On the hunt for the best gifts for 11 year old girls? It’s not easy, but don’t fret, we’re here to help. We’ve compiled a must-read list of this year’s most in-demand toys for your reading pleasure that’s sure to take the stress out of gift shopping.
The Nintendo Switch is hands-down one of, if not the, best gifts for 11 year old girls.
This is a video game console designed with kids in mind.
If they want to play on the TV, the Nintendo Switch hooks up via HDMI. But should they wish to take their gaming on the go, the Switch lifts out of its dock to become a handheld, tablet-like console.
In short, as a home console and a handheld, it’s the best of both worlds.
And as this is a Nintendo console, most of the games for it are aimed at kids.
Sure, adults still love Switch games, but there’s more of a focus on wholesome entertainment, and less of a focus on guns and violence.
In fact, the closest you’ll get to guns is Splatoon; a game where inklings use paint guns to splash each other with color.
If you’re after something that’s suitable for kids, you won’t go wrong with the Nintendo Switch. It’s so popular, it also featured on our guide to the best toys for 9 year old boys.
For a start, it’s 53.7-inches in height. That’s freaking huge! It may even be bigger than your child!
This is all made from solid wood, too. This isn’t a mass-produces plastic dollhouse. This is the real deal.
In terms of what’s in this set, there’s a spacious living room, bedroom, kitchen, workout room, office, bathroom, pool area, and a stable A stable!
What’s also kind of crazy is each of these rooms feature realistic furniture. Again, the furniture isn’t mass-produced filler, each piece has been carefully designed to give kids the best possible experience imaginable.
And if you’re slightly off-put by having to put this beast together, don’t be. Kidkraft is known for being super user-friendly. There’s plenty of comments from happy buyers who found it easy to put together.
Grab this llama’s rump and it’ll crank its neck around and start shaking its booty to music.
And when I say this thing cranks its neck, I mean it really cranks its neck. There’s no slight movements here. This thing really gets down and boogies.
If your child would prefer just a handheld Nintendo Switch, and you’d love to save $100, go with the excellent Nintendo Switch Lite.
The biggest compliment I have for this console is I bought it out of my own pocket and I cannot get enough of it.
So, what it is exactly? It’s still a Nintendo Switch, just instead of hooking up to a TV and being able to be a handheld, this one’s just a handheld (and it’s cheaper!).
It’s slightly smaller than the original Switch, and the joy-con controllers don’t detach.
It’s also got a longer battery life, which is important given it’s purely a handheld.
The battery varies from game to game, but I’m averaging around five hours before needing to play while it’s on charge.
One thing to keep in mind, there are a few games which require detachable joy-cons to work. Per Nintendo Life, those games are 1-2-Switch, Just Dance, Super Mario Party, Fitness Boxing, Ring Fit Adventure, and Nintendo Labo.
Not many then, and all of the main titles kids want a Switch for will work, but I thought I’d just throw that out there so you’ve got all the info you need.
I cannot recommend the Switch Lite enough. And seeing as most kids use the original Switch in handheld mode mostly anyway, why not save yourself some money while you’re at it?
This gigantic 32-inch toy takes interaction to a whole new level. Even hatching the egg is a game unto itself.
Shake the egg, and the llalacorn’s eyes light up. When it’s ready to hatch, break the egg in two and it’ll pop out.
What’s great about this is in its small form it looks like a Hatchimal, but play with it and it’ll elongate its neck and legs, turning it into a giant.
And when kids want a cuddle from their new best friend, it’ll shrink down in their arms.
It also features over 250 sounds and reactions, meaning the Hatchimals Llalacorn has its own personality.
It’s cute, and sure to be one of the best gifts for 11 year old girls ever.
If this sound like your child, also be sure to check out the Rainbocorns Big Bow Surprise. https://heavy.com/toys/2019/10/rainbocorns-big-bow-surprise/
The brilliance of these types of sets is they aren’t just one-sided builds. Although you’re building an exquisite castle, the back of this build lets kids create a fully fleshed-out interior.
There’s an attic, bedroom, and even a throne room with a LEGO throne. How cool is that?
Aside from the castle, you also get a small village and rowboat to build.
In terms of mini-dolls, you get Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff, which is a pretty great selection. Kids will want Elsa and Anna more than any other figure.
So yeah, it’s a quality set that’s perfect for any Frozen fan, and is also featured on our rundown of the best Frozen 2 toys ever.
The Giiker Super Cube 13 is legit the best way to play with a Rubik’s cube.
For a start, this isn’t just another Rubik’s cube. Giiker has gone the extra mile to create something that’s appealing to the kids of today.
