35 Best Gifts for 11-Year-Olds, According to Tweens and Experts

If you haven't already, now is a great time to introduce them to the world of Harry Potter. But even if they haven't read the books or seen the movies, the idea of wizardry is always fun. These authentic 12-inch replica wands each come with a spell card to keep kids busy and practicing their magic. Ages 6+

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At this age, if it glows in the dark, they'll love it. And this means the fun never has to stop because they can see the ball even if they're playing hoops after dark. Ages 8+

They are learning how money works, and are probably even getting money in lieu of toys from friends and family. Help them keep their money safe (and make them think twice before spending it), with this cool electronic piggy bank that works with a special number combination like an ATM. Ages 3+

She can easily throw this cute organizer in her bag for school or family trips to keep all of her jewelry safe. But because of the pretty colors and personalized touch, it'll also look great in her room. No age recommendation given.

You can't go wrong with multicolored anything at this age. This light can also be just a solid color if they want, like blue or red. No age recommendation given.

Kids can hold this colorful device in one hand and remix music by adding sound effects, layering tracks and making loops, all by using different hand motions. “My child absolutely loves this,“ one parent said in our tests. “He’s spent hours playing with it. I love how this toy really lets kids express their creativity.” Ages 8+

The puzzle is made of 14 concentric rings that can be spun, twisted and flipped. Kids will have to find the right configuration to complete the cool photo or design. Ages 8+

You can credit TikTok with selling more than 3 million Kanoodle games, with those accepting the #KanoodleChallenge trying to solve the brain-teasing puzzles online. But by 11, they might be ready to step up and try the harder Kanoodle Pyramid. To play, contenders have to select a puzzle with a certain configuration of pieces, and then use their smarts to see if they can fit in the remaining pieces to make a 3D pyramid shape. Ages 7+

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Good Housekeeping Institute testers were drawn into this mystery book, about a lonely girl with a jar of coins — each of which takes her to a different time and place. But are they connected? "I couldn't predict how it was going to end, and it made me want to keep reading," one kid tester said. Ages 8 – 12

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Good Housekeeping testers were impressed with this STEM set, saying that it felt like dinosaurs were right there in the room with them. The set comes with VR goggles, an 80-page book filled with immersive activities and supplies for hands-on projects to do at home. Ages 8+

Easy to learn, fast to play, this is the epitome of a game you can just break out whenever there's a dull moment. Players have to flip over cards while saying one of five words (appropriately, either "taco," "cat," "goat," "cheese" or "pizza"), and if the word they say matches the word on the card they've played, all the players have to rush to slap the pile. Whoever gets there last has to take the pile, and the player who gets rid of their cards first wins. People love this so much, it has more than 43,000 five-star ratings on Amazon. Ages 8+

Get them started on an entrepreneurial path with this kit, which helps them get a pet-care business off the ground. It comes with some tools of the trade (like some pet toys, a collapsible water bowl, a pet brush and poop bags), but also marketing materials (door hangers, pins, business cards, etc) and items to keep them organized (a client book, receipts). Or, if pet care isn't their passion, there are also It's My Biz kits for a lemonade stand or babysitting business. Ages 8+

This game takes their marble runs to the next level: The STEM-themed brain-teasing game challenges players to make different kinds of marble runs using limited pieces. Good Housekeeping Institute testers say that, since there are challenges of varying difficulty included in the same box, older and younger siblings were able to play together. Ages 8+

They'll have to keep their minds sharp and their observational skills on point to solve the 20 mysteries in this book. Each of them has a science-themed bent, too, so they might pick up facts about how a baker can know if an egg is raw or hard-boiled, or how an animal expert might know if an elephant stampede is coming. If they like it, they can get the other books in the Sleuth & Solve series. Ages 8 – 12

Kids love Nee Doh in all shapes in sizes, from the very small to the very large to groovy shapes like fruit or cats. The Nice Cube is still fun to squeeze and squish like all the other shapes of Nee Doh, but, no matter how much you smush it, when you put it down it will always return to its cube form. Ages 3+

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+

Tweens are still into the fidget craze, and this amazing box will give their hands something quiet to do for minutes on end. It unfolds into different shapes, revealing different patterns inside, and then it's a puzzle to get it back into its cube form again. Ages 8+

Who wouldn't want to cozy up and read, play video games or text and chat 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.

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Notes to friends, reminders and doodles are way more fun when they're done on small squares of scratch-art paper. This comes with 125 square sheets of scratch-art paper, plus a wooden stylus to use. It's a cute gift to put in a small gift basket or party favor. Ages 4+

For tweens into the Pokémon Trading Card game, this box will beef up their card collections with their favorite Paldea-region Pokémon from the Scarlet and Violet games. It comes with nine booster packs, along with fun extras for players like damage-counter dice, card sleeves, coins for coin flips, status markers and energy cards. Ages 6+

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