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At age 11, kids are typically entering sixth grade, which a lot of times means starting at a new middle school. “Their social scene is changing and they’re starting to think more about their social identity and who they are as a more mature person,” explains Lisa Goldstein, a librarian with the Brooklyn Public Library. Such environmental changes, coupled with the physical changes kids start to experience at this age, can make 11-year-olds quite fickle. “Puberty is beginning, so they’re facing physiological issues that are hormonal and can affect their emotional states,” says Alyson Cohen, a Manhattan-based social worker and psychotherapist specializing in adolescents, young adults, and millennials. It’s also the age when kids become less excited to spend time at home with family and more interested in doing things out in the world.
If you’re thinking that this confluence of changes can make finding a gift for an 11-year-old tricky, you’re not wrong. To help, I asked Cohen, Goldstein, and more than a dozen other experts, parents, and actual 11-year-olds about the best gift ideas for kids in this age group, from books to toys to tech. With the list below, I aimed to cover the latest trends as well as classic crowd-pleasers, and organized them by price. If you already have a budget in mind, you can use the table of contents to jump ahead, or read all the way through to get the full picture of what 11-year-olds are into these days.
Meanwhile, if you’re shopping for kids in other age groups, we have gift guides for 1-year-olds, 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds, 5-year-olds, 6-year-olds, 7-year-olds, 8-year-olds, 9-year-olds, 10-year-olds, and 12-year-olds — plus the meticulously curated Strategist Toy Store, which is filled with all of our greatest hits.
$25 and under
Kids who fall on the older end of the tween spectrum tend to be more influenced by social media and trends, says Kristin Morency Goldman, senior adviser of strategic communications at the Toy Association. Kanoodle falls into the category of “TikTok made me buy it” products that actually live up to the hype. To play, you shake one of the pieces in the case and then try to fit the remaining pieces onto the play space without leaving any gaps. Both fun and a bit of a brain teaser, it’s a strategy and problem-solving game with a healthy dose of (hidden) math.
Of all the toys I’ve written about this year, Squishmallows seem to appeal to the widest age range, from toddlers all the way to tweens. “It’s all about the Squishmallows right now,” says New York senior visuals director Stevie Remsberg, who is a mom to an 11-year-old. Her daughter recently received this spotted pig in a flower crown for her birthday, and gifted an antelope with golden horns to a friend.
When I asked Toy Insider editor-in-chief Marissa Silva about the best gifts for 11-year-olds she quickly asked if I had heard of these pod-shaped balloons from Nerf — I had not. Silva says that while they look similar to the magnetic reusable water balloons we saw taking over playgrounds last summer, they are infinitely cooler, less expensive, and better for older kids. Each pack comes with over 200 balloons arranged in perforated sheets that you can fill with a hose in one go. The balloons burst open upon impact (or when squeezed, stomped, or smashed) but magically always remain in one piece, so they are easier to clean up than traditional balloons that break into lots of small bits.
In the most recent update of our gift guide for 10-year-olds, we featured a box set of the first three Warriors books — it’s a series about warring wild cat clans. But the megapopularity of the books also bleeds into the 11-year-old set too. Remsberg says her daughter is obsessed with the series and creates her own cat clans as fan fiction in her free time. To encourage her creativity, Remsberg buys these clear sheet art portfolios so she can organize her colored-pencil drawings and writing in one place. Warriors fan or not, the portfolios would make a great gift for any budding artist or writer.
But if they are a fan of the series, this set of 52 stickers would make a fantastic present to trade or stick onto water bottles, binders, and other school supplies.
The Shashibo is a magnetic shape-shifting cube that can transform into over 70 different shapes. “It gives kids the ability to create beautiful, high-end-looking designs,” explains the Toy Association’s Adrienne Appell, making it a great idea for fidgety 11-year-olds who may want something more unique than a Rubik’s Cube for keeping their hands busy.
