7 Year Old Developmental Milestones for Boys and Girls

Posted On December 3, 2021

It’s just wonderful to watch your kid grow and hit different milestones with each birthday. So this year is not different in that respect, and your little one will hit many different milestones in just one year.

Their thirst for knowledge will become unending and their curiosity and excitement will increase and they will want to explore the world around them and learn about it. Since they are innately curious, they will ask a lot of questions every day, and they will want to know why the sky is blue, or where the babies come from. So be ready! We already gave you an overview of 6-year-old milestones. And now, let’s go into depth with the 7-year-old developmental milestones, and see what is ahead of you.

Physical Development

As soon as your kid hits the 7th year of their life, they will start to experience various developments and hit many milestones. Their physical appearance will undergo some major changes and they will only continue to grow into a long-limbed and lanky version of their previous chubby preschooler looks. Also, their motor skills will become more precise, as well as their balance and coordination. Plus, the more physically active they are, the better the skills they will develop.

In addition to that, they will grow on average 2 to 2.5 inches in a year, so you might not notice the difference that easily. The change is not as dramatic as it was in the previous years, but they sure are growing fast.

So what you can expect from 7-year-old milestones in physical development is getting rid of the training wheels on their bike and learning to ride a two-wheeled one. Also, they will be able to twist, turn and spin by standing in one place, and their skills at performing simple chores will drastically improve. Your role here is to keep them physically active. They will have more energy to burn off, so play sports, go to community events and simply play together outdoors. Not only will this keep them healthy and refreshed, but their skills will improve way better and much faster.

Emotional Development

Emotional maturity at this age is far more different than that one during the preschool years. Most 7-year-olds are not able to handle transitions easier and last-minute changes. However, their complete self-control will not be visible until the both boys and girls are of age 10 or 12, but they will be able to tolerate unexpected situations and to go with the flow.

Despite maturing, 7-year-olds will still need comfort in the form of routines. Since they are facing new things and situations every day, from people and peers outside their homes to new subjects and experiences at school, they will rely more and more on things they can expect and count on, such as family time, regular family meals or a solid bedtime routine.

What is more, they will become even more useful-critical and may express some insecurities about themselves. They might try to get something to look like they have imagined it, but if they don’t succeed, it may be crushing to their self-esteem. So, in order to help them work out those issues, parents, teachers and other close adults should offer frequent encouragement and help them become better at a certain activity. More importantly, they should teach them how to learn from such “failures” and look on the positive side.

Some of the key 7-year-old developmental milestones to also expect here is that they will start describing the causes and consequences of emotions. But they will be able to manage their emotions better, especially in public places. Additionally, they will start to use calming strategies, such as deep breaths and repeating phrases when they feel distressed.

Cognitive Development

As far as their cognitive development milestones are concerned, it is natural that a 7-year-old is curious and would like to explore the world surrounding them. They will be filled with various questions and they will seek answers from you, whether about things or people they meet and they will be eager to share with others what they’ve learned. Also, they will express a formidable sense of adventure and thirst for knowledge and information. They will also enjoy being mentors to their younger siblings and their friends.

Additionally, their math and reading skills will steadily expand as well, and they will have no problems with recognizing words. As far as math problems are concerned, by now your little one is likely to master simple operations such as subtracting and adding. And they will be able to use these skills to solve more complicated math problems. They may even start working with three-digit numbers and begin to mentally add and subtract. Not to mention how some kids might even start working with fractions and learn about shapes in structures around them.

Another thing that will improve at this age is their speech and language skills. They will rapidly continue to expand their vocabulary and reading skills, and they will now be able to read more complex chapter books. Most 7-year-olds will now be able to ready with more fluency and you will be able to discuss in more depth with them what they have read in books. Plus, they will start to write more complex and coherent stories and narratives. You should definitely encourage them to read and to love books by reading together and discussing fun characters, plot and what they think about the books.

Lastly, your 7-year-old will surely continue to engage in pretend play. However, they will become more creative since their learning and memory skills have improved. So, this is the perfect age to introduce your kid to art projects. Focus on puppets, dolls, and other creative toys, and let them play with Legos. With such great toys for kids of 7 years old girls and boys, they will be able to work on their creativity and imagination.

So, the key milestones to expect here are definitely their ability to name characters from books or shows, the setting and to explain the plot. Also, they will be able to solve word problems in math and to use complex and creative strategies to solve problems.

The role of the parent here is to encourage their cognitive development. You should find ways to incorporate their newly learned math skills in everyday life. So, for example, you can play around with math games in the kitchen, at the grocery store and even on road trips. Plus, if your little one loves playing on the computer, make sure to offer them some great online math solving games.

Social Development

Even though they have plenty to do in school, every 7-year-old boy and girl of this age will still prefer playing with their friends. Also, they will start liking spending some time alone as well, reading or playing. However, you shouldn’t be worried if they request some alone time. Alone time is also an important part of their development in order to get a better sense of self and their relations to others.

You will also start to notice that they now care more about what others think about them and what their opinions are in general. And even though this is a natural phase in the development, your child may feel pressured by peers. Nevertheless, they will still continue to develop empathy and strong morals and fairness.

They will keep growing up and expanding their social skills and horizons and they will make some beautiful friendships and relationships with adults as well, such as a teacher, a friend of a parent or some other more distant family members.

Basically, the key milestones here include their desire and willingness to share their knowledge with others. Also, they will exhibit a capacity to understand what other people are doing and feeling. Plus, they will treat their peers with respect when playing with toys together.

Other Milestones

Besides these major 7-year-old developmental milestones, there are some other ones to be mentioned. Your little one will now desire to be even more independent when bathing or brushing their teeth. You should allow that, but still, be close by to surveil. Now, with the much-improved motor skills, they will be able to floss their teeth on their own, brush them two times a day and take baths on their own. Also, their baby teeth will mostly be out, which will give them a silly look, but you should emphasize dental hygiene.

When they want to take a shower on their own, make sure to be there when they are putting shampoo on their hair, and make sure they have rinsed thoroughly. But, this will be a happy thing and a timesaver, since your obligations increase as well, because of their busy schedules.

When to Worry

It is important to remember that not every kid is to develop at the same pace. Some kids might already be excellent readers and great at math skills, while others may struggle. But, if those struggles have many causes, including learning disabilities and problems with focus, you should talk to an experienced professional and help your child overcome those struggles. In many cases, those academic challenges can be resolved by a few extra instructions by the teacher, reading or math specialist or parents. In other cases, your child may need a special accommodation or support in the classroom setting in order to successfully focus on the class. Nevertheless, no matter what the reason is for those struggles to occur, you shouldn’t just wait and see what will happen. You should help your child overcome any struggles and everyone will be much happier.

Read 8-year-old milestones here.

This is one beautiful year for you and your child since they are slowly becoming to look like adults. It is a bit scary, but if you do things together, everything will become so much easier.

Author: Catherine Evans

Catherine is a writer from Canada who simply loves toys, collectibles and superhero figurines. Writing is her passion, but she also loves reading, enjoying her “me time” and finding new ways to improve her work and ways to entertain the readers.

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