Yes, it works like a Rubik’s, but where this thing comes alive is with the app integration.
You know when you can’t solve a Rubik’s cube and you feel defeated knowing it’ll never go back to how it looked when you first opened it? Well, that’s not a worry anymore.
With the app, kids can sync their cube with their mobile device, then the app – as if by magic – works out where all the colors are, then shows you on-screen where to move to get it back to its original all-colored sides state.
I can only describe this as magic because of how freaking cool it is!
In a similar vein, you can also use the app to create different patterns on the cube in the same way.
If this is all sounding great, that isn’t the half of it.
There’s also a tutorial to teach kids about the different Rubiks’ terminology and movements so they can actually understand how the cube works, and there’s a host of games to play with the cube.
My personal pick is one where you move real-life cube which in turn moves the virtual cube to control a little person who collects coins.
If you’re after something with a hint of magic that reinvents a classic, you won’t go wrong with this one.
If your girl is into crafting and Harry Potter, the Harry Potter: Crafting Wizardry is a must.
This detailed book will walk kids through making different crafty items from the wizarding world of Harry Potter. Think papercraft owls, potion bottles, mini mandrake plants. That sort of thing.
I do need to give you a heads up. This book is just the book. So it’s worth having a little read beforehand so you can pick up any crafting materials. Unless, of course, you’ve got a ton crafting supplies in the house. Then you’ll be fine.
It’s also a hardcover book, which I think always makes books feel a little bit more special than boring digital or paperback editions.
At 11-inches tall, rather than six inches like the other McFarlane figure on this list, this toy will stand watch over the whole room.
And as this is McFarlane, this toy comes with the expertly crafted detail you’d expect.
It’s also packed with 22 points of articulation, so you can imagine how many different poses kids will get them into (before ultimately deciding to make it floss).
This figure also comes with the Infinity Blade sword, back bling, and a meaty display base.
Breaking it down, Ultimate Alliance 3 is a game with a massive roster of beloved Marvel characters where players need to fight their way through an array of different areas from the movies and comics.
It’s the massive roster that makes this game so much fun. Each character has unique abilities, meaning you’ve always got something new to play with.
In terms of who’s in it, there’s a lot. Some of the standout characters include Captain Marvel, the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men, and, of course, a kid-friendly version of Deadpool.
Plus if you’ve got a second set of joy-cons, two players can play together. It’s perfect for siblings, then.
And if you’d like a second opinion, GameSpot even said this game is a triumphant return for the series.
If you’ve got any Marvel Fans in the house, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 comes very easy to recommend.
If you’re after wholesome fun, Super Mario Odyssey is one of the best gifts for 11 year old girls around.
It’s a beautiful game where players explore different areas as they search to save the kidnapped princess.
Kids will be jumping on enemies, solving puzzles, and collecting stars to upgrade their airship so they can move on to newer areas.
And with the power of Mario’s sentient hat, for the first time in the series players can control enemies.
There’s actually a really cool section near the start where Mario takes control of a tyrannosaurus rex, which in turn wears Mario’s hat and grows a mustache.
It’s a game designed with kids in mind. It’s wholesome, lacks realistic violence, and is something the whole family can get involved in.
There is no bigger game on the planet right now than Minecraft.
If you haven’t heard of Minecraft yet, it’s basically virtual LEGO.
There’s two modes to the game, Survival and Creative.
Survival tasks players with sourcing their own materials to build houses, searching for food, all the while surviving the great outdoors.
Whereas Creative mode gives players an infinite number of blocks to go off and build anything they want.
And you really can build anything. Castles, mansions, art, even working calculators!
The only limit is their imagination, and should that fail, there’s plenty of guides on YouTube should they need inspiration.
And the best part, you can use your data across most platforms.
So, say, if they buy something on the mobile version of Minecraft, so long as they use the same login info, that purchase will be accessible on Nintendo Switch. It’s the same for the Xbox One and Windows versions of Minecraft, too.
Even if they do own Minecraft on a different platform, they’ll happily replay it also on their Switch.
Seriously, the number of kids who own multiple versions so they can jump in whereever is quite surprising.
You can’t beat a bit of magic, and the Blume Dolls really are magic.
It’s a flower pot, but when you add water, a doll magically grows up and out. How cool is that?
But which doll will you get? That’s also a surprise.
These dolls are fun, too. Each doll comes with 10 surprises as well as individual clothes.
The best thing about the Blume Dolls is just how affordable they are. If you’re paying well over $10 for one, definitely pass. Otherwise, they’re the perfect stocking filler.
