30 Best Toys and Gifts for 11-Year-Old Boys Who Are Tough to Impress

Tweens know Crunch Labs from YouTube and Netflix, where former NASA engineer Mark Rober posts cool experiments. This one lets your 11-year-old boy design a parachute for a reusable egg filled with yolk slime, then perfect the aerodynamics.

"My son dove right into this and starting constructing the egg drop parachute," a parent told us. "It occupied him with little help from us for about 30 minutes and then he had fun with his siblings dropping it off the front porch and seeing if it landed safely." Ages 8+

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A young goatherd has to rescue a herd—but this story isn’t as straightforward as it sounds. The chapters go out of order and the characters break the fourth wall, and our kid readers loved all of it. “Readers will slowly put the pieces of the story together to make them say, ‘Ohhhhh, I get it now!’” said an 11-year-old tester about the non-chronological structure. Ages 10+

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We had a blast testing this in our office with kids, tweens, and adults. It's a moving, undulating string he controls, and it's mesmerizing. The web site has tricks for him to try. He can also use it to captivate a younger sibling, or the cat. New this year, the ZipString Aracna can be worn on a wrist, with the string shooting out like a spider web. Ages 8+; one lithium ion battery included

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He'll spend hours of screen-free time building up his memory and motor coordination at the same time with this game. It flashes lights in a sequence, and players have to try and repeat it. (Warning: You may want to steal this from him when he's not looking). Ages 7+; three AAA batteries required

Hacky Sack is back, popular once again with young kids looking to kill time outside. With this set of three he can challenge his friends, or perfect his game playing solo.

"Classic fun," said one parent of an 11-year-old son. "He had fun playing with the Hacky Sack with his guy friends in the neighborhood."

A LEGO lover will lose his mind over this grand set, featuring a four-story Daily Bugle building, plus Spider-Man, Mysterio, Miles Morales, Ghost Spider, J. Jonah Jameson, Venomized Captain America, and Rhino minifigures.

"The figures and building are very interactive, so he enjoyed playing with the set even after it was built," a mom told us "It is age-appropriate and would make a great gift for Marvel and Spider-Man enthusiasts."

As far as interactive science or STEM toys go, this is a favorite. It teaches a kid about flight and also about electricity. He'll learn to send a little propeller, a ball and a paper airplane flying. When our Lab experts tested it, we relearned some physics lessons, too. Ages 8+; AA batteries required

A light-up version of the classic, handheld brainteaser puts a new spin on things. "Sound effects made it more engaging," said a parent of a tween son. "He liked that it had multiple game modes and different difficulty levels, so the game stayed interesting as it got harder and faster. He also enjoyed the different ways to play, like getting three in a row, diagonally, or both."

It can be played solo, or with up to four players. Also nice: It allows two mistakes before making a kid restart. Ages 7+

This basketball lights up when dribbled, so he can practice in the driveway even after the sun goes down. It even shuts off on its own when it's no longer in use. The LED lights inside are powered by batteries that can be replaced. If basketball isn't his sport, you can also get an LED football, soccer ball, or volleyball. Ages 8+; batteries included

Whether he's gaming or watching a movie, this could be his lounging spot of choice. It rocks back for comfort, and folds in half when not in use so you can store it away. Bluetooth speakers are built into the headrest. Ages 5+

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From card tricks to coin tricks to linking rings, this tin contains all they need to master 50 different magic tricks—something that helps them with self-confidence and public speaking. They can use the app to get step-by-step video instructions along with a free magic trick every week. Ages 8+

No batteries or motor needed for this previous Best Toy Award winner—it works with a kid-powered system of nylon cords. It will likely require some adult help, but it's cool for grown-ups, too. You'll all learn about how muscles and tendons work while practicing robotic engineering skills. Ages 10+

Just when you thought he was too big for pop-up books, this comes along and blows all the others out of the water. The pages fold out and transform in to six different fully functioning inventions, including a planetarium, a decoder ring and a speaker that amplifies sound. The text on each page describes the science. Ages 8+

Players are summoned to a house to solve a mystery—only to get locked inside! In this escape room-style game, up to four players have to figure out riddles, solve puzzles, crack codes, and put together clues in order to escape. You can only play it once, but there are other Exit games to move onto if it's a hit. Ages 10+

It's the classic Capture the Flag with a techie twist: Instead of a fabric flag, players are going after a glowing orb, and teams are identified through glowing bracelets. That means the game is more fun the darker it gets outside. There are enough materials for up to eight players (depending on the game variation) but you can also get expansion sets. Ages 8+; CR1220 batteries included

Nobody talks in this board game—you work together silently to beat each game level. You have to play cards in ascending order without speaking to the other players, so it's all about reading each other's facial expressions and learning each other's tells. Though the game is easy to learn, it's challenging to master and requires concentration. Ages 8+

Need a gift under $30? His birthday money, pet-sitting cash and allowance will be safe (a.k.a. out of the hands of siblings) with this password-protected bank. It takes bills or coins and has earned thousands of five-star reviews on Amazon. Ages 3+; three AA batteries required

This little Bluetooth speaker is waterproof and dustproof, and once it's fully charged, he can play his music through it for five hours nonstop. No age recommendation given