Sphero Mini Golf programmable robot ball
Science and discovery
With this Sphero ball and the free Sphero app on a phone or tablet, a mini golf course built from books on the rug becomes a coding puzzle.
27 Christmas Gifts for 11-Year-Old Boys
The short answer
Pediatricians say many preteens feel as if their friends are always judging them, and that this is a normal stage.
A Christmas gift that lets him show off a new skill when school starts again can be a quiet confidence boost. Look for something he'll be proud of, starting with the list below.
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Our picks
Pindaloo ball skill game
Games and puzzles
With the pindaloo, a quick-handed preteen keeps the balls circling in a juggling-style streak.
Starlux Games Redux glowing capture-the-flag team game
Outdoor and sports
Named on a list by Good Housekeeping (goodhousekeeping.com)
Redux from Starlux Games makes capture the flag a glowing nighttime chase for a preteen boy's crew.
K'NEX marble track building set
Building sets
A motor carries the marbles to the top of this K'NEX coaster, and from there they race down a track he snapped together himself.
JBL Go 4 Bluetooth speaker for music
Electronics
Because the JBL Go 4 is rated IP67 against water and dust, it can ride to the pool in his backpack and come home with no one fussing over splashes or grit.
$42.99 at Amazon.com*See price at Amazon.com* (JBL Go 4 Bluetooth speaker for music, black)
(price and availability terms)
$49.95 at Amazon.com*See price at Amazon.com* (JBL Go 4 Bluetooth speaker for music, blue)(price and availability terms)
$49.95 at Amazon.com*See price at Amazon.com* (JBL Go 4 Bluetooth speaker for music, purple)(price and availability terms)
$49.95 at Amazon.com*See price at Amazon.com* (JBL Go 4 Bluetooth speaker for music, white)(price and availability terms)
$49.95 at Amazon.com*See price at Amazon.com* (JBL Go 4 Bluetooth speaker for music, red)Mattel Games Blokus tabletop strategy game
Games and puzzlesAges 7+
Up to four players share one Blokus board, and a family evening turns into a land grab.
Zebra Pen water brush pens
Arts and crafts
Pair these Zebra water brushes with a watercolor pan set or watercolor pencils, because the pens hold only water and the color comes from those.
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Science and discovery
Blue Marble National Geographic treasure-hunting metal detector
Lost coins hide in most park lawns.
Thames & Kosmos boxing robot building kit
Flashlights and old remotes tend to end up in pieces on his desk, which makes this hydraulic kit from Thames & Kosmos a natural next project.
Blue Marble National Geographic glowing science kit
Once the bedroom lamp clicks off, a curious boy forever asking why gets to see whether his experiments really glow.
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Games and puzzles
Thames & Kosmos Crew cooperative card game
In this Mission Deep Sea edition of The Crew, the whole table plays as one team and wins or loses each mission together.
Ravensburger Minecraft: Builders & Biomes tabletop strategy game
Ages 10+
This Minecraft board game puts the world a preteen fan knows on the family table.
Rubik's Rush handheld puzzle game
Rubik's Rush puts a Rubik's brain teaser in the hands of a puzzle-loving preteen boy.
RoseArt City Street Fair festival scene puzzle
For a giver after something a patient boy can return to for days, this RoseArt puzzle lays out a busy festival crowd.
Pandasaurus Games The Mind cooperative card game
The Mind makes teammates of the whole family, a fit for a preteen card player.
Hasbro Gaming Clue Harry Potter board game
Made for a Harry Potter reader who spots the culprit before the last chapter, this Clue edition hands him the case.
Hasbro Gaming Monopoly Batman Edition superhero tabletop game
Whether the Batman fan on your list reads comics or quotes movies, this Monopoly edition turns family deal-making into his hero's turf.
Ravensburger Solar System space jigsaw puzzle
Ages 9+
300 pieces (Ravensburger)
Ravensburger's Solar System jigsaw puzzle gives a space-mad boy the planets to piece together himself.
Marvin's Magic conjuring trick kit
This Marvin's Magic trick kit hands a secret-keeping preteen boy a hobby he performs for an audience.
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Books
Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
The Lightning Thief makes a Christmas gift for a boy ready for an adventure novel on his own.
Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz makes a Christmas gift for a boy hooked on spy stories.
Harry Potter Books 1-7 Special Edition Boxed Set by J.K. Rowling
The Harry Potter Books 1-7 Special Edition Boxed Set is a Christmas gift for a middle schooler.
5 picks4 picks1 pick
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More ideas
LEGO Star Wars starship set with Grogu
Building setsAges 9+
702 pieces · set 75445
This LEGO Star Wars starship brings Grogu aboard as a minifigure, a fit for a preteen Mandalorian fan.
LEGO Speed Champions Disney Lightning McQueen car
Building setsAges 9+
270 pieces · set 77255
Lightning McQueen as a LEGO Speed Champions racer is right for a preteen who grew up on the Disney hero.
Nintendo Joy-Con 2 left and right controllers
Electronics
Joy-Con 2 controllers fit a Switch 2 gamer who hates passing his console around; they don't work on the original Switch.
SKLZ Pro Mini Hoop door-mounted basketball goal
Outdoor and sports
If the boy on your list dribbles down the hallway every chance he gets, hand him a rim of his own.
Fuggler Fart Face ugly plush monster
Dolls and figures
Bathroom humor gets a mascot in Fuggler Fart Face, a homely plush for the preteen class clown.
That’s all 10 small treatsThat’s all 13 everyday giftsThat’s all 4 bigger gifts
Below: the rest of the list, at any price.
Any price
More gifts from this list
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Questions and answers
Is there a pick for a boy who wants a game the whole family can sit down to on Christmas afternoon?
Yes. The Blokus strategy game is for a boy who likes outmaneuvering his parents and siblings on a shared board, and the Crew card game is for a boy who prefers everyone at the table winning or losing as a team.
What should you get a boy who comes home from the park with pockets full of finds?
A boy who scans the ground for anything buried is who the National Geographic metal detector is for; he sweeps the yard, the beach or a campsite trail on the hunt for hidden metal.
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Chosen by our team from store data and what readers pick, not hands-on tests. Nothing is paid to be on this list. Recall notices checked . How we pick
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
What changed recently
Updated Oct 25- Removed YETI Rambler everyday water bottle
- Removed Jazwares Pokémon Jolteon plush toy
- Removed card display rack for showing off a collection
Older changes
October 2026 · 26 added · 13 removed
Added
- Harry Potter Books 1-7 Special Edition Boxed Set by J.K. Rowling
- Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
- Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
- LEGO Star Wars 75445 starship set with Grogu
- pindaloo ball skill game
- Pandasaurus Games The Mind cooperative card game
- Rubik's Rush handheld puzzle game
- Starlux Games Redux glowing capture-the-flag team game
- Marvin's Magic conjuring trick kit
- Ravensburger Solar System space jigsaw puzzle
- Ravensburger Minecraft: Builders & Biomes tabletop strategy game
- Fuggler Fart Face ugly plush monster
and 14 more
Removed
- solar model building kit for science projects
- stunt RC car for trick driving
- PowerA Fortnite Llambro themed gaming headset for Switch players
- Pressman Pick Up Sticks steady-hand family game
- Klutz Mini Clay World tiny treats sculpting set
- Scholastic clay charm craft book
- LEGO Creator 31140 rebuildable unicorn building set
- Ravensburger Dodge Challenger model car puzzle
- bookends for a growing book collection
- glowing costume mask for dress-up days
- Nintendo Joy-Con 2 left and right controllers
- SYMA S107G 3 Channel remote-control toy helicopter
and 1 more
September 2026 · 23 added
Added
- SKLZ Pro Mini Hoop door-mounted basketball goal
- LEGO Creator 31140 rebuildable unicorn building set
- Thames & Kosmos boxing robot building kit
- Nintendo Joy-Con 2 left and right controllers
- Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Express memory card
- Thames & Kosmos Crew cooperative card game
- YETI Rambler everyday water bottle
- PowerA Fortnite Llambro themed gaming headset for Switch players
- Educational Insights BrainBolt Genius memory challenge game
- Sakura Koi brush pen set
- Zebra Pen 79323 water brush pens
- bookends for a growing book collection
and 11 more