Anime is popular with select youngsters, so if they’re into My Hero Academia, definitely go with this Deku Funko Pop.
This pop translates the character’s likeness effortlessly. His hair is broccoli-like, and this figure has that can do expression Deku is known for.
Funko also did a great job on the outfit, too. It’s the minor details, like the different colored laces and the kneepads, that really bring this figure to life.
And if you have got a My Hero fan in the house, don’t forget we’ve already counted down the best My Hero Academia toys.
If you’re picking up the Deku pop, you’ll want this All Might Funko Pop to stand alongside him.
In the show, All Might is the man who Deku gets his powers from. He’s a kind of superhero father figure who teaches Deku about the powers of the One For All quirk.
Suffice to say, if your little one wants to build a pop collection, All Might is a great addition.
In terms of the figure, it ticks all the boxes.
The colors are right, the hair looks as it should, which can’t have been easy, and the face looks like he could be shouting his trademark “I AM HERE!” line.
It’s a great toy, and as I say, would look brilliant when paired with other My Hero pops.
Most youngsters go wild for anything Pokemon, so if they’ve got a budding Funko collection, why not add the adorable Bulbasaur to it?
It’s incredible how Funko-ifying Pokemon still manages to retain their cuteness.
Bulbasaur is just as cute as it is in the game.
Something else I found rather cool is little patches on the skin. I’ve said this before, but it’s the minor details like this that help pops to look like what they’re emulating.
Without these little touches, they just wouldn’t look right.
So yeah, if your child loves Pokemon, this gift really is a no-brainer.
It looks like the real thing, and let’s face it, having a mini Battle Bus on display would be awesome, and it comes with two popular characters in Burnout and Funk Ops.
Just keep in mind, there’s a lot of different Fortnite toys around, each of varying sizes.
These are the two figures, so if you’re after something a little larger, this ain’t it.
That said, despite their size, they’re quite durable. I’ve was sent some of these and they – somehow – haven’t been destroyed.
The other great thing about the Battle Royale Collection as a whole is they are super affordable. Like, seriously affordable.
So if you’re on a budget but want a gift that’s great for kids, the Battle Royale Collection is the way to go.
Jazwares really stepped it up with its Fortnite Legendary Series line of toys, and the result is something kids are going to love.
Gone is the lack of detail, and instead we get something that’s instantly recognizable.
If your child plays Fortnite and you show them this toy, they’ll be able to tell you who it is (or vaguely say it’s the tomato man because no one knows the names of the characters).
The two heads you get in this pack are brilliant. I love that Jazwares opted for two different versions instead of sticking to just one.
There’s also 36 points of articulation to play with – which is A LOT – and the toy comes with a load of accessories. Even more than the McFarlane range.
Accessories include a pickaxe, guns, back bling, a tomato toy, and a shield pot.
Throw in the fact these toys are cheaper than the McFarlane range and you can see why they’re so popular with parents.
First up, the ATK has detail in all the right places, and I’m certain kids will love whizzing this around the room or building ramps for it to soar off.
Now for the caveat: I really don’t like this style of figures.
They’re almost GI Joe-like and lack any real facial detail. Jazwares has fixed this with the six-inch Legendary range, but these smaller figures just aren’t good.
The reason I’ve included this set, however, is because the ATK justifies it.
The figure may suck, but kids will never tire of remote-controlled cars that also play sounds.
You can’t get away from the fact this is a luxury item. That said, the Barbie Dreamhouse absolutely justifies the cost.
For a start, this mammoth mansion stands at three-feet tall and four-feet wide. That. IS. HUGE!
The three stories are made up of eight different rooms, a working elevator, pool with a slide, along with a wealth of interactive furniture.
The fridge even opens and has tiny food on the inside. How cute!
In fact, there’s a host of different sounds and lights for kids to discover as they play.
Sure, this toy is geared towards maybe a Christmas or Birthday gift, but if your child loves everything Barbie, they are sure to get a lot of usage out of it.
The transforming element of the Barbie Dreamcamper is what makes this toy so great.
For when they’re out on the road, this is a massive two-foot campervan.
But when they want to stop and have a nice chat and a bite to eat, this beast transforms into a massive playset.
Flip down the side to reveal a spacious pool with slide area. To the right we have a bathroom with a shower curtain and sink. Directly behind the pool is a nice little place to have a sit down. And if you lift the right side up, you get a tidy sleeping area.
But that’s not all. On the other side of the campervan you can flip that side down and there’s a hidden cooker and refrigerator for preparing food.
