Physical Development

• Most 7-year-olds can ride a two-wheeled bicycle.
• Develop better coordination and balance – e.g walking a balanced beam.
• Combine motor skills – e.g dancing and moving around.

Parenting Tip

• Enjoy more outdoor activities like going to the park, activity centres, and adventurous theme parks.

Emotional Development

• Most 7-year-olds can handle last-minute changes and transitions. For example, they can cope with a new teacher for a day.
•  Describe their emotions and manage emotions better especially in public spaces.
• Use calming strategies such as taking deep breaths.

Parenting Tip

• Practise mindfulness with your child, take 5 minutes a week to listen to calming music, and teach them to be still during this process.

Social Development

• Most 7-year-olds will enjoy the company of their friends, they will initiate games and participate in the games others initiate. 
• Some 7-year-olds will begin to enjoy their own company and develop a sense of self.
• Treat peers with respect, have the capacity to understand other’s actions and feelings.

Parenting Tip

• Teach your child about actions and consequences and how to be kind in action and in words.

Cognitive Development

• Most 7-year-olds are curious about the world around them. For example, they might be able to sing a song from a popular artist.
• Ask questions and seek answers about things that interest them.
• Your child might have mastered simple additions and subtractions, they will now be able to apply these concepts to word problems and reasoning questions.
• Your child might enjoy reading books of greater lengths with fewer pictures.

Parenting Tip

• Encourage a love of books by reading together and incorporate their maths skills into home life, cooking together, and asking what the time says.

Self Care Development

• Most 7-year-olds will be able to wash their hands and brush their teeth.
• Some 7-year-old might be ready to take showers alone and show more responsibility for cleaning properly.
• Most 7-year-old will be able to tidy up their personal belongings and participate in simple house chores.

Parenting Tip

Allow your child to show more independence and praise them for stepping up.

When To Be Concerned

Many emotional, social and cognitive development concerns can be easily supported at this stage.

If you have concerns about any aspects of their development, this is the time to seek a specialist and act immediately.

For academic concerns, their teacher would always be the first point of contact.

For physical concerns, speak to your doctor.

For emotional development concerns, seek out a psychologist.