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Related: Gift Ideas for 10-Year-Olds


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The Best Toys for 11-Year-Olds


Gravity Maze Marble Run by ThinkFun



There's a lot to love about this combination logic game, marble run, and STEM toy. Marbles, STEM, and higher order thinking? What else could a toy have? The 60 challenges included in this package mean there are hours of fun and learning to be had, as kids begin with simple tasks that get progressively harder, all using simple components (towers, a target piece, a grid, and three marbles).



Buy Now $29.99




Zing Go Go Bird



It's a bird that's a drone. Or a drone that's a bird. A simple remote is used to control the creature, and it has autonomous obstacle recognition and will automatically turn around six feet away from a wall. Disaster averted.



Buy Now $36.95












LEGO Nintendo Entertainment System Building Kit



Back before we had the Oculus or the Xbox or the Switch, we had the basic Nintendo set, in all its glory. The thing made history and retains a true retro flair. And it comes to life with this 2,646-piece model, which is an '80s-style TV displaying the classic Super Mario game.



Buy Now $229.99




Elenco Jr. SC-100 Electronics Exploration Kit by Snap Circuits



This extremely popular electronics exploration kit comes with everything kids need to learn about electricity and circuits. In terms of play time for the price, this toy is an excellent value. It's also just a really clever toy, with components labeled as they would be in a physics textbook's circuit diagrams and the ability to add even more to the more than 30 included modules. That includes working models of a photo sensor, a flashing light, and a siren with an adjustable volume. Best of all, these click together and the instructions are easy to follow.



Buy Now $20.99




LED Marquee Lightbox by My Cinema Lightbox



A quippy phrase. An inspiring quote. Or just their name. This lightbox is USB-powered and lets tweens create their own personalized DIY signs.



Buy Now $29.99




Fairy Lights by Innotree



Speaking of lights, these change colors, are remote-controlled, and have clips so your tween can hang photos and other stuff that means something.



Buy Now $13.99




Discovering STEM Structures Constructions & Bridges by Engino



Aspiring engineers can learn all about structural integrity and problem-solving when they build their own bridges, learning along the way how bridges are designed to provide massive weight support over great distances. Kids get the tools needed to build nine working models of bridges, including a beam bridge, arch bridge, truss bridge, cable-stayed bridge, and suspension bridge.



Buy Now $33.16




Foam Axe Throwing Game Set by Outside Inside



Kids can channel their inner vikings with this indoor axe-throwing game. The foam axes attach to the target, but won't damage furniture or walls. It's a great way for kids to work off some energy when stuck indoors.



Buy Now $34.95




STMT DIY Journaling Set by Horizon Group



At this age, tweens start to journal and this kit lets them do it on their own terms. They get a 70-sheet spiral journal to include, plus stickers, gems, glitter frames and magnetic bookmarks to personalize it.



Buy Now $22.44




Build Your Own Video Game by pixicade



If you're struggling to get your tween to look up from her phone, this kit should do the trick. Kids hand-draw whatever they want, and then turn the drawings into video games. How? They snap a pic of the drawing, and then play an animated version of it on a phone or tablet.



$24.99




NERF Rival Star Wars Apollo XV-700 Blaster by Hasbro



This epically cool blaster has an easy-load magazine, trigger lock, tactical rail, and ready indicator. It looks just like the one toted by bounty hunter Boba Fett, and comes with a wearable fabric Boba Fett insignia patch.



Buy Now $59.97




LEGO Architecture Statue of Liberty Kit



Lady Liberty is an icon worthy of this 1,685 piece set. It's 17 inches tall when finished and incredibly detailed, torch and all. And it doubles as a history lesson.



Buy Now $99.95




Scallop Pinboard by Pottery Barn Kids



This sweet wall-mounted pinboard is a perfect place for your tween to display photos of friends, mementos, and other stuff that means something to him or her.



BUY NOW $199.00




Sesh Evo True Wireless In-Ear Earbuds by Skullcandy



If your kid needs regular earbuds, these come in cool colors and have 24 hours of battery life. They have built-in Tile tech, so they won't go missing, and they're IP55 sweat, water and dust resistant.



Buy Now $58.98




Smart Rubik's Puzzle Cube by GoCube



The Rubik's cube remains ever-popular, but it's something that you used to only be able to play on your own, so it's gets tiresome. Not anymore. With this app-enabled Rubik’s cube, kids solve it, solve it some more, level up, keep solving it, and connect with an entire community of fellow gamers. It has 60 hours of play time on a single charge, so it keeps them busy for days, not hours.



Buy Now $79.95




Recycled Cozy Pom Pillow by Pottery Barn Kids



Kids this age really focus on room decor, and this cuddly little pillow is a perfect accent. It might even encourage your tween to make her bed.



