35 Best Gifts for 11-Year-Olds That Tweens Will Flip For
They'll love these creative games, fun accessories, affordable room decor, and more.
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When it comes to tween gifts, the dolls and trains may be gone, but that doesn't mean that they're done with creativity, imagination, and fun. The best gifts for tweens strike a delicate balance: They encourage imaginative play, but they’re cool, trendy, and feel a bit more mature.
Our top picks:
- Squishy Fidget: Slimygoop Gelli Gels
- Handheld Game: Rubik's Cube Rubik's Rush
- Unique Gift: ZipString Luma Glow-in-the-Dark String Toy
- Cool Camera: Fujifilm Instax Mini 13
You’ll find plenty of Good Housekeeping Best Toy Award winners based on expert toy testing, including educational games, popular books, and plush animals. Of course, we’re keeping the hottest toy trends in mind—hint: squishy toys and retro cameras are still huge. We also asked the tweens we know to find our what’s on their wishlists this year, and they’re asking for everything from fun room decor and DIY projects to at-home science experiments.
Best Deal
We're in the squishy era, and a squishy fidget toy is what kids of all ages want. (Adults too!) The feel of the Slimygloop Gelli Gels is satisfying, and they come shaped like these Squishmallows, like a puppy, or themed to KPop Demon Hunters.
RELATED: A Guide to Squishy Toys
Rubik's Cube Rubik's Rush
Rubik's Cube Rubik's Rush
When a series of colored squares lights up, your kid thinks fast and pushes the buttons that will form three lights in a row. Patterns can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal. There are multiple difficulties and modes, making it easy to level up the play to your 11-year-old's speed. Ages 7+; three AAA batteries included
This handheld device will keep your kid wildly entertained. Wave it around and watch as string billows from it, making various shapes as it moves. Better yet, the string glows in the dark and has a cool cosmic design. Giving this a 2024 Good Housekeeping Toy Award was an easy decision. Ages 8+
RELATED: ZipString is a Holiday Must-Have
Cell phone cameras get the job done, but it's way more fun to take pictures with an instant camera—especially when there's film involved. New to this year's Mini 13: a built-in self-timer. It also has the selfie mirror that was added when the Mini 12 came out. The camera comes in several colors, and you can buy film with fun borders. (And get an album to put the pictures in and a cool case, too!) Ages 8+; two AA batteries required
RELATED: Best Cameras for Kids
Good Housekeeping experts appreciated that Razor's A5 scooters have an easy-to-adjust height, so they last for years, and also fold up small for easy storage. The Lux model also has wheels that illuminate to make a spinning light show. It comes in orange and green. Ages 8+
They can take their art projects to the next dimension with this pen which gives them the basics for 3D printing. "The kit came with stencil paper and a QR code to figure out how to use it, which was nice," our tester said. The speed-control button slides to give you a range from slow to fast, which allows control. Amazon sells replacement filament for less than $10. No age recommendation given
RELATED: Best 3D Pens, Tested by Beginners
‘Magnitude’
‘Magnitude’
A trio of friends, a valuable secret, a roving band of thieves, and feuding families all converge in this novel, which takes place against the backdrop of the Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. Kid testers loved the fast-paced, ticking clock narrative. “It’s exciting and tense at the same time,” said a 10-year-old tester. Ages 10+
Those summer camp days feel like they're here forever with this friendship bracelet kit. Not only does it come with 20 pre-cut threads (in their own storage drawer, no less), it has a board that holds the bracelet and strands in place while the creation is in progress. (The board even comes in several colors!) You can also use its app to find friendship bracelet patterns and instructions. Ages 8+
Find a tween with a backpack, and chances are there's something cute dangling from the zippers. And if there's any room left? Get them this smiling pair of marshmallows, an adorable bag charm. It's from Jellycat, which is known for its softness and is popular with kids of all ages. No age recommendation given
There's plenty of crossover with kids who love LEGOs and kids who love Marvel. One of the newest sets is this final battle scene with 10 Marvel Minifigures, including Black Panther, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and Thanos. Ages 10+
Jazwares Pokémon Umbreon Sleeping Plush
Jazwares Pokémon Umbreon Sleeping Plush
Age 11 is definitely not too old for plush, especially a plushie this cute! The 18-inch Moonlight Pokémon was a huge hit when we did toy testing in our offices. It can double as a headrest during reading time. Ages 3+
The 11-year-olds we've known, boys and girls, get very into the Warriors series about wild cat clans and their epic adventures. It's fantasy complete with a whole universe of codes and honors that middle schoolers can't resist. If your kid loves it, there are many more beyond this set of six!
It's Kanoodle meets Sudoku in this brain-boosting logic puzzle. Challenge cards start the players off with an array of pieces, and then players have to fit the rest in without repeating colors horizontally or vertically. It's a solo venture, but our testers reported solving them as a group anyway. “I liked that you could work on the puzzles with someone else,” one tester said. Ages 7+
Expensive karaoke systems can be a blast for a night out or an epic party, but for hanging out with friends or on the go all you need is this small machine. It works with Bluetooth so that they can stream all their favorite songs, and it comes with two microphones. You can also get it in other colors. Ages 4+
Who wouldn't want to cozy up and read, play video games, or text friends in a chair like this? This chair impressed Good Housekeeping Institute testers with its firm fill, but really won over Lab experts with how easy it was to clean the fabric. It comes in several colors and prints and has a handle so you can drag it around. No age recommendation given.
RELATED: The Best Bean Bag Chairs, According to Expert Testing
Here's something that'll get them to hit the showers: Each of these bars of soap has real money inside—anywhere from a five-dollar bill to a hundred-dollar bill. To get it, though, they have to use the soap up! It comes in two scents: cucumber mint and orange peach. No age recommendation given.
Kids will love having this impossible floating lantern in their rooms; the fact that they have to build it themselves is all the better. Along the way, they'll learn about balance, tension, gravity, and electronics. Ages 7+; batteries required
Double-layer necklaces are in, and this one makes it easy with a matching custom-name necklace and a heart charm. You can also get it with a birthstone instead of a heart, with two names, or in other metals like rose gold or silver. No age recommendation given.
They'll love personalizing their rooms with these lights, which feature 50 clear clips to hang photos from on 17 feet of lights. Their walls will be one-of-a-kind. No age recommendation given.
You can't go wrong with multicolored anything at this age—though this light can also be just a solid color if they want, like blue or red. They'll love having something that represents their name. No age recommendation given; two AA batteries required
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; previously, she wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her toy-collecting husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found helping out her team at bar trivia or posting about movies on Twitter and Bluesky.
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