Revisiting the ’90s has been particularly popular among tweens, with toys like Furbies, Beanie Babies, and Tamagotchi all enjoying a resurgence. This nostalgic gem has also made a comeback, according to People of Play founder and CEO Mary Couzin, with the updated version featuring improvements like a larger speaker, clearer graphics, and a longer battery life.
This fast-paced, quick-decision-making game is a favorite of former Strategist writer Latifah Miles and her 11-year-old son. The rules are easy to understand and the gameplay is quick enough that you can play a few rounds in under 30 minutes.
Dog Crimes is a “solo problem-solving game with different levels of complexity,” explains Chris Byrne, a.k.a. the Toy Guy. It tests kids’ deductive reasoning skills as they try to figure out which cat got up to no good.
Many of the experts I’ve talked to have confirmed that today’s tweens are increasingly obsessed with collectible toys, and this Mini Verse surprise ball combines that trend with a craft. Each ball comes with UV-sensitive resin and all the pieces you need to make a doll-house-size replica of a tasty treat, like a stack of waffles with syrup, a tiny blueberry pie, or a glass of boba tea and ice. You open the ball to reveal one of more than 50 possible drinks and desserts, and once the mini-food is assembled, you let it sit in daylight for a few minutes to set the design in place.
Answering kids’ favorite question of why, this cookbook explains the science behind each recipe. From breakfast and lunch to dinner, snacks, and sweets, there are over 70 recipes for your wannabe chef to try.
They may be retro, but lava lamps are still a tween and teen rite of passage. And they’re a great gift for kids who are excitedly transforming their bedroom décor from little-kid styles to something more mature.
$50 and under
While the popularity of oversize Stanley tumblers is well documented, rising seventh-grader Kennedy Rae Thompson says this smaller one is a “little more fun-size.” The tumbler comes in several colors and has a rotating cover with three positions, including one designed to help prevent spills (though, like its larger cousins, it isn’t leakproof).
Kelly Harris Smith, mom of a 9- and 11-year-old and founder of Boston-based art center Minni, told us that these days her kids play in one of two different modes: “They will either sit for hours and build sets to create stop-motion videos with LEGO or stuffed animals, or absolutely cannot sit still.” That interest in stop-motion videos is shared by Remsberg’s daughter, who uses this overhead mount phone stand and StikBot figures instead of LEGOs for her creations.
Aya Spence told us she likes to use these LED headphones while making YouTube videos or gaming online with her friends. “They have noise cancellation, a great microphone, and the super-fun LED lights make them extra cool.”
Kennedy, who notes “skin care is so popular for me and my friends,” says that she’d love a tabletop fridge to keep her products cool.
According to Byrne, “STEM without screens is a hot topic,” and Gridopolis is a sophisticated 3-D strategy game that incorporates pre-coding and sequencing into the fun. Players use the parts provided to build their own board game from scratch, and play follows a blend of rules from familiar games like checkers, chess, and tic-tac-toe. You eliminate other players by jumping over them, but each player can also use their turn to build on the board, effectively changing the game at any point and keeping players on their toes.
Slime is still a favorite plaything among tweens, and 11-year-old Juliette Amodio, who likes to watch slime videos in her spare time, says she would love to receive a DIY slime kit, like this one from Elmer’s, so that she can learn to make icy slime, crunchy slime, and cloud slime. The kit contains everything you need to make a variety of slimes, with different colored glues and “magical” activators that make it extra simple to use.
While this hoodie isn’t technically a game or a toy, by the time kids hit tween-dom, their interest in personal style is likely to rise. If the 11-year-old in your life is a Pokémon fan, this hoodie will be right up their alley.
Soon-to-be 11-year-old Margot is an aspiring artist with a specialty in drawing people, and has been eyeing this set of Ohuhu markers since she saw YouTubers draw with them. Margot says they are “way better than watercolors,” with a dual tip that would allow her to draw fine details or cover large swaths of space as well as work on her budding calligraphy skills. The same markers were also suggested by comic illustrator and Spunky Little Arts Co. teacher Cullen Gardepe, who says they last a decent amount of time and are fun to use. The set comes with 80 colors, plus a blender.
