Toys for 7 and 8 Year Olds

Toys for 7 Year Olds and 8 Year Olds Buying Guide With an extended attention span, your child is able to do activities that involve a greater degree of concentration. He is beginning to enjoy using strategy and logic in play and he can work on harder jigsaw puzzles and activities for extended periods. In school, he is mastering basic math, reading and writing skills and is beginning to read longer chapter books on his own. Although his skills are improving, sometimes his ambition gets ahead of his ability. He may have big ideas for an art or science project and become frustrated when it doesn't turn out as planned. You can give him encouragement by praising his strengths and reminding him that the process of creating can be just as important as the finished product. Ages 7 and 8 Years Old Growing Developments Your child is very active with seemingly boundless energy He is able to ride a bicycle without training wheels His interests are rapidly changing and influenced by his peers He is easily motivated and eager to try new things He still has limited decision-making ability He is mastering physical skills and can play organized sports with friends He is sensitive to criticism and doesn't accept failure well Guide to Toys Look for activities that encourage physical activities like running and playing sports Help your child learn about history through pretend play with historical play figures Look for craft and science kits that are related to your child's interests

Best Play Value Toys for Ages 7 and 8

• Puzzles and Brain Teasers
• Model Building Sets
• Toy Figures and Toy figure Play Sets
• Fashion Design Kits

Top Brands for Ages 7 and 8

• Klutz Books
• The Orb Factory
• Alex Crafts Kits
• Papo Toy Figures and Castles
• Zing Outdoor Toys
• Mindware Puzzles and Games

Choosing Toys for 7 and 8 Year Old Girls and Boys

Don't let gender stereotypes stop your child from learning and playing with beneficial toys! It's more important to shop according to a child's interest than to force a toy truck on a boy or a knitting book on a girl. However, if you're shopping for a gift and don't know a child's interests, shopping by gender can be a good starting point.

Top toys for 7 and 8 year old boys include advanced construction sets like Erector and LEGO®. Boys may also be interested in playing outdoor sports or board games with their friends. Girls are still very into imaginative play at this age, and they enjoy role playing games with friends and creating their own stories with toy figures. Popular toys for 7 and 8 year old girls include advanced beading kits, sewing kits and room décor kits. Art books, journals, diaries and activity books are also popular with girls this age.

You can view our best selling toys for girls or boys by selecting the gender and “most popular” from the drop down menu on the green bar in the center of the page.

Ways to Play

You can finally stop worrying that your child will attempt to eat pennies and small parts when you're not looking! (Of course, we can't guarantee that he won't, but generally by seven that sort of behavior is extinct.) This means that he can safely play away from adults and work on craft projects that contain small parts without constant supervision.

Your child is also starting to make meaningful friends at school and it's important for his social development to let them play alone together and even argue sometimes. He might be interested in imaginative games that involve espionage, adventure, pretend danger and exploration. Seven and eight don't mind having their parents around, so you can join them by playing the unwitting criminal under surveillance or the evil wizard who is capturing princesses. Use your acting ability (you know it's in there!) to make games with his friends more exciting, but let the kids take the lead in creating the game.

When it's just the two of you, he'll enjoy listening to stories that he can't read for himself. You can also take bike rides, toss around a ball and practice sports skills together. While indoors, he'll enjoy working in the kitchen with you by mixing ingredients or participating in family game night.

You may notice that he gets frustrated easily with school work and projects. You can help him to be more confident by planning concrete activities where he experience success. Craft projects and model building are great examples of structured projects that can build self-confidence. These are some of the most fun years to be a parent!