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This Coding LEGO Robot Will Be Your Kid's New STEM Best Friend

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This Coding Robot Is One of the Best Toys for 7-Year-Old Boys

Most 7-year-olds already know what they like and have a list of interesting toys and gifts a mile long, but if you’re looking for some inspiration when it comes to picking out the perfect thing, look no further. While you likely will already know which areas of interest your kids are most passionate about, whether that be art, STEM, sports or some combination of everything, narrowing it down to one (or a few) perfect presents is harder than it looks. You want something that your kids will play with, will keep them interested for longer than a few minutes and won’t drive you nuts.

To help you parse through the large number of new toys that hit shelves every year, the Good Housekeeping Institute tests hundreds of toys annually in order to find the best gifts for kids and releases the results in its annual Good Housekeeping Institute Toy Awards. Our lab experts evaluate the most promising ones for factors like safety and quality, and then we bring in real kids to test them all out — all to help you know which ones are actually worth buying for your own kids this holiday season. Our list of the best toys and gifts for kids of this age is made up of the hottest new toys on the market, including winners of our 2022 Good Housekeeping Best Toy Awards, former Toy Award winners, best-sellers and editors’ picks. When we took them all into account, these were the best toys and gifts for 7-year-old boys in 2022.

This year, cool RCs, STEM toys and active outdoor toys are high on their lists, as are games that get their minds working, or gifts that help them foster their creativity in music and art. Whatever they’re into, there’s bound to be something for them on this list.

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Zero Gravity Laser Race Car

$29.99

This car will go anywhere you point the laser — even up walls! And yet, it’s still easy enough for kids to control and handle. It comes in either red or blue. Ages 8+

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Washed Ashore: Making Art from Ocean Plastic

$16.99

Whether he’s into oceanography or he’s wowed by sculpture, he’ll love this book, which features different sculptures of ocean creatures, along with animal facts about each one. But the most amazing thing is that every sculpture is made from items reclaimed from beaches or oceans, so there’s a strong environmental lesson, too. Good Housekeeping Institute Testers also loved that there was a seek-and-find element on each page, which asks kids to look for items like coat hangers embedded in each sculpture. Ages 6+

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Boost Creative Toolbox

$234.89

With the LEGO Boost, kids can learn how to program a robot. They’ll get 847 pieces that can be used to build five different types of robots — including a guitar and cat! Using the free LEGO Boost app, they can code in order to make cool things happen (like make the robot dance, for example). Ages 7+

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Roll Up Drum Pad

$44.99

Kids can play along with this drum pad set to learn about staying on beat and keeping a rhythm. Then, when they’re done, they can roll it up and put it away (or take it along to Grandma’s house). In addition to six different rhythms, there are also sound effects and loops for kids to experiment with — and a volume control for the adults. Ages 6+

David Militello wearing a costume

VTech KidiZoom Creator Cam HD Video Kids’ Digital Camera, Green Screen

$40.59

Kids love creating and editing their own videos, using special effects like green screens and animated backgrounds. Parents love that it doesn’t connect to wi-fi, so they don’t have to worry about safety and privacy. Ages 5+

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13) Stomp Rocket Stomp Racers Dueling Race Cars

$29.99

Kids can stomp these cards, launch them and watch them go! The pack comes with two kid-powered cars, which can race to see which one will go farthest. There’s also a ramp included, and kids can launch the vehicles into the air! A Good Housekeeping Institute parent tester said she loved that her kids were able to set this up by themselves in about five minutes, so it’s easy-to-use, too. Ages 5+

a close up of a device

7) Artie 3000 The Coding Robot

$49.11

This STEM toy for kids combines coding, robots and creative arts in one product. Once you set it up — which is super easy! — Artie will draw the designs according to the code. The kit comes with the robot, activity cards, colored markers, an alignment tool (to keep the marker in place) and instructions. Ages 7+

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Tech Deck Shredline 360

$39.99

Bring the skatepark to your home with this motorized Tech Deck that lets your fingers do tricks on ramps and obstacle plates you can add in to personalize your park. This year’s Tech Deck won a Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award because it spins and changes direction for added excitement, and can be individualized for basic and advanced play for all ages. Ages 6+

