The 10 Best 7 Year Old Girl Gifts
Special Honors
Fitbit Ace 2 The slim Ace 2 from Fitbit is ideal for super active youngsters. It's packed with fun incentives to keep kids moving, as well as sleep tracking, call alerts, bedtime reminders and alarms, a timer and stopwatch, and much more. It's waterproof, so your little one can wear it while swimming or in the shower, and it boasts up to five days of battery life. It's available in three bright colorways and the band is interchangeable so your daughter can show off her special style. fitbit.com
REI Co-op Cycles Rev 16 A solid mid-price bike from REI designed specially for kids, the Rev 16 is lightweight and features semi-knobby tires that are great on dirt or pavement, removable training wheels, and coaster breaks that are easy to get used to. It arrives nearly fully assembled so your child can get going quickly and comes with a sticker pack that includes tons of letters and fun designs so kids can customize their bike however they want. rei.com
Editor's Notes
November 18, 2019:
Shopping for a seven-year-old can be overwhelming, since the youngster in question is just beginning the transition to big-girlhood and is likely to want to spend more time with friends or nursing her growing creative side and logic skills, but is also still a child who surely loves to play with toys. To help bridge this gap, we ranked this list with a diversity of interests in mind, opting to include toys that are educational without seeming to be, items that encourage physical activity, and some selections that skew young, while others they can take into their later years.
For example, the newly-added J&Z Classical Acoustic Guitar is a great long-term selection. Seven is the age at which most children can start to pick up an instrument, and this guitar boasts adult-quality and a child-friendly size, is well-made and durable, and can last through years of practice until she outgrows it. Then, there's the Razor Sweet Pea Scooter, which is easy for young kids to master and also height-adjustable, so she'll be able to enjoy it for quite some time. Just be sure to pick up a good helmet and shin guards to go along with it.
We said goodbye to the Stick 'n Style Blinglets and GirlZone Bath Bombs due to availability concerns and opted to add the aforementioned acoustic guitar and the Crayola Color Chemistry Set in their place. The chemistry set is ideal for encouraging STEM learning while having a blast, and you won't need hard-to-find special chemical elements to complete the 34 experiments that require additional components since the kit calls for common household items like paper plates.
Great Gift Ideas For The Blossoming Young Lady
Only by carefully considering the individual youngster and by gauging her interests and preferences can you be assured of selecting the right gift.
A girl entering or enjoying her seventh year of life presents an interesting challenge for the thoughtful gift giver: do you embrace the young lady she is becoming, opting for a gift that is on the more mature and challenging side, or do you celebrate the child she still is and choose a gift that is just for fun?
Only by carefully considering the individual youngster and by gauging her interests and preferences can you be assured of selecting the right gift. Fortunately, great gifts abound for all sorts of seven year old girls, whether she is already fascinated by the arts, still more interested in toys and trinkets, or if she is an active and energetic youngster who is always in motion.
Some parents or caregivers might resist the urge to give a child a gadget like a kids' smartwatch as a gift, feeling people have plenty of years ahead of them during which they'll be glued to their phone or tablet. Others might consider these devices merely a fact of our era and think there's no reason not to give a youngster a kid-friendly tech device. If you fall into this latter column, consider a device that does not feature actual online capabilities, so you can safely limit the child's use of the gadget and control her access to content, but that still features games, a camera, and simple tools like a calendar and calculator that will be both entertaining and even educational.
Many seven year old girls are veritable balls of energy, and encouraging physical play is a wise idea. From a game that encourages interaction with peers to a device like a bike, scooter, or pogo stick that encourages individual athletic activity, anything that a girl enjoys and that gets her outside and in motion is a great idea as a gift.
For the artistic child, consider a gift that goes beyond the simple art supply kit and engages her in a meaningful activity that also involves art and creativity. This can include a DIY indoor garden kit complete with seeds to sew and planters to paint and decorate or a jewelry kit that allows youngsters to design and create their own fashion accessories. Children respond well when their efforts are "paid off" with a tangible end product, thus the appeal of these and other similar activities.
And of course there's absolutely nothing wrong with accepting that some young girls just want to be princesses. If the seven year old girl on your gift buying list loves the color pink and all things fantasy, then go ahead and lavish royal gifts on her; a child should always be encouraged and supported in his or her interests.
Why STEM Themed Gifts Are A Great Idea
For far too long, women have been underrepresented in STEM fields -- those are the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. In fact, according to both government and privately sponsored studies, women hold less than 25% of the available jobs in these arenas. Beyond the simple lack of potential contributions this dearth of female participation represents, it also means endemic exclusion from high paying, rewarding, and potentially impactful careers.
In fact, according to both government and privately sponsored studies, women hold less than 25% of the available jobs in these arenas.
While there is no practical basis for the minimal female participation in STEM related academic programs or professions, there is a rooted and lingering stereotype against women's perceived abilities in such fields that deters many females from pursuing studies or work in these areas.
The sooner you can counter these unfair stereotypes, the better. By fostering an interest in math, science, and technology at a young age, you can empower a girl to reject any notion that STEM studies and careers are a male-oriented arena and help a girl gain interest in a field that can lead to great personal satisfaction as well as a successful career. If you can find a gift that encourages a girl to design and build a structure, you may well ignite the passion of a burgeoning young engineer. If you can select a gift that encourages the study of nature, you may inspire a lifelong interest that leads to a career in biology.
Any gift that encourages critical thinking and problem solving is a great choice for the inquisitive youngster. If such a gift helps to unlock an interest in matters of science, tech, engineering, or math, so much the better.
The Many Milestones Of The 7 Year Old Girl
No two kids are the same, but when viewed as a large enough population, you can identify various markers and milestones that most -- if not all -- seven year old girls will have in common. Knowing what to expect from a child at seven years of age can not only help guide your gift giving, but it can help you anticipate and react to her behavior.
Look for gifts that foster communal play, whether the activity is artistic, a game, or a physical activity.
One of the most notable attributes of a child at this age is her interest in spending more time with friends, thus any activity that can be shared among a pair or group of friends is likely to be enjoyed. Look for gifts that foster communal play, whether the activity is artistic, a game, or a physical activity.
A seven year old child is also likely to be developing basic mathematical skills and will likely want to use their new and growing abilities, which likely include competent addition and subtraction as well as basic geometry including the spatial comprehension of three dimensional objects. Thus toys or activities that involve building structures or basic machines are a great idea.
And of course any interest in the arts or literature should be supported fully. A seven year old girl can likely read age appropriate books on her own. This activity should be encouraged, as should the chance for her to write her own stories.