BUY NOW $29.50




Create+ 3D Printing Pen Set by 3Doodler



And now, an even cooler way to draw. This time, you click to extrude heated plastic that hardens fast, allowing kids to draw in 3D, freehand, or over stencils. It gives you an ultra-smooth and enhanced doodling experience. It's faster and more durable than its predecessors for art you can make however you want.



Buy Now $47.81




Printomatic Digital Instant Print Camera by KODAK



This fun, colorful camera proves that sometimes, old-school snaps are still the best. It's point and shoot, and can shoot a photo while also printing an existing shot. It has a light sensor that will automatically turn on the flash in low-light settings; the camera prints 2 x 3 inch photos using zero-ink paper that's tear-proof.



Buy Now $49.99




Kishi Mobile Game Controller by Razer



Pick the controller for whatever type of device you have (Android, or Apple) and let your kid do the rest. It's ergonomic, easy to use, intuitive, and has zero latency because it connects directly to your device’s charging port.



Buy Now $66.16




Duo-Scope Microscope by My First Lab



Kids are natural scientists, whose primary job is to try to understand the world around them — but only a microscope lets them dive into the teeming wilderness of an invisible realm they'll never tire of exploring. This dual-scope microscope, from the makers of real scientific tools, lets kids zoom in on either prepared slides or solid objects, such as insect wings or coins, and study them at 400X magnification. The microscope is lightweight and can be used both inside in the “lab” and outside mid-adventure.



Buy Now $75.00




Electric Motors Catalyst by Tinkering Labs



A great toy means kids never run out of ideas, or get bored. Like this toy, which lets kids build and rebuild endless robotic creations with a single kit. The Electric Motors Catalyst gives kids an introduction to electronics, but it's also ceaselessly generative: Kids can use their hands to build anything they can think up by using the motors, wires, and battery pack, without limit or instruction.



Buy Now $59.00




INSTAX Smartphone Printer by Fujifilm



Either your kid already has a phone, or is constantly using yours to take pictures. Let them print them up fast and easy with this handy Fujifilm printer. Kids can easily edit and print photos from your (or their) smartphone.



Buy Now $85.45




iFox iF012 Bluetooth Shower Speaker



Not only is this Bluetooth speaker water-resistant, which is pretty obvious. But it can be immersed in up to three feet of water and come out swinging. Your tween will love it and might even be encouraged to bathe. More often.



Buy Now $34.99




Kane Kids Backpack by State Bags



A sleek metallic backpack never gets old. This one fits a 13 inch laptop, folders and books, and a lunchbox. Plus, it has a front pocket perfect for pens, pencils, wallet, keys, and personal items, and a side pocket for a water bottle. But all that aside, it just looks damn cool.



BUY NOW $90.00




LEGO Ideas 21320 Dinosaur Fossils Building Kit



This ridiculously awesome 910-piece set of bricks turn into buildable, posable tyrannosaurus rex, triceratops and pteranodon skeleton models with displays stands. Fitting for any budding paleontologist.



Buy Now $59.99




Evil Eye Stud Earrings by Studs



Traditionally, this symbol wards off bad vibes. Something anyone can appreciate. These earrings are made from either external 14K gold or rhodium plated with internal sterling silver. Because each stud is sold individually, you can mix and match.



BUY NOW $20.00




DIY Puffy Charm Palooza by Craft-tastic



It's charm school. No, really. Kids get 249 charms, as well as pins and pencils, to create three chain bracelets, 16 stretch bracelets, six pencil toppers, three pins, and a chain necklace. It's crafting and design, next level.



Buy Now $27.21




Custom iPad Case by Casetify



Tweens love anything personalized. And this case delivers. Made from bio-degradable PU, it has an anti-sleep function and camera fold. Choose from a slew of fonts and colors to add nicknames, monograms, and words to make each case utterly unique. Like your kid.



BUY NOW $65.00




Architectural Building Blocks by AREAWARE



Kids who have maybe possibly outgrown Legos will dig these intricate building blocks. They're from designer James Paulius and the challenge isn't just to create a livable space, but to do so without having everything come tumbling down.



BUY NOW $75.00




Loog Pro VI Acoustic Guitar



One of the coolest guitars we've ever doth seen, this one is a real six-string and has a corresponding app that helps teach tweens to play, for real. The body is made of basswood and the strings are made of steel.



BUY NOW $149.00




Besties Skin Care Set by Kinship



By age 11, kids are really starting to take care of their skin, and create a skin care regimen. This unthreatening and colorful set makes it easy to set up a routine that can last a lifetime. There's a papaya-based cleanser, lemon honey AHA pads, and a cooling gel moisturizer. This particular brand stands out because it excludes 1,300+ dubious ingredients banned by the EU from its products.



BUY NOW $65.00




Bubble Tea Kit



Bubble tea is divine. And this kit lets kids make their own. There are two flavors of tea — classic black and rooibos chai — as well as tapioca pearls, and two reusable stainless steel straws. Just add milk.



