The Best Toys for 11-Year-Old Girls – 2022 Gift Ideas

The Best Toys and Gifts for 11 Year Old Girls

Knowing what to buy for anybody is difficult but buying gifts for 11 year old girls might be the hardest of all. Not only is it a peculiar age between childhood and adolescence, but their hobbies and desires are changing so rapidly it can be hard to pinpoint what they like and what they hate!

Here’s a look at the best toys for your 11 yr old girl in 2022:

US Art Supply 82 Piece Kit

Art and design is an amazing escape for 11 year old girls who are close to becoming a teenager. At this age, she’s far beyond childish art kits, and this large supply case could be her first adult art kit, allowing her to create more complex paintings, sketches or watercolors.

Pros

  • Hundreds of pieces
  • Beautiful wooden case
  • High-quality pieces

Cons

  • Many pastels

As far as art sets go, this is relatively large especially for 11 year old girls who are probably accustomed to smaller children sets which rarely have this many pieces. But it’s not just the quantity that matters, the quality of the pastels, pencils, and paints are also important. Fortunately, they are pretty decent, especially for such an inexpensive set.

For a young artist on the go, this is an ideal kit. Not only does it come with everything that she needs to start creating, but it comes encased in a handy travel box so that she can take it to wherever she is inspired.

Penny Classic Complete Skateboard

Skateboards are awesome, but the only thing cooler than that is a tiny skateboard with thick wheels! For those of us who are older than we would like to admit, this is a blast from the past. These boards have been around for decades, and they are a lot of fun, especially to ride to and from school in style.

Pros

  • Super fun
  • Durable wheels
  • A wide range of beautiful designs

Cons

  • Not inexpensive

This board is the official penny board, and while it’s more expensive than some of the cheaper alternatives, the quality can’t be compared. Cheaper boards are notorious for simply snapping in half which can be dangerous or scary, while this penny board will hold even heavier adults without stressing whatsoever.

Complete with a lifetime manufacturers warranty, you can be safe in the knowledge that she will be able to enjoy this board for years to come. This is one of the ideal gifts for 11 year old girls. It gets her outside to exercise, and she can skate around with her friends, or use it to commute to her school.

Fender Acoustic Guitar Bundle

Music is a beautiful thing and knowing how to play is even more so. For a young girl, the guitar is the perfect instrument because it’s relatively quiet and simple to learn when compared to the violin or trumpet. Plus, it also sounds great by itself which means that she’s not dependent on having others to play with.

Pros

  • Reputable brand
  • Complete bundle
  • High-quality guitar

Cons

  • Maybe a little big

It’s important to note that this is a full-sized guitar. The reason why we are recommending this guitar over a child’s version is that in just a few years she will be nearing her peak size and you don’t want to have to buy another guitar; they aren’t cheap!

Realistically, even smaller 11 year olds should be able to play this comfortably, especially given that it comes with a strap that she can use to hold this guitar. Fender is a well-renowned brand that has been making top quality guitars for years, many of which are used by some of the most famous musicians around the world.

The reason why this product is so superior to the rest as a gift for a young child is that it’s a full bundle that’s specifically designed for a new beginner player. With guitar picks, a tuning device, strap, bag, spare strings and a book for her to learn, she will have everything that she needs to start learning a hobby that could last a lifetime.

Cra-Z-Art Nail Design Studio

What’s better than getting her nails done? Being able to do it herself with her very own nail design studio. At eleven years old she is starting to want to emulate adults, especially her mother, and being able to do a “grown-up job” like working at her nail bar is an exciting challenge that she can enjoy by herself or with friends.

Pros

  • Create over 100 designs
  • Includes multiple products
  • Multi-color lights in the mirror

Cons

  • Accessory holder isn’t very secure

11 year old girls love doing their nails and making themselves look pretty, especially when they are having sleepovers with their girlfriends. But rather than trying to do it on the top of her bed sheets, encourage her to do it with her very own nail bar studio.

This toy is fantastic because it’s far more than just a set of nail polishes and other beauty products, it gives her far more and it a tremendous toy for when she has her friends around. The box comes with a large beauty stand in vibrant pink, with a multi-color light-up mirror at the rear so that she can see what she’s doing.

Towards the front, she has multiple holding areas where she can store the nail polishes, glitters and other tools that she’ll need to improve her and her friend’s nails. What’s most exciting about this set is that it allows you to easily design custom nails using the easy stencils so that she can create more intricate styles that she would struggle to accomplish by herself.

