six-year-old may be expected to develop reading and math skills way beyond what their
parents had at this age.
Age Seven
Seven is a more withdrawn age, a time of introversion and calming down. Growth has
slowed. Most seven-year-olds are very aware of their own bodies and might dread exposure
and public bathrooms. They may want their own bedroom. This is a good age for pets and
nature, but it’s also an age for complaining, with many worries, tensions, and fears (ghosts,
what’s under the bed). When life is going badly, the seven-year-old could feel that his teacher
hates him, others are cheating at games, and that his parents are unfair with resulting name
calling and pouting. Seven-year-olds are still searching for a best friend, but boys and girls
get along well together. Children this age are beginning to understand abstract concepts like
good and evil. They still tend to accept a view of good and evil that they’ve learned from
someone else (parents, church, superheroes). They begin to take into account someone else’s
point of view.
This is the peak of dramatic play. The unlimited fantasy of earlier years is being replaced
by a more realistic fantasy that is based on logic with more plausible scenarios. Characters
like Barbie that were appealing earlier because of their fantasy value are still appealing to
the post-seven-year-old because of their more realistic qualities. Big Bird remains behind.
The typical seven-year-old probably still likes strenuous physical activity, but he also loves
to watch TV, listen to the radio, and read.
Somewhere around age seven the part of the brain that controls autonomic functions
(breathing, heartbeat) is almost completely developed. The right brain continues to mature.
Other parts of the brain (including the left, logical areas) start developing so that the child
can reason and use logic. Serious collecting (as opposed to stockpiling all stuff) usually starts
after this age, since it requires more logical thinking ability.
Age Eight
Eight is the beginning of the tweenstage (eight to twelve or thirteen), a transition between
kid and teen. Children are becoming savvy at increasingly younger ages. Girls generally enter
the tween stage before boys and leave it sooner as well. Tweens are a force to deal with in
films, music, television, and toys. Already kids are identifying with teens. Social development
is rapid during this age. The left brain is developing quickly as well. Eight-year-olds are begin-
ning to accept authority and may choose a pretty teacher for their friend. They respect a
teacher’s knowledge, but they especially like ones who can joke and laugh with them. They
enjoy slapstick humor. They like edgyand irreverent humor, and they’re beginning to appre-
ciate more sophisticated humor forms. They like characters that are realistic or off-the-wall.
They appreciate characters with sarcasm and irreverence. And boys, especially, like what is
gross and pushes the envelope. They have an attraction to horror, violence, and the taboo.
Children are again more social. Tweens tend to play extensively in pairs and groups.
Children this age are interested in relationships and will keep a friend for a longer time, but
50 Animation Writing and Development