Even when your child reaches 7 years old, they will still be in need of a sort of sensory play that will continue to engage their senses. Remember that from the time you deliver your child into this world, they use all their sense organs as a means of discovering the things in their surroundings.
With that said, your child is never too old to be given the best sensory toys for 7-year-old. Help them enrich their childhood even better and give them the appropriate instruments to support their development through proper sensory play for their age.
What Do You Need to Know About Sensory Toys?
Sensory toys are essential for kids of all ages as those are the items that will let them perform activities capable of stimulating their senses, including their sense of sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch. What’s great about these toys is that they aid in making them interact with the world surrounding them.
The toys can help them understand the world around them, too. Note that starting from birth, your child is already ready for this kind of play. As natural explorers, kids learn constantly and try to absorb everything that’s around them.
This makes it possible for you to provide them with various sensory activities that suit their age, abilities, and needs. An activity as simple as blowing bubbles can be adapted by kids of all ages. Babies, for instance, may find the bubbles popping on their skin enjoyable.
Meanwhile, toddlers who are more active can run after the bubbles and will most likely pop those on the surfaces surrounding them, the floor, or on themselves. If your child is older, maybe 7 years old and up, then you can create a project for them that will let them make a bubble mixture on their own.
Make this even more interesting by letting them use their hands or a wand to blow the bubbles they formed from the mixture. You can actually make sensory toys and play activities either simple or complex. It is even possible to set up the experience using the items that are already part of your home.
You can also buy ready-made ones – the ones you can buy in store and are guaranteed to make your child happy, engaged, and entertained. Regardless of what you choose, you are assured of its countless benefits to your child who is still trying to grasp the world around them.
How Can Kids Benefit from Sensory Toys (7-Year-Old)?
There are indeed numerous benefits from letting your child play with sensory toys regardless of their age. Sensory play contributes a lot to their development starting from the time they are delivered to this world to their early childhood
One thing that sensory toys can do is form nerve connections with the pathways in the brain, making it possible for your child to finish even complex tasks. Every time your child gets involved in a sensory experience, they are stimulating the development of their brain, thereby learning from specific parts of their surroundings.
Your 7-year-old child can specifically benefit from this type of play because of the following:
Promotes healthy cognitive growth
Your child can hone their problem-solving skills through sensory play. They will start to ask questions, think of how things work, analyze results, or do some experiments – all of which can guarantee healthy cognitive growth.
It makes them explore and go through different experiences. In addition, they will learn the basics of maneuvering any challenge they encounter. This is good for their cognitive development.
Has soothing effects
Sensory play also works in calming down your child. It is useful in regulating your child’s mood, especially when they become a bit sluggish. For kids who are hyperactive or have problems concentrating, sensory toys can also help.
Sensory toys, like sensory seats and weighted lap pads, have this kind of pressure that is soothing for kids. These can also give out a signal that they should stay in their place.
Promotes social interaction
Your 7-year-old will also be able to socialize through sensory play. As they get themselves involved in sensory play with their peers or siblings, they will start honing their social and communication skills.
Aside from learning the basics of communicating, your child will also learn how to solve and troubleshoot problems. In addition, they will know how they can adapt based on the way others play.
5 Recommended Sensory Toys for 7-year-Olds
#1 – Sticker Mosaic
One of the sensory toys guaranteed to entertain a 7-year-old is a sticker mosaic. You have plenty of options for this type of toy nowadays. In most cases, it features a numeric system, giving your child the opportunity to put and organize the stickers appropriately.
Most of the stickers are designed to be removable, allowing you to correct mistakes in case you commit them. You can also invest in those sticker mosaics that reveal something little by little, like a wild jungle or an attractive underwater scene.
The fact that it raises their creativity means that it will keep them absorbed for long hours. You can use this activity to strengthen their ability to recognize shapes and colors visually and polish their fine motor skills. It is also so calming that it can cultivate your child’s ability to concentrate and focus.
#2 – Liquid Motion Bubbler
This particular toy gives your 7-year-old a source of enjoyment, thanks to the rhythmic and slow drops produced by it. The relaxing effect of this particular toy to kids can also help you during those instances when you need something to handle their mood every time they get overly activated or extremely anxious.
You can expect it to give utmost relaxation through the colorful droplets that float down to the bottom. This liquid motion bubbler also gives your 7-year-old an engaging chance to keep their visual tracking skills more refined and polished. It also works as a gentle fidget toy, which is not only pleasing to the eye but also gives comfort.
#3 – Slime Making Kit
This kit can give your child an engaging and exciting activity that will keep their senses working. The fact that slime has a unique consistency and texture means that it is ideal for sensory activities and play. Letting your 7-year-old make his own slime also has numerous developmental benefits.
Regardless of the slime recipe your child decides to make, the entire activity can stimulate their senses. The sensory experience is not only technical since the whole process also involves colors, distinct scents, and funny sounds.
#4 – Peanut Sitting Ball
There is also what we call the peanut sitting ball, which your 7-year-old can use, especially if he is one of those kids who are extremely active or have high levels of energy. With the help of this seat, your child will surely have a unique and fun means of staying fit even when seated.
They can use their extra energy here as they can also use this for straddling and bouncing. The movements they can make in the ball can stimulate the proper blow of blood to their brain, thereby increasing their focus and attentiveness and reducing restlessness. It also helps in improving their posture and core strength.
#5 – Ladder Puzzle Toy
With this classic ladder puzzle toy, your child will be able to improve their ability to pay attention. It can be seen as a colorful variety of the classic puzzle toy capable of providing unlimited hours of creative and imaginative play.
It mainly utilizes an optical illusion designed in a way that can confound and enchant both kids and adults. Make this toy move by holding the topmost block using the single ribbon that faces outward.
After that, rotate the wrist backward and forward, letting yourself look at the blocks as they fall. It’s decorated with nice colors, like green, pink, and yellow, making them more attractive to watch.
Best Practices and Advice for Sensory Play for 7-Year-Old
Once your child hits 7 years old, it would be great for you to focus on having a fantastic and enjoyable family game night. Note that most kids this age can better understand and grasp games that have rules and among the best options would be board games as they are capable of supporting and reinforcing such knowledge.
Certain board games played with a group or the entire family successfully need the act of taking turns, focusing attention, following rules, controlling impulses, and gaining a full understanding of what’s fair or not. This makes the games good for their senses and their entire development.
If your 7-year-old is fond of moving and doing more activities, then it would also be a great idea to give them a sensory game that makes them more active. One example is the bright and colorful Twister, which teaches them a lot of things – among which would be following directions, practicing coordination and balance, and gaining body awareness.
You can also let them try the classic charades game. Games that have direction cards, such as charades, need kids to remind themselves about their past knowledge. After that, they have to translate such information and knowledge into action.
Conclusion
Keeping your child engaged in fascinating play is crucial for their entire development. You can give your child the best sensory toys for 7-year-old as doing so will help them reap several benefits – among which would be better brain development, fine motor skills, and problem-solving ability.
You will also notice a major improvement in their body awareness, creativity, and language skills, among many others. The good thing about sensory toys is that there are several choices for each age group, making the process of shopping for your child easier.