Pictionary Game

Pictionary has been around since 1985, but this updated version with a pop culture category changes the game. With erasable boards and markers, this is the perfect game for when she has her friends to sleep over, and they want to stay up playing into the night.

Pros

  • Erasable boards and markers
  • New categories
  • High-quality materials

Cons

  • Small boards

Pictionary is a howl and if you’ve ever played before you know that not being able to draw makes it even more fun. While it’s sometimes thought of as a silly Christmas game, Pictionary is an amazing activity for her to enjoy with her friends.

The box comes with everything they need to play the game, including a board, cards, sand timer, markers and erasable boards for drawing on. Fortunately, the pack is relatively small, and that makes it easy for her to carry it to school or to a friend’s house to play.

This pack comes with two levels of clues, 120 for adults and 80 for children, so that children of all ages can play along. The box contains two markers, it would be great if there were more, but that should be enough presuming that you don’t lose any!

Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 Camera

The Instax Mini 9 is the hot toy of the year. It’s boomed in popularity, presumably because younger children are starting to appreciate the feeling of a physical photo in an age where you can take a photo on your phone at any time. A new version of an old camera, the Instax Mini 9 is perfect for taking snaps of her friends to put up on her wall or in a scrapbook.

Pros

  • Beautiful colors to choose from
  • High-quality camera
  • Includes selfie mirror and flash

Cons

  • The extra film isn’t cheap

The Instax Mini 9 Camera by Fujifilm is an instant print camera, similar to what many of us have used in the past, which takes a photo and prints it onto a small white film card. For young girls, these photos are perfect for sticking on their walls or hanging from fairy lights across their bedroom.

The outer casing of this camera is very durable, made of a thick plastic that is available in a variety of colors including ice blue, pink, blue and green. The camera itself is relatively good, certainly better than many of the old instant cameras, but will still give you that nostalgic look rather than a crisp photo that we are accustomed to now.

Taking two AA batteries, this camera has a strong flash, a selfie mirror and uses a macro lens adaptor for close-ups of objects. While this camera isn’t going to give you stunning and crisp photos, that’s not what it’s designed for. Instead, it’s a fun toy to create interesting images that are printed out instantly for her to remember special days or events.

Melissa and Doug Scratch Art Box of Mini Notes

11-year old girls love to decorate their surroundings by including their special flair. With these rainbow-colored mini notes, your girl will get to add a bit of beauty to her environment and her arts and crafts.

Pros

  • Great for teaching organization skills
  • Integrates artistic expression into an easy format

Cons

  • May not be appealing to girls who don’t like stationary

She could even append these stickers to her homework if she wants to spice things up. Likewise, when she writes or draws on the notes with the neon-colored pens, the true beauty of her artistic expression will show itself.

For girls who aren’t into stationary, however, these mini notes might not be the right choice. At the same time, they might be the right way to start your girl with good organization skills. They’re also inexpensive enough to replace them if your child loves how they look.

Animal Knee Socks

Animal knee socks are a great gift for your girl because they give her the opportunity to be cute while being seriously functional. This pack of six different socks includes six different types of animals, including pandas, dogs, foxes, and cats.

Pros

  • Six cute animal designs
  • Warm
  • Easy to clean

Cons

  • Might be difficult to match with other clothes

No matter your girl’s animal preferences, these socks will keep her warm. One size fits most girls, and the cotton material will be comfortable no matter what. The socks are easy to wash with your other colored laundry, and your girl will love to pull them up over her knees on a chilly day.

These socks may not be perfect for children who prefer short socks, however. Likewise, you may find that they are a bit hard to combine with your girl’s sense of fashion.

Kids Origami Folding Paper Kit

Folding paper into origami shapes is an excellent way to help your girl flex her artistic muscles while building fine motor skills as well as the ability to follow instructions carefully. With this origami kit, your girl will enjoy the process necessary to make folded creations.

Pros

  • Helps to build fine motor skills
  • Perfect for guided artistic expression
  • Can be fun for groups

Cons

  • May be too complex for some girls
  • Not all girls will enjoy folding paper

The best thing about origami is that your girl can display her creations after a long session of folding paper. The more skill she builds, the more beautiful paper she will be able to fold.

Girls who aren’t into stationary might find that the origami kit is still interesting. But, girls who love stationary the most will probably get the most enjoyment out of the origami kit.