One thing to keep in mind, this set doesn’t come with any dolls. Although if you’ve already got some that shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
The Barbie Pizza Doll Playset is a little different from what you’d expect, making it a great choice for kids who don’t want another hospital or animal playset.
Instead of nurturing, Barbie has gone full-blown capitalist in her latest endeavor.
This set comes with everything you’d expect from a small pizzeria. It’s got storage cupboards, cash register, and a pizza grill.
What’s more, this set comes with dough to get kids making toy food.
Just place some dough in the pizza press, place the red and beige onto the pizza, then fill the toppings maker with white dough and give it a spin to add some cheese.
Any playset that gets kids making stuff is always a good idea. And who knows, maybe this will inspire them to get into cooking.
If you’re after an even more affordable and unique gift, check out the Candylocks Surprise Doll.
These smaller dolls still come with everything you’d expect from the seven-inchers, just smaller and slightly more cost-effective.
Despite this one’s size, it’s still got really long, cotton candy-like hair that’s designed for styling by hand rather than with a brush.
It also comes with a selection of accessories for jazzing up their new hairstyle.
Just keep in mind, as these are blind bags you won’t know who’ll you be getting. Although if this is your first Candylocks doll, that isn’t too much of a problem.
The difference between the Sparkle Mansion and the Shimmer Mansion purely comes to the aesthetic.
The Sparkle Mansion is more of a traditional dollhouse, while the Shimmer is for the more country, horse-loving child.
So, what’s in this dollhouse? We’ve got an attic, large bedroom, even larger living area with metal spiral stairs leading up to the bedroom, bathroom, and giant kitchen and outdoor pool area. Oh, and a garage.
As with the Shimmer Mansion, this dollhouse also comes with expertly-crafted and highly-detailed furniture.
Obviously, the price is a factor, but when you consider the cost of name-brand dollhouses, it’s actually greater value in the long run.
No one wants to have to think about getting their child a phone, but when you do, go with the Moto G6 Play.
When kids go to a friend’s house or play outside, it’s important to have a phone. Even though we teach our kids to be safe, having a mobile phone is an extra layer of protection I can’t recommend enough.
So, what’s so great about this phone? In short, it’s the best budget phone you’ll find in this price bracket.
The 5.7-inch display isn’t the largest display, but it’s a good size for playing games or watching YouTube videos on (which is all kids really care about).
And with the Snapdragon 427 and 3GB of RAM, this phone can run the majority of apps kids will want.
You also get 32GB of storage, which is widely considered to be the industry standard when it comes to storage space for smartphones.
It also comes with Andriod 8.0 pre-installed but can be updated easily via wi-fi to Android 9.0.
But the biggest factor is the fact this thing is affordable. When buying a child a smartphone, you don’t want to break the bank because they could end up breaking the phone.
You want something that does the job, but is also easy to replace should anything happen to it.
I came across these dolls a while back when covering the Best Frozen 2 Toys and they nail just about everything.
The faces are the most accurate, the hair is on another level (especially Anna’s), and the dresses really do feel premium.
It’s the little touches on the dresses that make them so wonderful. The icicle embroidery, the patterns, the choice of fabric – it’s all been well thought out and designed to feel as luxurious as possible.
There is also an Olaf figure (he’s fine), but the stars here are most definitely Elsa and Anna.
Sure, it’s a little pricey for two dolls, but given the difference in quality between this set and the basic dolls, for a Birthday or Christmas gift, you can’t go wrong.
If you’re after a more affordable option that still ticks the boxes, go with this Singing Elsa Doll.
The likeness is still spot-on, the hair is great and can be easily restyled, and the only real difference between this and the premium two-pack is the dress.
But let me make this clear, the dress is still great. It’s just not as good as the more expensive option.
Instead of embroidered patterns, these are printed, which works well as it’s a less expensive doll.
But what this doll has over the pricier option is it sings Into The Unknown from Frozen 2 when you press her bodice.
All in all, it is a great doll. It just comes down to how much you’d like to spend.
If you’re going the affordable route, this Singing Anna Doll is for you.
As with the Singing Elsa Doll, the face on this doll is near-faultless and the hair is wonderful.
Although this dress can’t match the premium equivalent, it’s still really great, and far superior to the super-budget version without the singing feature.
What’s great here is Hasbro opted for a material belt rather than taking the easy route of just printing it onto the dress. I notice these sorts of things so it’s nice to not need to grumble.
This doll also sings The Next Right Thing from the Frozen 2 movie.
Sure, it’s a jewelry box, but it also incorporates themes from Frozen to make this box look almost regal.