BUY NOW $38.00




EOS M200 Mirrorless Digital Vlogging Camera and Content Creator Kit by Canon



For kids into vlogging (and let's be honest: That's most kids), this is a complete kit that makes their videos look pretty dope. You get a 32 GB memory card, the new tripod grip HG-100TBR with a detachable Bluetooth remote, and the compact EOS M200 camera. The tripod can be used as a handheld grip to capture high and low shots. As for the camera, it has a self portrait mode that lets filmmakers play with image settings, smooth out surfaces, and blur backgrounds.



Buy Now $649.99




Robot Ball by Sphero SPRK+



Kids can program this app-enabled robot ball to roll along whatever path they set for it. The possibilities are infinite: turning through a maze, pushing a toy sailboat across the bath, accelerating across a homemade bridge... This is a true STEM toy that teaches logic, coding, and robotics, first by using easy-to-learn coding blocks that build toward writing original JavaScript code.



Buy Now $96.99




Silver Metal Marquee Letter by Darice



These metal letters light up, and they add a totally industrial-cool vibe to any room. Get one letter. Or get enough to spell out a name or a word. Each one is nearly 10 inches tall.



Buy Now $13.90




Cloud II Gaming Headset by HyperX



Gamers, rejoice: This exceptionally comfortable headset, with passive noise cancellation, has immersive sound, a detachable, noise-cancelling microphone, and is compatible with the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices.



Buy Now $81.99




GraviTrax Starter Set by Ravensburger



From the classic Ravensburger line of GraviTrax toys, a starter set to get the uninitiated on the right track. Modular and interactive, without using a single electron of plug-in power, gravity does all the work here, once kids and parents have designed and built their own elaborate marble runs. Lets kids explore physics, kinetics, and magnetism while racing marbles and having fun trying to engineer faster and wilder tracks. More than 100 pieces and 18 different construction elements, so there's plenty to keep enterprising kids busy.



Buy Now $58.15




Strategy Game by Hive



What 11-year-old doesn't want to command an army of insects to crawl all over and conquer their opponent's hive? A boardless board game that kids can take anywhere — fit together tough, octagonal tiles emblazoned with soldier ants, grasshoppers, spiders, and beetles to capture your opponent's queen bee. This is basically bug chess, a great strategy-building game for tweens that's also indestructible. Perfect for road trips and family vacations. Kids can build up their swarm with expansion sets.



Buy Now $24.00




Robot Mythical Series: Firebot Kit by UBTECH JIMU



STEM toys like this one teach your kids about robotics by way of vibrant mythical fire-breathing beasts. The UBTECH JIMU Robot comes with a corresponding app that allows kids to follow directions to create a buildable, codable robot or invent their own. They use the Blockly coding platform to code this epic creature. It's the STEM version of 'Game of Thrones.'



Buy Now $84.07




Deluxe 162-Piece Drawing Kit by U.S. Art Supply



Devices are great. Devices are fine. But an old-school high-quality art set? That's divine. Little else builds creativity like putting pens and pencils to paper. Kids can do that and much more with this set, which includes 24 colored pencils, 24 oil pastels, 24 watercolor cakes, 60 wax crayons, three mixing trays, two drawing pencils, two paintbrushes, sharpener, ruler, eraser, plus multiple drawing pads.



Buy Now $49.96




Cozmo Coding Robot Toy by Anki



Our absolute favorite coding robot to date, Cozmo expresses hundreds of emotions, recognizes kids, and remembers names. Kids can play all kinds of games with Cozmo. But what's really cool is that kids can use him as a spy cam or switch him into explorer mode, guiding him remotely, seeing what he sees via a smartphone or tablet. He's like a Wall-E, but in real life. He'll even greet people on command. .



Buy Now $399.00




Bath and Body Activity Kit by Klutz



Turn a pretend spa day into a secret science project. This kit will please even a picky tween. Kids use the kit to create DIY bath and body treatments, from a refreshing facial mask to soothing mermaid shimmer gel and relaxing bubble bath bonbons. The recipes are simple and mostly call for ingredients you have around the house. A great lesson in making things from scratch and seeing how ingredients come together.



Buy Now $17.41




Classic Swing by Swurfer Sway



This giant 40-inch swing is quick-drying, perfect for pile-ons, and able to support 500 pounds of human. .



Buy Now $79.99




Paper Kit by SunPrint



Kids can turn any sunny space into their own experimental darkroom by making sun prints of flowers, action figures... you name it. Sunlight exposes the specially treated paper, creating a perfect silhouette of any object laid on the paper. This kit comes with 15 8x12-inch sheets, which adds up to hours and hours of outdoor fun for restless kids this summer.



Buy Now $16.82





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