ALEX Spa Glow Sketch It Nail Pens

Girls love to paint their nails with vibrant colors, which is why this ALEX Spa Glow Sketch It Nail Pen set is a winner. Thanks to the washable nail pens, your girl will get five different colors that she can use to reflect her personality in her makeup.

Pros

  • Non-toxic and washable
  • Inspires creative play
  • Guides fashion choices

Cons

  • Not as durable as real nail polish

Each color layers onto nails to make a gorgeous lacquer which will stay shiny for a day or so. Your girl can get as creative as she pleases, and there’s no limit to the designs that she can choose.

If your girl is more interested than playing outside than doing her nails, however, this set of pens might be a bit more than she bargained for. But, for girls who have a sense of artistic expression and a desire to paint nails, the set is a great way to get some practice.

Make Your Own Soap Craft & Science Kit

Making soap is an expressive way of exploring creativity and learning more about science. Incorporating gift ideas like this one into the fray is an excellent way of helping an 11-year-old girl explore her interests while making soap for her friends and herself.

Pros

  • A wide variety of shapes
  • A fun way to learn about science
  • Easy-to-follow instructions

Cons

  • The containers are difficult to clean

Having good, clean fun isn’t a challenge when 11-year-old girls get their hands on this soap-making kit. It contains everything she’ll need for making up to ten different soaps. The coconut papaya fragrance, skin-safe glitter, and soap stickers help her create one-of-a-kind soaps from scratch.

No matter if she’s looking to create soaps for herself or to give away as gifts, this kit won’t let her down. While she’s waiting for each of her creations to dry, the package also includes other soap-based science experiments she can try right in the kitchen.

Every kit contains a wide variety of molds for making soaps in the shape of a cupcake, emoji cat, fish, galaxy star, and sprinkle suds. She’ll also find twenty blocks of clear soap-base, twenty color tablets, fragrance, soap stickers, a clear cellophane bag, ribbon, and a toy fish.

Magnetic Mini Tile Art

Creative gifts and toys are an excellent way to help 11 year old girls express themselves artistically. This mini-tile art kit is a do-it-yourself project that she can feature on any metal surface.

Pros

  • Includes all the necessary supplies
  • Create art from ordinary tiles
  • Makes lasting artwork

Cons

  • The mini-tiles might fall off the magnets when hanging

Help the 11-year-old girl you know to be creative! When she receives this kit, she can turn ordinary tiles into beautiful works of art. After attaching the magnets, they’re great for lockers, file cabinets, refrigerators, and more!

With this kit, she can create small pieces of lasting artwork. Not only does that help preserve precious memories, but it also allows her to explore herself artistically. This kit also helps her create unique and one-of-a-kind gifts for her friends and family.

The kit comes complete with everything she’ll need. She’ll find twelve 2-inch by 2-inch tiles, double-sided adhesive tape, paintbrush, paint strip, rubber magnets, and instructions. Creating tiles with this kit is ideal for handmade fridge art or attractive gifts.

Unicorn String Art

What 11-year-old girl doesn’t love the magic behind unicorns? No matter if she’s a unicorn collector or enjoys things involving unicorns, she’ll love the creative options available with this string art kit.

Pros

  • Can create two patterns
  • Stimulates creativity
  • Easy to complete

Cons

  • Some find the instructions challenging

Why settle for one string art pattern when you can have two? The 11-year-old in your life will have fun using her imagination and experimenting with colors when using this string art kit. If she wants to use her vision, she can come up with a unique pattern!

The directions are straightforward, making this do-it-yourself project easy to make. All you have to do is push pins into the foam base’s patterns, and then start stringing. Even though the designs look complicated, the instructions that come with the kit are clear.

There’s no need to use any tools or other supplies for this project. Everything you need to create these masterpieces is inside the box. There are four pieces of cardstock, two pre-printed pieces of foam, three yards of polyester thread, one hundred pins, thirty-six yards of cotton thread, acrylic felt, and paper.

Gravity Maze Marble Run Brain Game

Some 11-year-olds love spending their time-solving puzzles and playing games with their friends. With a brain game like this one, there’s no worry of anyone getting bored anytime soon!

Pros

  • Helps develop critical skills
  • It’s a STEM activity
  • Multi-level challenges are available

Cons

  • The marbles might cause the towers to fall

Each time your 11-year-old girl pulls this brain game out, she’s setting herself up for fun and learning experiences. There are opportunities for her to build her planning and spatial reasoning skills. Because this is partly a building and engineering toy, that makes it even more exciting to play!

