40 Best Gifts for 11-Year-Olds That Tweens Will Actually Find Cool

They'll love personalizing their rooms with these lights, which feature 50 clear clips to hang photos from on 17ft of lights. Their walls will be one-of-a-kind. No age recommendation given.

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.

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A mix of art and science, this device lets kids use an app and a mobile-based system to code pixel art onto the charm using Python, which they can display as a keychain or a bag charm. It's a fun way to get some experience coding. Ages 8+

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, thanks to LED lights inside the ball. Ages 8+

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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. No age recommendation given.

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Good Housekeeping Institute testers got a little STEM learning while following along with this book, which gives instructions for building things like a drop tower, a labyrinth and a fortune teller . LEGO pieces are also included. Ages 8–12

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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.

If they like to get creative in the kitchen, they'll get a kick out of this kit, which gives them everything they need to make four batches of eight mochi pieces each. The set includes both tools (molds, a dough cutter) and ingredients (shelf-stable flour, cocoa powder). You just need to add your favorite ice cream and sugar. No age recommendation given.

Big, expensive and fancy karaoke systems can be a blast for a night out or a big 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+

They'll learn about electricity and circuits when they use this kit, which lets them make their own works of art with glowing, LED wire. They can use one of five picture templates, or come up with their own creations. When they're done, they can either hang it from the wall or display it on a wooden stand. Ages 9+

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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. They'll especially appreciate the small mirror that makes taking selfies so much easier. The camera comes in several colors, and you can buy additional film with fun borders. (And get an album to put the pictures in and a matching case, too!) Ages 8+

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.

Why does milk go sour? What can scientists learn from studying dinosaur poop? Do we drink the same water that was around during the pre-historic era? If the 11-year-old in your life is full of these kinds of questions, this book has the answers. Experts from the Good Housekeeping Institute take readers from deep within the human body to way out in space to bring them the most interesting scientific tidbits around. Ages 8 – 12

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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+

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You can credit TikTok with selling more than three 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+

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 tester said. “He’s spent hours playing with it. I love how this toy really lets kids express their creativity.” Ages 8+

Kids love Nee Doh in all shapes in sizes, from the very small to the very large to groovy shapes like gummy bears 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+

This handheld device will keep your kid entertained for hours. 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 2025 Good Housekeeping Toy Award was an easy decision. Ages 8+

They are learning how saving and spending work and are probably even getting money in lieu of toys from friends and family. Help them keep their cash 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+

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