Choosing a gift for a young child is not usually too taxing, but what happens when they are at an in-between age?
Between the moms at Mom Loves Best, we’ve raised many boys. So we have plenty of experience shopping for our kids and their friends at this awkward stage. We’ve learned a thing or two along the way.
We’ve also thoroughly researched gift options, consulting other parents and reading countless reviews, to bring you this list of the best 33 gifts for 11-year-old boys. These gifts include fun, creative, social, educational, skill-building, and exercise-inducing options.
Regardless of your boy’s interests and hobbies, you’re sure to find something on this list to thrill them.
- Build over 500 experiments
- No soldering needed
- 70 color-coded, real circuit components
- 878 Lego bricks and 10 Minifigures
- Compatible with all Lego building toys
- Detailed, four level-model
- No batteries required
- 100% kid-powered
- Easy and fast assembly
- Clear, high quality instruction manual
- Comes with multi-level challenges
- Fun logic game
- Lots of fun and educational facts
- 160-page book
- Very affordable
- Excellent sound effect
- Easy to carry
- 1 year hassle-free protection
- Award-winning party game
- 100% family-friendly
- 455 high-quality, premium-printed cards
- Secure grip
- 14 inches in diameter
- Unique design
- 16-page full color learning guide
- Includes 15 amazing gemstones
- Very informative
- Padded polycarbonate board
- Includes 5-inch rubber basketball
- Sturdy steel rim
Review Methodology: At Mom Loves Best, our thorough analysis, hands-on experience, and meticulous research ensure that we provide you with accurate information for choosing the best gifts for 11-year-old boys. Our team of professionals has evaluated and compared a wide range of products based on criteria such as innovation, entertainment value, educational impact, and durability. We also consider factors like design choices, performance, and user perspectives to rank and measure each gift option. By sharing our findings, evaluations, and first-hand reviews, we aim to help you make informed decisions when selecting the perfect gift that sets it apart from its competitors and appeals to the interests of young boys. Trust us to guide you through the key decision-making factors, as we present the top rated products in the market, ensuring an enjoyable and memorable experience for both you and the child.
Best Toys & Gifts for 11-Year-Old Boys of 2023
Here are some great gift ideas for 11-year-old boys.
Tech and Electronic
Snap Circuits Pro SC-500 Electronics Exploration Kit
Electronics Starter Kit
There are 500 projects in this kit to help kids learn about circuits and electronics. No dangerous soldering iron or tools are required — all the pieces snap easily together.
Kids can experiment with alarms, a flying saucer, an AM radio, a musical doorbell, and much more. The kit’s clear instructions will help them succeed.
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Elecder i36 Kids Headphones
Best Headphones for 11-Year-Old Boys
Are you tired of hearing the nonstop soundtrack of your 11-year-old’s video games? Get them some kid-friendly headphones.
This affordable set by Elecder has a 59-inch lead that doesn’t tangle or damage easily, and the headband is adjustable for a good fit.
Another great feature is that these headphones fold, making them easy to carry out and about. Plus they come with a one-year warranty.
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Amazon Kindle Fire 7 Kids Edition Tablet
Best Kid-Friendly Tablet
This kid’s version of the Kindle Fire tablet is a great way for preteens to access books, apps, their favorite shows, and more. Parents love that you can set the parental controls to ensure it’s all age-appropriate.
A heavy-duty case, a year’s subscription to Amazon Kids+, and a two-year replacement warranty are included.
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Circuit-Test Robotic Arm Edge Kit
Explore Engineering
Start exploring the world of robotics and engineering by building your own robotic arm. This set is a fun option for 11-year-old boys. Once assembled, the arm will open, close, grab, release, rotate, and reach.
We like that there’s an audible indicator on each of the five gearboxes to help prevent injury or breakages when it’s operating.
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VTech Kidizoom Action Cam
Best Action Camera
Get your boy interested in the world of photography and videography. Your child can fit this durable camera to his scooter, skateboard, or bike. In the waterproof case provided, it will even work in 6 feet of water.
An LCD screen lets him easily see what he’s capturing. There are also games, frames, filters, and fun photo effects.
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Makeblock Programmable MBot Ranger Robot
Best STEM Robotic Gift
Your child can use this kit to build a robot in as little as 45 minutes with this STEM toy. Once they’ve assembled their robot, they can program it using the free Makeblock app, which is compatible with iOS, Android, Windows, and other operating systems.
The instructions are easy to follow and give you ideas to customize your own robot. This set is compatible with most major building blocks, so your boy can get as creative as he’d like, adding extra pieces to his robots.
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WowWee — Mip the Toy Robot
Best Robot Toy for 11-Year-Old Boys
This cute and fun robot responds to the simplest hand gestures. Swipe left, right, backward, or forward, and see what he does. Expand his world by connecting via Bluetooth to an iOS or Android device.
MiP will also react to noises and sounds around him. He does talk, but as he speaks his own language, it’s unlikely you’ll understand him.
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Games and Toys
It’s good for kids to have games other than the Xbox or Playstation to get involved in.