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3) Kanoodle Gravity

$17.99

If your 7-year-old enjoys playing with puzzles and games, then he’ll love this puzzle board. It contains 40 different challenges that work on skills like problem solving and strategic thinking. The game can be played with two players if he’s up for some friendly competition. Ages 7+

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RC Wheelz Stuntin’ Remote-Controlled Wheelchair

$42.99

This new type of RC does spins and tricks that will have your jaw drop. This model inspired by Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham, the Wheelchair Motocross World Champion, won a Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award because of its speed, self-righting feature that helps it flip back up after a fall and ease of controlling for little fingers. Ages 6+

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12) Roller Coaster Challenge

$33.99

This game incorporates logic skills with roller coaster building for a super fun take on a STEM toy. It comes with 39 tracks, 40 challenge cards (with solutions, too) and a roller coaster car to bring all the loops and drops to life. It’s the perfect gift for budding engineers to learn essential reasoning skills that they can use throughout their life. Ages 6+

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Worlds Smallest Board Games

$9.94

Snag this set of four mini board games for your next game night and while the small pieces might be easier to lose, these pocket-sized collectible games are as fun to play as they are to unbox! Join in the fun with games like Uno, Jenga, Pictionary and more. Ages 6+

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Light-Up Tracing Pad

$43.99

Kids can trace more than 100 images, and layer them on top of each other to make new designs. The set comes with all the art supplies he needs, including a graphite pencil for tracing, colored pencils, tracing sheets and blank paper. And the pad lights up, so he can work in his room at night before bed. Ages 6+

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Stunt Shot

$23.25

This RC is designed to be driven indoors. The big wheels let it easily conquer obstacles like carpets and other toys, but they’re also super soft so they don’t damage walls or furniture. Ages 5+

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3) smART Sketcher 2.0 Kit

$42.00

This little device uses cartridges to project images onto paper, and then gives kids step-by-step instructions on how to draw them. It comes loaded with 60 activities, including cursive writing, language lessons and themed drawings, or kids can take a photo and use an app to project it onto paper. Ages 5+

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Good Housekeeping Amazing Science

$17.45

Budding scientists will thrill with the 83 hands-on experiments in this book, which are led by the scientists from the Good Housekeeping Institute. The book goes from room to room in the house and explains the scientific concepts behind the phenomena you might find there, like why bathroom mirrors get foggy or what makes sweaty sneakers so stinky. Then, the experiments let them dive deeper into the concepts. Ages 7+

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LEGO Super Mario Adventures Starter Course

$47.99

This LEGO set combines IRL building with a screen-time fave. Kids can construct the game levels out of LEGO bricks. Then, the Mario works with an app so he can complete challenges and collect virtual coins in the LEGO app. The Mario figure also has an embedded speaker and LED screens in his face and belly to give instant feedback. Ages 6+

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Moon Lamp

$19.98

Foster his love of science with this 3D-printed lamp, which re-creates the craters and bumps on the surface of the moon. It also comes in four sizes and lights up in 16 colors; kids can change the colors at the push of a button with a remote control. No age recommendation given

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Pokémon Battle Academy

$13.99

If your kids have been curious about learning how to play the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the board game takes players step-by-step through gameplay and makes it easy to figure out. It also comes with three decks, so you have everything you need to get started right away. Ages 6+

a close up of an animal

Robo Alive Roaring Ice Dragon Robot Toy

$42.99

This dragon has so much personality — it roars, walks and has ice-blasting LED effect in its bite! Toy testers kept returning to this one again and again. Ages 6+

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16) Gnomes at Night

$38.58

If you’re tired of sibling rivalry, get your kids this game, which challenges players to work together. Players need to cooperate to help their gnomes exit the maze before the clock runs out. Ages 6+

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Treasure X Dino Gold

$14.23

There are 16 levels a kid has to get through in order to find the dinosaur’s gold, rescue the treasure hunter and turn the beast into a Battle Dino! It starts with a dissection, where kids have to dig through the ooze of a dinosaur’s belly to discover what’s been eaten! Ages 5+

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Corner Crush

$14.48

It’s a four-in-a-row game just like you remember, but with a twist: The game actually wraps around the sides of the 3-D playing tower, so it tests memory, too! Our testers loved rotating the tower. Ages 7+