It totally works as a jewelry box as well.
There’s even a turntable for Elsa, a Nokk statue, and opening drawers. Oh, and some LEGO jewelry to store inside. Neat!
Kids will always love LEGO, that’s just how it is. If you can build it, it’s way more fun. But what I love about this set is it takes what’s great about LEGO and turns it into something kids can use.
And let’s be real here, what 11 year old wouldn’t want a Frozen-themed jewelry box?
Also, do you know how hard it is to not open this review with “Do you wanna build a snowman,”?
Anyway, kids love Olaf, so being able to build their very own snow-buddy is sure to put smiles on faces.
It’s a really interesting design. Normally for figure LEGO sets, LEGO opts for Hero Factory pieces. But this Olaf is built purely from traditional LEGO bricks. It’s kind of amazing for that reason alone.
What I also love is the little book, pencil, and bowtie. It’s always ingenious what you can build from LEGO.
And the best part? This set is super-affordable. What’s not to love?
But why Family Edition instead of the regular base game? Because the base game is way too hard for kids, and it’s likely to put them off playing ever again.
Cards, of which there are 1,200, are split into sets for adults and sets for kids. Why can’t all board games do it like that?
It’s still the same Trivial Pursuit, just slightly changed so everyone can enjoy this cheese-chasing game.
As a general rule, anything that gets kids making stuff is sure to go down a treat.
This cost-friendly pack comes with 24 beads in total, which is a solid amount. Every bracelet is certain to be unique.
The full set comes with a molding tool, five air dry clays, two pins, two bracelets, eight charms, eight beads, 24 eyelets, glitter glue, 10 jump rings, 30 stick stones, and dowel. Phew. That’s a lot
In short, this set has everything a child could need to make their own one of a kind bracelets.
This pack comes with eight different types of slime and putty, including weird ones like magnetic putty, fluffy slime (EWW!), liquid slime, glow in the dark putty, color-changing putty, and snotty slime (also EWW!).
I didn’t even know you could get those types of slime, so I’m sure – despite its grossness – kids are going to learn a lot about slime and putty from this back.
And, yes, it comes with a storage tin, thankfully.
As this is National Geographic, this pack also features a 16-page learning book so kids can dive into the science behind the slimes and putties. Neat!
This 80-Piece Art Set is incredible value. A low price for 80 pieces? Sure, why not?
What does the 80 break down as? Well, that’s 24 color pencils, 24 oil pastels, 24 watercolor cakes, two paintbrushes, two drawing pencils, a pencil sharpner, kneaded eraser, and sanding blocks.
It’s also worth keeping in mind the wooden carry case is perfect for storage. You won’t need to buy anything extra to avoid finding art supplies around the floor.
Art is one of the best hobbies a child can take up to aid them in their development. As ArtfulParent points out, art helps develop their problem-solving abilities, creativity, literacy, motor skills and more.
As the saying (kind of) goes, it’s simple to play, hard to master.
Okay. Here’s the general idea: Players have multiple pieces of putty, and with a card they plop them down onto the grid.
Two blobs of each color go onto the grid, but then you need to pull each putty to the matching color without crossing over onto other colors.
There’s a host of different cards, ranging from beginner to expert, for kids to try and best. Even though this is a smaller game, it’s going to take them a while to fully master.
There is a video on the Amazon page that’s absolutely worth checking out. As I say, it’s a very clever game.
You see, tracing isn’t actually cheating. When kids trace, they’re subconsciously learning to follow the shape of whatever it is they’re drawing, which then leads them to, eventually, being able to recreate shapes easier.
And as drawing are essentially just a bunch of shapes, that’s super helpful.
As for the actual tablet, the backlight LED helps to illuminate the picture.
This pack also comes with one graphite pencil, 12 coloring pencils, and 10 tracing sheets.
First off, this thing is nice and easy to use. In fact, there’s only three buttons to it!
Also, safety is a focus here. This pen spits out low-temperature plastic, so there’s no need to worry about them melting their skin off like the end of Terminator 2.
It also comes with a host of different animal stickers to customize your pen.
And in case you’re wondering what the hell this is, it’s basically a pen that extrudes a thin, moldable plastic. Kids use the pen to create whatever they want.
Did you know you could grow crystals? I didn’t, and it is freaking awesome!
With this kit, your child will feel like a real scientist.
This pack comes with everything you need to get up and running, including an LED Display, three growing cups, three crystal powder bags, three starter crystals, mixing stick, and tweezers.
It also comes with a very useful 12-page instruction booklet to teach them about how this works and why.
If you’re after something a little different, this is it.