This game consists of sixty challenges combining logic, STEM, and marble run activities. Every set comes with a target piece, three marbles, nine towers, and a game grid. That way, everyone from novices to experts can have fun playing with this toy. The instructions are straightforward, so it’s ready to play right out of the box.

It’s a logic game that’s powered by gravity and puts your reasoning skills and visual perception to the test. Arrange the towers in a variety of structures that are visually stimulating and challenging. The goal is to carry the marble through the game from its start position to the target tower.

UFO 4000 LED Mini Drone

It’s no mystery how much our children love technology and all that it can do. That doesn’t stop with gifts for your 11-year-old girl like this one that allows her to reach new heights!

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • LED light-up parts
  • Flies up to 18 minutes

Cons

  • Some believe it’s poor quality

Looking up into the sky and imagining if there are UFOs in the atmosphere comes naturally for many 11-year-old girls. Their imaginations run wild with different ideas, thoughts, and scenarios. Thanks to this UFO LED mini-drone, exploring the unknown is something she can do.

Thanks to its one-key start button and easy-to-use joystick, this mini-drone doesn’t take much practice to enjoy. In no time, the 11-year-old in your life will see the colorful LED lights from this mini-drone streaking through the sky. Once it’s in the air, it will fly for up to eight minutes.

No matter if she wants to fly this mini-drone indoors while playing outside, there’s no need to be an expert to get it into the air. This drone will do 360-degree flips and has three easy-to-fly features, including altitude hold, one-button lift and land, and headless mode.

Edible Candy! Food Science STEM Chemistry Kit

Enjoying sweet treats is a pastime for many children, especially delicious pieces of candy! Each time your 11-year-old is looking for something fun to do, why not mix science and fun?

Pros

  • Exciting educational activity
  • Creates yummy treats
  • Straightforward directions

Cons

  • Some have difficulty following metric measurements

Even if the 11-year-old in your life doesn’t have a sweet tooth, that doesn’t mean she won’t have a blast creating yummy treats with this kit. It includes over forty different experiments that help her explore different candy flavors, colors, and shapes. This hands-on project features over twenty-seven tools, a lab guide, and all the ingredients for making yummy candy.

When using this chemistry set, 11-year-old girls can make chocolates, rock candy, lollipops, and chewy jelly candies. While working on these creations, she’ll learn about how everything dissolves, testing for sugar, and more! Each kit comes with a straightforward and fact-filled lab guide that’s colorful and fun to read.

The best part about this chemistry set is that 11-year-old girls can use edible formulas. Not only will she learn more about science and chemistry, but she can do so while creating treats for her family, friends, and herself. The STEM feature is an added benefit to help her explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Magnetic Penny Game

Playing games is an excellent way to occupy minds, spend time with friends, and learn new skills. Does the 11-year-old girl in your life have a penchant for games? If so, this is ideal because, in addition to a game, it’s also a building toy!

Pros

  • Introduction to math games
  • Build gravity-defying sculptures
  • Integrates learning activities with fun

Cons

  • Must use British pennies for it to work

When your 11-year-old girl is looking for a game that will challenge and excite her, this Magnetic Penny Game won’t let her down. It allows her to build gravity-defying pyramids and sculptures, move pennies over bridges and up ramps, and more. The instructions are straightforward and include up to forty-four activities.

This game comes with everything players need, including two super-strong magnets and thirty-two newly minted British pennies. There’s also one U.S. penny and an instruction book featuring designs. When following the activity book, players can carefully create patterns and experiments. Each player can also explore their imagination to create one-of-a-kind designs.

Because pre-teens are challenging to buy for, this game won’t be a disappointment. If they’re fidgety, this building toy also makes a great desk toy. This toy also supports STEM learning and aligns with Common Core Standards, as well as Next Generation Science Standards.

Girls Only! Secret Message Lab

Secret messages and notes aren’t only for a young girl’s diary or journal. When mystery and keeping secrets safe are a priority, the Girls Only! Secret Message Lab is an excellent toy to consider for your 11-year-old girl.

Pros

  • Uses invisible ink to keep messages secret
  • Contains enough materials for two girls
  • Code and embellish secret messages

Cons

  • Some feel the kit’s contents are low-quality

Something is exciting about trying to decode a secret message, especially when you receive it from a special friend. Thanks to the Girls Only! Secret Message Lab, the 11-year-old girl, you know, can spend hours crafting and embellishing the perfect secret messages. This set includes two cases, so girls can have fun sending secret messages to each other.

