind, full house and straight are so they’ll be all ready for more sophisticated games when they’re older!
- Mancala – This game is all about counting gemstones and trying to outsmart your opponent. It’s a folding set so tight on storage.
- Exploding Kittens Card Game – I know the name sounds weird an so is the game. I was gifted this game as part of the Toy Insider event last October and after finally gifting it to them for Christmas, it quickly became one of my girls favorite games in the last 7 months. It’s part strategy, part luck and plenty of fun. I love that at 5 and 7 my girls are starting to understand strategy and game play better and this game really brings that side out of them.
- Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza – This small card game packs big fun! It’s a quick slapping style game that’s good to build quick reactions when flipping a card down on the discard pile.
Crafts:
You might not find this surprising my this is a big category in our house! Both my girls have always loved crafts but recently in this 7 year old age, Brielle’s creativity has really exploded where she doesn’t need as much coaxing to get inspired for her own creations.
- Just My Style Magical Unicorn Canvas – Sure people use the word “magical” a lot when it involves a unicorn but this craft really does include a little magic! You are given a set of watercolor paints to add to this canvas with a unicorn outline, but once you apply water to certain areas, phrases and icons magically appear! Brownie points to Horizon Group USA for including a paint brush that’s in a unicorn point shape!
- Rainbow Loom Kit – I gifted Brielle one of these for her birthday but it was two weeks after her grandpa generously got her one to combat the quarantine slump. She was drawn to it IMMEDIATELY and inspired my 5 year old to also give it go. They now both watch youtube videos from the Rainbow Loom brand on how to create specific bracelet styles step by step. I have seen smaller versions of this kit and highly recommend this specific set at it holds all the loom bands separated by color but it also has a place to store and carry the loom and hook. They even made these loom bracelets for Valentines for their friends this year and used my loom bracelet tag to gift them!
- Made by Me Rock Art – This was also a kit given to us by Horizon Group USA as part of the influencer program but I knew right away my girls would love it. The kit itself comes with 20 rocks, acrylic paint and paint brushes. They both created an assortment of rock designs that happily lived in our garden afterwards. I shared a few tips for using this kit on our instagram but my biggest one is to seal the creations with a Mod Podge type sealant after to help protect the paint a little more in the outdoor elements.
- Made by Me Window Art – This was a great kit to create your own sun catchers! There are plenty of plastic templates and sun catcher paint in squeeze bottles to make the designs shown on the box. It dries well to make beautiful designs for your windows.
- Sea Animals Beginner’s Sewing Kit – Her 5 year old sister picked this out for her for Christmas and she couldn’t have been more excited! Each of the characters are individually packaged with precut shapes and holes. It’s a great beginner kit for those learning to sew as it uses a plastic needle.
- Mixy Squish – My girls were already a big fan of playdough but had never tried air dry clay before. It really helped her to have a brainstorm and sketching session prior to breaking out this clay but they also loved having this lap desk that included extra sculpting tools and some templates to squish the Mixy Squish straight in.
Books
My 7 year old is working hard to build her reading skills so when she finds a book series she likes and can confidently read on her own, I’m all in on continuing to encourage that. Here are a few she’s gotten into during her 7th year.
- Clip on Book Light – This first one isn’t a book but goes with books! Santa gave both my 5 and 7 year old these book lights in their stocking, but I happen to also know it’s available on Amazon. *wink* She reads to me before bed then is allowed to read on her own for 15 – 20 minutes before bed. She loves to turn off the light and read with this clip on book light.
- Owl Diaries by Rebecca Elliot – Cute illustrations and a chapter book written as days of the week in a diary format. Topics all include friendships and basic kid situations. There are more than these first 5, but I love starting out with a gift set when getting into a series.
- Unicorn Diaries by Rebecca Elliot – Same author and style as the above but unicorns instead of owls. This series, of course, has more fantasy elements but the focus on friendships and being kind are still apparent. Very innocent and doesn’t get into the meanness and backtalk I’ve seen in other book series for this age.
- Critter Club Series by Callie Barkley – This series features 4 girls and their adventures that all have to do with pets. Brielle is just getting into this series and is trying really hard to read them in number order (though that part obviously doesn’t matter!) Like the above, I very much approve of these books and their positive tones.
- Fly Guy – My girls might not love bugs but they like to read about them! Brielle devours any books in this collection as they are easy chapter reads for this age.
- The Book of Silly Jokes for Kids – At 7 years old, Brielle is just started to understand jokes and how things can be a play on words. This silly jokes book is perfect for car rides, travel or to fit in a stocking or Easter basket.
Miscellaneous
- Butterfly Garden Kit – Grammie gave this kit during Easter which let us watch a bunch of caterpillars transform into butterflies in a matter of a few short weeks! The kit includes a voucher for the caterpillars that you’ll need to order online but we were very happy with the experience that ended with 3 butterflies we released to the world.
- Amarylis Bulb Flower Kit – This would make a great holiday gift as they are a winter time growing flower. My mom buys the girls one every Christmas so it makes for a great winter science project. They like to write their prediction on how tall it will grow and measure it daily. In the end it will bloom these four red flowers and sometimes even grows a second stalk of them! I’ve seen them at Home Depot in the winter so save the idea for Christmas!
- Fitbit Ace 2 Activity Tracker – Activity trackers were all the rage this year in 2nd grade! It seemed many of the kids had them and could discuss their steps at different times during the school year. We tried one brand for a while that ended up breaking and being replaced twice (as it was under warranty) before landing on the Fitbit Ace 2 brand that she’s been enjoying for a while. I am also a Fitbit wearer so I’m able to sync her account to my parent account and track her steps and sleep patterns. It also has a watch face so it’s helpful for her to keep on track, especially in this past crazy year with the strange school schedules!
Don’t forget this special holiday list of Elf ideas for a 7 year old, which includes lots of age appropriate skill building printables like this Color by Number activity sheet!
Looking for gifts and ideas for other ages?
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