Best Gifts & Toys for 11 Year Old Boys in 2022

Nintendo Switch was all the rage over the summer, and it’s no wonder why. Gaming consoles have made something of a comeback this year. With games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons being so popular among young gamers, the Nintendo Switch is expected to be the most sought-after gift this year. It features three play styles: TV, tabletop, and handheld. The battery will last for over 9 hours when fully charges and can connect to WiFi to enable multiplayer gaming. As far as popular toys for 11-year-old boys go, this has to top the list!

If you are looking for a gift that encourages activity but can also be used indoors, the Spalding Basketball Hoop might be the way to go. Mount it on the door, grab a small ball, and you’re good to play. The board is made of padded polycarbonate, which, while not the sturdiest of materials, will withstand a fair amount of abuse. The package includes the assembly tools required, as well as a small rubber ball to get you started. When it comes to cool toys for 11-year-old boys, this basketball hoop is a sure-fire winner.

Sometimes gifts for boys can be fun; other times, they can be educational. This game is both, which is why we’ve handpicked it to feature today on our round-up of top gifts for 11-year-old boys. ThinkFun Word A Round Game is a game that aims to teach players new words with every round. The game encourages your child to develop their critical skills and build their vocabulary by up to 300 new words. The instructions are clear, and the game is easy to pick up.

Coding might seem like magic, but it’s all numbers. Kano’s Harry Potter-themed coding kit takes a more magical view of the art of coding. Your child will build a wand that responds entirely to his movements. Kano Harry Potter Coding Kit comes with a step-by-step book as well as the free Kano app. You will need a tablet in order to get this gift to function. It’s a fun, challenging coding toy that encourages critical and engineering skills and develops a respect for technology. 

Keeping with the theme of activity-based gifts, the EzyRoller Classic Ride On is one of the most fun Christmas toys for 11-year-old boys. Not quite a scooter, but also not quite a bicycle, it moves like a snake, keeping your child low to the ground and powered by your child’s movements. You can get a few years out of it, as it’s adjustable and can ‘grow’ with your child. While this go-kart can be used indoors, for the best possible experience, we recommend using it outdoors. 

For the budding musician, consider an acoustic guitar. Music is always an excellent gift for music lovers, whether they’re an adult or child. The YMC Acoustic Guitar featured is right-handed, but you can find left-handed variants if needed. This set comes with picks as well as a spare set of steel strings. 

To complement the earlier basketball hoop, add a little light fun with the Glowcity Light-Up Basketball Uses! It features two bright LED lights, which offer a warm illumination, making it great for playing in the dark. It lights up on impact, encouraging further activity as your child is awed by the lights. The basketball is surprisingly durable, so you can have as much fun with it as you like! Batteries are included and will have to be replaced as needed.

While not a toy company, Aisuo produces some high-quality, high-tech lamps which can add a touch of personality to your child’s bedroom. In particular, Aisuo Night Light Lamp features a dimmable night light, speaker, and an MP3 player along with a digital alarm clock. Just the thing to help get your child into good habits! You can set the time and date as required, and the battery is rechargeable, although you can plug it in.

Put a spin on classic capture-the-flag games with Starlux Games Capture The Flag Redux. Featuring 25 pieces (each featuring up to 12 hours of battery life), you can now play this exciting game at night, with up to 20 players at any time. This is a great excuse to keep your phone, tablet, or other electronic devices to the side as you develop core teamwork skills and get some fun exercise while you’re at it.  

For a game that features a cooperative aspect, we recommend Funko Last Defense! Board Game! Play together and win or lose together. The game is simple: there’s an invasion of some sort, and it’s up to the players to save the town and its population. The game is relatively easy to pick up. It may take a few rounds as you figure out how to beat the various attackers (including spiders and space aliens!) as you attempt to save everyone. If your child and family are interested in Dungeons and Dragons or similar tabletop RPGs, this board game is a gift to consider. A free companion app can be used to supplement the story and help guide players through their journey. You can finish this game in around in 20 minutes or less, and play several rounds after that if your family is up to it.  

For a slightly more competitive feel, give the gift of an exciting outdoor game that is fun for the whole family. GoSports Slammo Game Set is a volleyball-style game, which includes a target as well as balls, and a traveling case. Game rules are also included so you can make sure everything is kept fair and square. Not just a game for Christmas, you can pull it out at a variety of family events and let the fun begin. 

Slightly different from other cooperative games included on our list, The Pandasaurus Games The Mind is ideal for children and adults who might struggle with verbal communication. You can spend hours playing this game, developing your own secret, nonverbal language, and learning how to communicate as one unit. The Mind helps players develop nonverbal communication skills, as it relies entirely on body language and players’ ability to read each other. It encourages creative and abstract thinking to allow players to meld minds, making it ideal for large families. 

Filmmaking and photography are wonderful forms of expression, but both are skills that take time to develop, so supporting your child’s interest in these areas is a good idea. PROGRACE Kids Camera is one of the best gifts for kids. The images and videos taken with this camera are professional-quality, and the camera features manual adjustments for pictures, film, as well as volume. Your child can get into filmmaking by recording everything, even underwater if they want, as the camera comes with a waterproof case. 12-year-old boys will also love it. 

This Marky Sparky Doinkit Magnetic Dart Board has been reinforced with a kid-friendly design. Darts is a fun, family-oriented game focusing on friendly competition, which fosters close relationships among the family, and can provide hours of fun. The arrows, which are light and durable, fly straight and have magnets in the tip to ensure they stick to the dartboard. They fly directly every time and will land every time. Of course, the rules of darts stay the same, and your child will develop hand-eye coordination while having fun, and you will not have to worry about their safety – or your furniture!

If you want your child to keep active for the rest of the year and also want them to learn valuable coordination and reflexes, a TEKXYZ Boxing Reflex Ball might be something to consider. This is like a yo-yo that you attach to your head and is a good way to get exercise without noticing. It’s especially great if you want to keep your child off the video games for a bit! The learning curve isn’t that high, and as it’s pretty addictive, your child will hardly be able to stop. 

May the bricks be with you…as you build and code a working droid from LEGO. LEGO is always a safe bet when it comes to gifts for children. There are so many different sets and collections that it’s hard to go wrong. Take, for instance, this LEGO Star Wars BOOST Droid Commander set. If your child is a Star Wars fan, this will be a winner of a Christmas gift. An interactive and educational STEM toy, your child will have hours of creative, engaging fun as they program their very own Star Wars droid. Your child will learn all about the different types of sensors and develop their critical and abstract thinking skills. 

Give your child the gift of practicality with a sports watch that is functional and durable. eYotto Kids Sports Watch is waterproof up to 50m, so it can be used while swimming in shallow water (although we advise not pressing any buttons while underwater), as well as a variety of outdoor activities such as hiking or climbing. The durable yet soft PU rubber band is bendy and breathable, which protects the wrist and provides a comfortable fit. 

Our final suggestion for a gift is probably the easiest to use and transport. The DoDoeleph RC Drone Helicopter has been built with a smooth design so it can slip right into your pocket without fear of being damaged. The small nature of this microdrone makes it great to use indoors, although we do recommend using it under supervision. It works just like an RC helicopter, and is great for children of 3 years and over. The X20 features a variety of modes, can perform stunts as directed, and stabilizes mid-air.