Gifts for 7-9 Year Olds

Second and third graders have reached an age where all of their knowledge from their younger years is coming together but in no way is the learning over.  At the end of the day, their brains have been taxed and they need activities other than what they do during the normal school day.  Here are my gift picks for ages 7-9.

Personalized pencils ($7.98 for a set of 12 from Lillian Vernon)— Let your child stake a claim to their pencils by putting their name on them.  Personalized pencils are crazy cool gifts for the 2^nd and 3^rd grade set because it helps put an end to “borrowed” pencils that never make their way back to the owner and pencils that seem to disappear from pencil boxes that live in desks everywhere. Not very tech savvy, I know, but pencils never go out of style!  Lillian Vernon is currently running a promotion to buy one set and get another half off. In case you’re wondering who to buy the second set for, get one for your child’s teacher and they’ll be thankful to have pencils that they can claim as their own!

GIVEAWAY: Fashion Playtes ($8 and up)— Budding fashion designers will love creating their own looks.  Personalize tops, bottoms, dresses, outwear, loungewear, accesorries, and even doll clothes for your 18” doll by selecting the color, embellishments (appliqués, rhinestones, lace, and more), and then adding a personalized label saying who it was made by.  A gift certificate would make a wonderful gift for the young fashionista since items are affordably priced even after customization! Little Miss Techie recently tried the site and found the site easy to use. She loved making custom clothes for her American Girl Doll and easily navigated through the choices that were plentiful but not overwhelming.  We were able to get 2 dresses for just over $25 with shipping!  Little Miss Techie has a video that she will be sharing about her experience soon!  Win a $50 gift certificate to Fashion Playtes by leaving a comment below.

Wilson Junior Tennis racquets (under $20)— Wilson has reinvented tennis for the 10 & under set thanks to specialized equipment tailored to their age and size.  Kids get into the game immediately thanks to smaller racquets, starter balls made of foam and “starter play” ones that feature less rebound bounce, and unbelievably affordable equipment!  Youth racquets are under $20 each through the 10 and Under USTA Program!  Plus grownups who used to play (like myself- ahem) will find that getting back into the groove is a fun way to spend some family time and enjoy being outside even on chilly winter days.

Snap Circuits ($31.99 from Amazon)— Budding engineers and those curious about the inner workings of a circuit board will enjoy Snap Circuits.  Kids will learn about how currents work through hands-on play as they create over 305 electronic projects using items like snap wires, slide switch, resistor, microphone, and capacitors.  Captain Computer received a set last year for Christmas and later received additional sets that included a flying saucer ($14.99) and musical recorder ($24.95).  I’m eyeing the Alternative Energy Kit ($74.95) and the RC Rover ($74.99) as possible gifts for this holiday season!

20Q ($19.99)— The favorite classic game you always played on road trips went electronic a couple years ago and is new and improved to be even smarter than it was before.  20Q asks players to think of an animal, vegetable, mineral, or other object and uses its super mind reading powers to figure out the answer in twenty questions or less based on pressing the yes, no, sometimes or rarely buttons. Its eerie accuracy makes game play quite it addictive!

Simon Flash ($24.99)— The round Simon of yesteryear is now in cube form- 4 cubes to be exact!  Simon still flashes hence the new name Simon Flash, but features multiple games besides the original Simon Classic that requires brain power to remember the sequence of colors and tap them in the right order as more and more are added.  Games in addition to Simon Classic include Simon Lights Off, Simon Shuffle, and Simon Secret Color, all of which are activated by touching a different color cube.  Cubes come in a handy green case which makes them easy to transport for on-the-go play.

Knock Your Blocks Off ($16.99)— In this game, 2-4 players race to make a matching pattern on their blocks before an opponent can roll the die and knock off your crown when the boulders, ogre, and dragon come up.  Each pattern is worth a token and the person with the most tokens wins!  I love that this game helps reinforce math through visual patterning in games that only takes about 15 minutes to play.

City Square Off ($19.99)— Spatial relations, logic, and strategic thinking are challenged through this game where 2 teams or 2 players draw a shape card and fit the tile into city grids to create their city.  Being able to envision the space and plan is key since there always needs to be room for the next piece since the city always needs to fit within its limits.  Game play takes about 15 minutes.

 Draw the DC Universe ($19.99)— This draw-right-in-it book comes with everything need to learn how to draw the entire universe of DC heroes and villains.  It includes a sketching pencil, drawing marker, artist pencils in 6 colors, and a big block eraser.  It also features stencils and translucent overlays, expert tips, and tons of practice space for kids to perfect drawings of their favorite DC Comics characters.

 Stamp Art ($21.99)— Who doesn’t love stamps?  Stamp Art allows creative minds to create their own unique stamps. Just stick the shapes on the acrylic block and stamp away! Art work and instructions are included to help teach how to create animals, flowers, aliens, and anything else kids can think of!

Kinect Sports Season Two ($49.99)— Tennis, golf, football, baseball, skiing, and darts are part of the newest season of Kinect Sports.  Full body game play and the ability to use voice commands makes you feel like you’re immersed in the game whether you’re engaging in a one to one showdown or connecting with friends via Xbox Live.  A note about Xbox Live and any gaming system- be sure to check your privacy settings through the parental dashboard and ensure your kids know the screen names of their friends before engaging in online game play. Rated “E”

Just Dance Kids 2 for Wii ($29.99)— Just Dance Kids 2 appeals to a wide range of age ranges because it includes songs that are today’s hits, favorites from movies and TV shows, and classic kid tunes.  40 dance routines and easy to navigate screens gets kids and parents up and dancing!  Game play is for up to 4 players.  Rated “E”

Fluent readers need a variety of different content to hold their interests.  Mix it up by supplying magazines and books, both fictional and fact-based, to keep those reading skills sharp!

• Age appropriate magazines include: National Geographic for Kids, Dig, American Girl Doll Magazine, Highlights, Sports Illustrated Kids, and Your Big Backyard

• Some of Little Miss Techie’s favorite books include: Magic Tree House, Captain Underpants, Super Diaper Baby, Ook and Gluk, Rainbow Magic Series, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Enter to win a $50 gift certificate to Fashion Playtes for your 7-9 year old!  

Leave a comment about your child's favorite extra-curriculuar activity for a chance to win a $50 Fashion Playtes gift certificate. Entries must include your email or Twitter handle to be valid.

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Fine print: Winners will be selected from valid entries on Friday, December 9 and must reply with a U.S. mailing address and phone number within 24 hours or another winner will be chosen.  Leticia- Tech Savvy Mama and companies supplying giveaway items are not responsible for items lost, damaged, or delayed during shipping. 

Disclosure: Product samples were received to facilitate the above reviews.  Relationships with clients have been disclosed above and do not influence my opinion of the product.  Amazon Affiliate links are included in this post. All images courtesy of the companies.