Lego Harry Potter Hogwarts Great Hall
Best Lego Set
Lego is timeless, and this kit will especially engage young Harry Potter fans. With wizards and mystical creatures, they can play out their fantasies in this advanced-level building.
The set comes with 10 character figures and instructions to create Fawkes, Hedwig, Scabbers, or the Basilisk.
There’s lots of attention to detail with extra magical artifacts to complete the picture.
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Not Parent Approved: A Hilarious Card Game
Fun Card Game
Our kids love this fill-in-the-blanks card game. It’s the kiddie-friendly version of Cards Against Humanity. It’s suitable for up to 10 players over 8 years old, so your boy can play it with friends or family.
We appreciate that kids can play it straight out of the box with no complicated rules. It’s also good for travel, making it ideal for holidays, summer camps, or sleepovers.
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Hasbro Monopoly Game: Cheaters Edition
Best for Cheaters
Here’s a new twist on the family favorite, Monopoly. We usually encourage kids not to cheat when playing games, but this one allows it.
However, don’t get caught, as there are consequences. Get away with it, though, and you get a reward. Bending the rules can be fun for all the family playing this game.
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Dice Game, GoLong
Fun with Dice
This gift is an excellent choice for the football fans in your life. This dice game is fast-paced and based on scoring a touchdown. You can play it individually, head to head, or in teams of two.
While there’s a certain amount of math involved, your 11-year-old won’t even realize it when they’re having fun with family or friends. It’s also portable, as it includes its own storage bag.
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Learn & Climb Magic Kit
Best Gift for Magicians
Eleven-year-old boys are often fascinated by the world of magic. This kit contains all they need to learn some card tricks and illusions.
Your budding magician will have great fun putting on his own magic show to wow you.
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Spin Master Perplexus Original Maze Game
Perplexing 3D Maze
Has your 11-year got what it takes to navigate the labyrinth? This clear sphere marble maze encloses 22 feet of 3D track, with 100 barriers in the way of getting the ball to the end. This will provide hours of flipping and twisting fun.
When your boy has gone to bed, you can see if you can master it as well!
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Marky Sparky Magnetic Dart Board
Best Classic Game
Kids love this safe and fun darts game. The board hangs on a wall or door, with a picture hook or similar fixing. The darts are magnetic, making them far safer to launch than classic darts. Throw them and watch as they stick to the board.
This game is fun for all the family and won’t damage the walls (or the kids!).
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Sports and Outdoors
We’ve found many gifts you can buy for an active tweenager to burn off some energy and wear them out a little.
Stomp Rocket Dueling Rockets
Best Stomp Rockets
Whose rocket will fly the highest? This kit has two launchers for kids to stomp on and send their rocket flying up to 200 feet in the air. These award-winning rockets require no batteries or electricity; they run on kid-power as they jump on the ignition.
This is great outdoor fun for your 11-year-old and his friends.
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Aerobie Pro Ring
Frisbee Fun
What child doesn’t enjoy a game of frisbee? These 13-inch rings from Aerobie are lightweight, soft, and easy to catch, and they fly far! This type of ring was used to set a Guinness world record for a throw of 1,333 feet.
These are great for a game of catch and to personalize your throwing or catching style. The open center lets you catch the frisbee on your arm, hand, or foot.
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Yvolution Y Fliker Carver C3 Scooter
Super Scooter
This unique Y-shaped scooter is the closest many kids will get to skiing the slopes. Your 11-year-old can lean into the handlebars and twist his hips to do mega drifts and 360-degree spins. It can travel up to 15 miles per hour, so don’t forget the helmet and protective pads.
One of the best features of this scooter is that it folds away for easy transportation and storage.
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Nerf N-Strike HyperFire Blaster
Prepare for Battle
Nerf battles are the in thing for boys on the go. This Nerf gun will hit your target with its 25-dart drum that can fire five darts per second. Load it up, press the trigger, and blast them off — the darts will travel up to 90 feet if you use fresh batteries.
The motorized mechanism requires four D batteries that are not included.
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Razor Power Rider 360 Electric Tricycle
Favorite Preteen Trike
If you want to go all out, this electric three-wheeler power rider will surely be a hit. It will run for up to 30 minutes on a full charge and has a maximum speed of 9 miles per hour. It will slide, drift, and even do 360-degree turns.
Powered by a 12V rechargeable battery, it has a hand-operated front brake and a pneumatic front wheel that resists high impact.
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Zing Air Storm Z-Tek Bow
Best Bow and Arrow Set
Take target practice to another level with this safe bow and arrow set. Pop the arrows in the fast load loops in the bow, take aim, and fire. These arrows will stick to many surfaces.
Because the arrows are tipped with soft foam pads, kids can even use this indoors, but make sure your recipient checks with his parents first.
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SKLZ Lightning Bolt Pitching Machine
For Ball Players
For the Little League player in your life, why not get them a pitching machine? Practice makes perfect, and the soft, small-sized balls launched from this machine will train their eyes to the sweet spot. You can adjust the pitch angle easily, and there’s a 5-second delay between the pitches, which travel at 30 miles per hour.
It runs on C batteries, which aren’t included, but it does come with 12 balls.
