Seven to twelve can sometimes be a challenging age range to shop for. Most toys that worked at five feel a little babyish now, but a phone or tablet may still be a few years off for some families. Kids this age want something that feels like they’ve unlocked and stepped up to a new level of entertainment.
Somewhere between an overflowing stuffed animal collection and the first phone is a gift that keeps up with a kid who’s getting more and more curious, capable, and harder to impress, outgrowing everything in record time, except their own imagination. That’s the sweet spot for the best gifts for older kids on either side of the age we’re shopping for.
How can I keep kids interested in reading?
Encourage them to explore longer, more complex stories as their interests develop. The Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report has tracked kids' reading habits for over a decade, and its data shows that reading enjoyment and frequency decline as children get older, including a significant difference in reported reading enjoyment between children ages 6–8 and those ages 12–17.
Give them something to talk about at school, with peers or even adults. Book Tonies carry full, unabridged chapter books, and work with every Toniebox. They’ll spend hours and hours with some pretty popular titles, like Junie B. Jones, Magic Tree House and other classics like the Chronicles of Narnia. That first set alone is over 17 hours long! There’s plenty of content to settle in with here.
Audiobooks are not a substitute for reading, but offering formats that align with a child’s interests can provide another way to keep them engaged with books and stories. And for the kids who'd rather learn a fact than follow a plot, Pocket Tonies cover fun facts and jokes in the same bite-size format. It's one of our favorite gift ideas for 9 year old trivia lovers, the kind of kid who likes being the one at dinner who knows something nobody else does.
The Toniebox 2 or Toniebox Lite for Older Kids?
Pick the Toniebox 2, if Tonieplay Games matter. Toniebox Lite, if portability matters more. Toniebox 2 has more features, including a dynamic light ring, a sunrise alarm, and Tonieplay compatibility, while Toniebox Lite is smaller and simpler, built for backpacks and grandma's house. Both work with every Book Tonie, Classic Tonie, and Pocket Tonie in the lineup, and both are designed and tested for children ages 1 through 12 and up. That broad age range provides options as a child’s interests change, although individual preferences will vary.
Will my 12-year-old still love playing Tonieplay Games?
Yes, even though they appeal to younger kids at a glance, we’d bet that they’ll still have a great time with Tonieplay at 12 and beyond. Tonieplay includes games for children ages 3 and up, including titles designed for family and group play that may also appeal to older children. The games, including Guess Who? Monster Mysteries, Monopoly Real Estate Rush, and a Game of Life spin-off, run on quizzes, deduction, and quick decisions, and let them play solo or with the whole family.
Kids lead the way through each one with a Tonieplay Controller, making choices, answering questions, or navigating challenges, depending on the individual game, with no screen and no ads involved. Just keep in mind that Tonieplay only works with Toniebox 2, not Toniebox Lite, so check which box you have before adding a game to the wish list.
The gifts that get used past the first week tend to have something in common: they give a kid something to think about. It could be a character deciding what's fair, a mystery to sort out, or a quiz that makes them pause before answering. That can help turn a nice gesture into a memorable gift.
A great gift for any kids in the 7-12 age range is something that invites them to engage with a character, a problem, a challenge. Start with a Book Tonie, or hand over a Tonieplay Controller and let the next adventure be entirely their call.