For 11-year-olds who are ready to commute to school or around their neighborhood on their own, Couzin suggests this compact kick scooter that folds down small enough to fit into a standard backpack or slide into a locker while they are in class. (It’s about 16-by-6-by-4 inches when folded.) The scooter has a weight capacity of 220 pounds and an adjustable-height handlebar, which means it may even last into adulthood.
At this age, kids who are into Legos will appreciate sets that look especially great on display. This three-in-one set can be used to make a retro roller skate, a boombox, or a skateboard. Once they get tired of staring at one of the builds, they can take it apart and start over with one of the other styles.
$100 and under
If they already have a Nintendo Switch, the newest installment of Zelda, Tears of the Kingdom, is an excellent gift. According to Polygon, the sprawling game “changes the conversation” by giving players more freedom than ever before. It should especially appeal to older kids who like to explore fantasy worlds.
“More high-end VR headsets might be on a tween’s wish list, but that doesn’t mean they are age appropriate,” Lynch tells us. This educational option still scratches the VR itch, but in a kid-friendly way, as tweens “do science experiments right alongside Bill Nye.”
Eleven-year-old Madeleine Valencia told us she spends a lot of time watching YouTube and TikTok, which has inspired her to make more videos of her own. This kit from Movo, she says, would be a “better setup for recording” because it turns a smartphone into a “mobile studio.” The kit has everything an aspiring YouTube star needs, including a grip rig, stereo microphone, LED light, and wireless remote.
James Zahn, senior editor at the Toy Insider, told us that the ongoing classic-toy revival also includes Lite Brite. This wall-mountable edition allows kids to make backlit LED Pop Art that can be displayed in their rooms. The set comes with three pictures to choose from and the 16-by-16-inch size will make it stand out in their space.
Eleven is an age when many kids get the itch to redo their bedroom with a more mature style in mind. Like many tweens, Harris Smith’s 11-year-old is still very much into playing with LEGOs, and these LEGO shelves make the hobby feel more grown-up. They can serve as book racks, desk organizers, or even display shelves for finished builds. While the dark and light oak racks are more of a splurge, LEGO also makes a plastic version that comes in a variety of bright colors and costs much less.
$100 and up
Byrne told me that while it isn’t new by any means, kids are still clamoring for a Nintendo Switch. The original full-size console is a top choice because it pairs convenient portability with the option for traditional TV play, but the Nintendo Switch Lite, a cheaper option, is also great for kids who aren’t likely to hook up their system to their television and are usually playing on the go. And if you want to bundle the console with a game, legacy franchises like Super Mario Bros., Sonic, and Zelda are among the most popular game choices.
Even if your 11-year-old doesn’t have experience with coding, this beginner-friendly robot ball makes the process fun and interesting. The app-enabled ball uses a drag-and-drop interface as well as premade codes for newcomers. To get started, you make a profile on the app and experiment with programming the ball to turn, spin, and roll in all different directions and even display a message on the mini LED screen. There is also a social community of Sphero enthusiasts within the app where other users share their programs, struggles, and successes. Miles’s son has been playing and learning with the Sphero Bolt for three years. Every time he breaks it out, he’s able to one-up his last program.
If you’re shopping for someone who’s more musically inclined, Valencia — who started a band with her sister and friend that covers ’80s and ’90s female artists — told us she’s got her eye on this drum set because it comes in fun colors like emerald, desert dune, redwood, and aquamarine (which happens to be her favorite.) If you do spring for the drum set, I suggest getting some quality ear protection for your young musician as well as a pair of sanity-saving noise-canceling headphones for you.
Additional reporting by Latifah Miles, Lauren Ro, and Dominique Pariso
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