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Education and STEM Gifts
These games and toys are designed to develop your child’s skills while they have fun at the same time.
ThinkFun Clue Master Logic Game
Best Game for 11-Year-Old Boys
Clue Master is a logic game that will help develop deduction skills and logical reasoning in a fun way. It comes with magnetic pieces kids can use to solve the 40 challenges. It starts off easy but gets progressively harder, and two minds might be better than one in this solo-player game.
We like that it folds like a book, making it practical to use in a car or restaurant.
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National Geographic Mega Gemstone Dig Kit
Best Science Gift for 11-Year-Old Boys
Kids love digging for treasure. With this kit, your budding archaeologist or geologist can uncover 15 different gemstones from a solid block. The tools they need to excavate are all included.
The kit includes an informative guidebook with easy-to-follow instructions.
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E-Blox Circuit Builder 115 Building Set
Best Circuit Set
Introduce kids to the world of electronics with this brick-building circuit set. There are over 115 projects they can complete, which will light up, make sounds, or create motion.
It requires three AA batteries (not included) and is compatible with similar building bricks of different brands.
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Scientific Explorer Crime Catchers Spy Science Kit
Best Spy Kit
Become a super sleuth and enter the realm of forensic science. Use this kit to solve two mysteries by decoding secret messages, matching the fingerprints, and completing other scientific tests. The kit contains all you need to make your deductions.
Your kids will love this insight into the work of a crime scene investigator.
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Anki Cozmo - Collector's Edition
Best Coding Gift for 11-Year-Old Boys
Ready to use out of the box, Cozmo will become your child’s new best friend. Your boy can code this robot via a free app, with three different levels of coding to keep kids engaged. This robot expresses emotions on its screen, has facial recognition software, and is great fun.
This collector’s edition comes in cool black and silver colors. If you prefer, you can also get the original Cozmo in red and white.
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SmartGames Asteroid Escape Sliding Puzzle
Save Your Starship
Has your boy got what it takes to get his starship out of the asteroid attack? This slide-and-move game will test your child’s planning, problem-solving, and visual perception skills. There are 60 levels to complete, from beginner to expert.
The portable game board comes with complete instructions and challenges.
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The Best of the Rest
For Boys Only: The Biggest, Baddest Book Ever
No Girls Allowed
This lighthearted, fun book is filled with puzzles, statistics, stories, and facts. It covers subjects such as monsters, disasters, treasure, weapons, cars, tricks, and so much more. Learn how to make fake blood, escape a shark attack, or land an airplane in an emergency.
We like that this book is aimed at boys, with lots of fun and educational facts thrown in.
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Spalding Slam Jam Over-The-Door Mini Basketball Hoop
Best for Basketball Fans
Practice throwing hoops in your bedroom with this mini-basketball kit. It fits over the door with padded hooks, so mom and dad won’t complain about any damage.
This also includes a 5-inch rubber Spalding ball and tools necessary for assembly.
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Starlux Games Capture the Flag Redux
One for After Dark
This modern twist on a classic outdoor game is great for camping, backyard fun, or the beach when the sun goes down. The set includes batteries, territory lights, jail markers, light-up team wristbands, and glowing crystals representing each team’s flags.
This game is great for families or larger groups of up to 20 people.
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Rally and Roar Foosball Tabletop Games
Soccertastic
This is a miniature tabletop version of classic foosball. Suitable for two to four players, it’s compact and lightweight. Challenge your friends or siblings, or create your own soccer league for hours of fun.
This sturdy set is made from chrome-plated steel rods with non-slip rubber handles and comes fully assembled.
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Pranklopedia
Best Gift for Pranksters
With over 70 pranks and step-by-step instructions for each, your 11-year-old boy can have great fun with this book. He can make fake edible dog poop, fake snot, or fake mouse turds in ice — really gross!
As parents, we appreciate that these pranks are fun and not mean in any way, even if they might get a bit annoying for mom and dad.
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Retevis Kids Walkie Talkies
Best Communication Tool
These affordable walkie-talkies are great fun for boys. They can strategize while playing Nerf battles or give one to their friend across the street so they can keep in touch.
With a 9000-foot range, clear sound, and three channels, it’s an ideal communication tool until they’re ready for a cellphone.
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How to Choose Gifts for 11-Year-Old Boys
Tween boys are primed for developing more maturity and are starting to explore their independence. They also still want the loving, nurturing care of a parent.
Toys and games that challenge but don’t frustrate them will be a good choice. Ensure the instructions are easy to read so they can play independently if they want. If they need help from mom or dad, they’ll ask (1).
Technology is now a huge part of life for kids, and this age is the ideal time to learn more about it. Gifts that teach boys how to code, or the latest gadgets, will go down well.
Some toys and games mirror school curriculum in regard to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). These will help your child develop skills they can rely on later in life when they decide on a career.
Many 11-year-old boys are developing a keen interest in sports and love playing outdoors. Get them something fun they can play with friends or use to practice their sports skills.
Don’t forget about books. Quiet time away from the TV and video games is good. Your boy’s reading skills should be improving all the time, so find books that engage their brain and spark their interest.