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My City Hospital

$114.99

Aspiring doctors and scientists will love this LEGO CITY hospital set that lets them explore the joy of helping others. Kids can build and play with a multi-room hospital, rescue helicopter, ambulance and more with the 816 pieces. Several of our testing panel parents noted that there was no shortage of exciting imaginative play. Kid testers were able to check in a patient at the hospital reception, use the MRI scan and welcome a new “baby” in the maternity ward. Ages 7+

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Operation: Escape Room

$34.99

With this Spy Code game, you can pretend to be spies from the comfort of your living room. There are seven different tasks to complete — that might sound like no big deal, but you only have a certain amount time to set free whoever was captured! The set comes with everything you need to transform your home into an escape room. Ages 6+

graphical user interface

Learn to Build Set

$26.99

If your 7-year-old can’t get enough construction sets, add the Plus-Plus to the mix. Every piece connects easily with all the other pieces, making for limitless open-ended building, and the learn-to-build sets guide kids through multiple building projects. Ages 5+

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Pass the Pigs

$14.49

In this hilarious tabletop game, players roll pigs like dice and add up points based on the positions they land in, sharpening those math skills. It takes very little setup, so you can break this out at a moment’s notice, whenever there’s a lull in the action. Toy testers found this very easy to transport, too. Ages 7+

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Dash

$149.95

This robot from Wonder Workshop helps promote STEM skills and keep kids busy for hours using the included suite of free apps. Kids can get comfortable with all of Dash’s functions first, and then they can explore various levels of robotics and coding. Good news, parents: The robot comes charged right out of the box. Ages 6+

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Build Your Own Solar Powered Car

$24.99

This kit teaches kids how to construct, create and paint a real, working solar-powered car. They’ll learn about construction and electricity and, best of all, it doesn’t require any screws, tools or batteries. Ages 6+

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Blackhawk Backyard Soccer Goal

$29.99

This goal is so sturdy, Amazon shoppers have given them more than 11,000 five-star reviews. It comes in four sizes, and buyers especially appreciate how easy it is to set up and pack away. Ages 2+

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Fire HD 8 Kids’ Tablet

$149.99

When you invest in a tablet for your kids, it opens up the door for them to play and learn on the same device. The Fire HD 8 Tablet is a super durable option thanks to the included case. When you purchase one of these tablets, your kid gets access to tons of content (like apps, videos and games) with Kids+, which is free for a year, then it’s just $3/month. Ages 3+

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How we test nonstick cookware sets

Before including our favorite picks in an article, the Good Housekeeping Institute does rigorous toy testing to ensure we’re recommending only the best. Many of our choices come from our yearly Toy Awards, where we test each item based on the following criteria:

✔️Safety: Our engineers and analysts make sure that each toy reaches all safety standards. They also assess things like pinch points and make sure toys won’t shatter into small pieces to pose a potential choking hazard.

✔️Ease of Use: We look at each toy to evaluate how simple it is to assemble, how well it’s constructed and how durable it is during play.

✔️Kid Approval: Aside from testing each toy for skill-building attributes, like how well it develops social-emotional skills, all our final decisions come from more than 100 children, ages 1 to 15, who assess the fun factor!

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14) Which roller skates are best for beginners?

For decades, the Good Housekeeping Institute has provided expert reviews and advice on everything parents and children love, including STEM toys, educational toys, sensory toys and more.

This story was written by Jamie Spain. In her role as Parenting & Pets Reviews Analyst, Jamie Spain brings years of experience to the GH Institute, having reviewed products for Good Housekeeping and BuzzFeed. She previously covered parenting and pets for People.

Much of the toy testing for this article was overseen by Rachel Rothman, the Good Housekeeping Institute’s chief technologist and director of engineering, with the help of Marisa LaScala, Good Housekeeping’s senior parenting and relationships editor. For more than 15 years, Rachel has put her training in mechanical engineering and applied mathematics to work by researching, testing and writing about parenting products. Plus, as a mom to three kids under 5, she has plenty of first-hand experience.

Marisa has covered all aspects of the world of parenting, from the postpartum years through the empty nests, since 2015, and she’s pitched in with Good Housekeeping’s toy coverage since 2018. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter, who are both avid toy collectors.

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How we test sunscreens

Looking for more great gifts for kids? Let the experts do all the hard work for you! The Good Housekeeping Institute’s Parenting Lab has expert-tested, kid-approved picks for the best toys and gifts for kids of every age, including:

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