Sometimes plain paper and writing instruments aren’t enough when sending an important secret message to someone. When girls use the special UV light pen, they can create notes that appear invisible when looking at them with the naked eye. The set comes with a sticker sheet, red marker, and wax crayon for adding personal touches and flair.

Each case is small enough to fit in backpacks or purses. So, girls can enjoy writing and sending secret messages no matter their location. The kit includes a twenty-four activity booklet that helps those who are using it create ten different codes. While creating these messages, girls learn about enzymes, filters, light waves, and molecules as they have fun with this STEM activity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an 11 Year Old Past Children’s Toys?

Eleven is an exciting and yet challenging age. An 11 year old girl indeed starts to feel like they are teenagers rather than children, but they still need the emotional support and guidance of a younger child. Whether they are past children’s toys will significantly depend on her maturity and development, some children are, and others aren’t.

However, in most cases, you’ll find that girls at this age are usually trying to act more mature, especially if they are going to middle school and may be more concerned with their appearance, friends, and boys rather than toys.

For this reason, many of the toys that we have listed on this list are more hobby related and less play. A guitar or camera, for example, are great entries into the world of music and photography, while a year or two ago she may have been playing with a doll or small physical games.

At this age, there is no turning back, this path into maturity and adolescence is only going to come faster each month and buying her toys that are going to last is wise. Toys like art boxes, guitars, skateboards and cameras are all great toys for a teenager too which ensures that she’ll get plenty of longevity out of them rather than discarding them after a year.

Can I Buy Teenage Toys for an Eleven Year Old?

An eleven-year-old isn’t a teenager, and they don’t have the maturity of one either, but often they think of themselves as equal, especially if they have older siblings. Due to this, you can often get away with buying an eleven-year-old girl toys which are designed or labeled for use by teenagers.

However, there is a big leap between toys for 13-14-year-olds and those for 16-17-year-olds. Err on the side of caution and try to pick teenage toys which are closer to her age range. Obviously, there are exceptions to this rule in the case of baking goods like knives which may be acceptable if she has hours of baking experience and is trusted to cook solo by her parents.

What do Eleven Year Old Girls Like?

Trends come and go, but what children enjoy has stayed fairly consistent for decades. Girls between the age of eleven and thirteen are in a state of early adolescence whereby their focus shifts from internal to external, with a higher awareness of what others think and fitting in within society while they adjust to their more significant responsibilities.

With this shift in focus comes the desire to spend more time with a close-knit group of friends and to look pretty. Toys which assist with this are always great choices. A skateboard is excellent if you live in a mild to warm climate where she can get outside and play, while the nail salon or Pictionary might be a better choice if she spends time with her friends indoors or at sleepovers.

How Do I Know if She Will Like it?

Knowing whether she will like the gift that you are getting her is practically impossible, but there are some hints and tricks. You should certainly consult with those who are close to her, either a parent or a friend who you trust not to tell her. By doing this, you can get some insight into what she enjoys and more importantly, what toys she already has so that you don’t buy a duplicate.

Secondly, don’t be afraid to talk to her. While surprises are fantastic, if you are more concerned about getting her a gift that she will enjoy you might consider asking her what she enjoys, what hobbies she might like to pursue or what toys her friends have. By doing this, you can get ideas without directly asking her what she wants.

How do I figure out the best gift for an 11-year-old?

Even though it’s challenging to shop for eleven-year-old girls, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. They love playing games with their family and friends. Eleven-year-old girls also have a lot of interest in exploring their interests.

No matter if you’re shopping for their birthday or a holiday, picking out something she’ll enjoy is critical. Look for toys and products that feature high review rankings, are safe to use, and match up with her interests.

What’s the best toy for an 11-year-old?

Eleven-year-olds are on the cusp between being a young girl and teenager. That fact makes it challenging to find the best toys. While she may love playing with some toys today, she may out-grow them next week. So, finding that “in-between” involves understanding who she is and what she likes doing.

Some 11-year-olds love taking pictures, doing art projects, crafting, or chemistry experiments. Others in this age group like to work on puzzles, listen to music, sing, and play games. Think about what she enjoys doing and make your gift selection according to that.

Brett Gordon
 

The brains behind The Toy Report. Having clocked tons of time in toys research and online resource development, today, Brett is dedicated to making The Toy Report a trusted space in the world of toy reviews and recommendations.