Tweens Everywhere Are Obessed With These "Nice Cubes"

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Now fully into their tween years, 11-year-olds are ready to leave all their little kid stuff behind. But that doesn't mean they're fully done with toys, games and other fun things — they just want more sophisticated versions of them. That makes it a little tricky to find gifts for kids this age, but there are plenty of great options if you know where to look.

The Good Housekeeping Institute makes it easy to find gifts for tweens by asking the people who matter most: the 11-year-olds themselves. Each year, it sends hundreds of toys to kids of all ages and solicits honest feedback from testers. (The best of the best go on to win Good Housekeeping Best Toy Awards). At the same time, experts evaluate the same toys in the lab for safety, quality of construction and ease of use. To their picks, we added some fun best-sellers and editor's picks and came up with these gift suggestions.

Our top picks for the best gifts for 11-year-olds in 2023:

• Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza Card Game, $10 on amazon.com

• Kanoodle Pyramid, $18 on amazon.com

• Logrotate Moon Lamp, $20 on amazon.com

• MYNT3D Super 3D Pen, $40 on amazon.com

• Fujifilm Instax Mini 9 Instant Camera, $75 on amazon.com

As you can see, fun room decor, DIY projects and tabletop games are all among their favorites this year.

Looking for more great gifts? Shop these Good Housekeeping guides:

Best Gifts for 11-Year-Old Boys | Best Gifts for 11-Year-Old Girls | Best Gifts for Teens

Parima Travel Jewelry Case for Women Girls, A Initial Travel Jewelry Case | Small Jewelry Travel Case | Personalized Travel Mini Jewelry Case |Travel Jewelry Case Small Jewelry Case-Blue

Kanoodle Pyramid

You can credit TikTok with selling more than 3 million Kanoodle games, with those accepting the #KanoodleChallenge trying to solve the brain-teasing puzzles online. But by 11, they might be ready to step up and try the harder Kanoodle Pyramid. To play, contenders have to select a puzzle with a certain configuration of pieces, and then use their smarts to see if they can fit in the remaining pieces to make a 3D pyramid shape. Ages 7+

RELATED: The Good Housekeeping Best Toy Awards

Pooqla Colorful LED Marquee Letter Lights with Remote – Light Up Marquee Signs – Party Bar Letters with Lights Decorations for the Home - Multicolor M

RUKUSfx Motion-Controlled Music Mixer Lights and Sounds Music Kids Toys for Ages 6 up

Spin Flip Puzzle - Hypnotic - Spin it, Flip it, Solve it! for Those who Love Brain teasers! Adult Fidget Toy. Great Gift for Mom, Dad, Teens, Men and Women

Wizarding World Harry Potter, 12-inch Spellbinding Hermione Granger Magic Wand with Collectible Spell Card, Kids Toys for Ages 6 and up

GlowCity Glow in The Dark Basketball for Teen Boy - Basketball Gift - Glowing Red Basket Ball, Light Up LED Toy for Night Ball Games - Sports Stuff & Gadgets for Kids Age 8 Years Old and Up

Refasy Electronic Piggy Banks Password Money Saving Box for 11 Year Old Boy Money Bank Toy Birthday Gifts for Girls Kids Safe Cash Coin Can(Navy)

The Secret of Lillian Velvet

Good Housekeeping Institute testers were drawn into this mystery book, about a lonely girl with a jar of coins — each of which takes her to a different time and place. But are they connected? "I couldn't predict how it was going to end, and it made me want to keep reading," one kid tester said. Ages 8 – 12

RELATED: The Good Housekeeping Best Kids' Book Awards

Professor Maxwell's VR Dinosaurs

Good Housekeeping testers were impressed with this STEM set, saying that it felt like dinosaurs were right there in the room with them. The set comes with VR goggles, an 80-page book filled with immersive activities and supplies for hands-on projects to do at home. Ages 8+

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza Card Game

Easy to learn, fast to play, this is the epitome of a game you can just break out whenever there's a dull moment. Players have to flip over cards while saying one of five words (appropriately, either "taco," "cat," "goat," "cheese" or "pizza"), and if the word they say matches the word on the card they've played, all the players have to rush to slap the pile. Whoever gets there last has to take the pile, and the player who gets rid of their cards first wins. People love this so much, it has more than 38,000 five-star ratings on Amazon. Ages 8+

Pet Care Business Kit

Get them started on an entrepreneurial path with this kit, which helps them get a pet-care business off the ground. It comes with some tools of the trade (like some pet toys, a collapsible water bowl, a pet brush and poop bags), but also marketing materials (door hangers, pins, business cards, etc) and items to keep them organized (a client book, receipts). Or, if pet care isn't their passion, there are also It's My Biz kits for a lemonade stand, babysitting business or baked-goods business. Ages 8+

GraviTrax: The Game - Impact

This game takes their marble runs to the next level: The STEM-themed brain-teasing game challenges players to make different kinds of marble runs using limited pieces. Good Housekeeping Institute testers say that, since there are challenges of varying difficulty included in the same box, older and younger siblings were able to play together. Ages 8+

Sleuth & Solve: Science

They'll have to keep their minds sharp and their observational skills on point to solve the 20 mysteries in this book. Each of them has a science-themed bent, too, so they might pick up facts about how a baker can know if an egg is raw or hard-boiled, or how an animal expert might know if an elephant stampede is coming. If they like it, they can get the other books in the Sleuth & Solve series. Ages 8 – 12

Nee Doh Nice Cube

Kids love Nee Doh in all shapes in sizes, from the very small to the very large to groovy shapes like fruit or cats. The Nice Cube is still fun to squeeze and squish like all the other shapes of Nee Doh, but, no matter how much you smush it, when you put it down it will always return to its cube form. Ages 3+

My Friendship Bracelet Maker

Those summer-camp days feel like they're here forever with this friendship-bracelet kit. Not only does it come with 20 pre-cut threads (in their own storage drawer, no less), it has a board that holds the bracelet and strands in place while the creation is in-progress. (The board even comes in several colors!) You can also use its app to find friendship-bracelet patterns and instructions. Ages 8+

Shape Shifting Box

Tweens are still into the fidget craze, and this amazing box will give his hands something quiet to do for minutes on end. It unfolds into different shapes, revealing different patterns inside, and then it's a puzzle to get it back into its cube form again. Ages 8+

Milano Bean Bag Chair

Who wouldn't want to cozy up and read, play video games or text and chat in a chair like this? This chair impressed Good Housekeeping Institute testers with its firm fill, but really won over Lab experts with how easy it was to clean the fabric. It comes in several colors and prints, and has a handle so you can drag it around.

RELATED: The Best Bean Bag Chairs, According to Expert Testing

Scratch Art Rainbow Mini Notes

Notes to friends, reminders and doodles are way more fun when they're done on small squares of scratch-art paper. This comes with 125 square sheets of scratch-art paper, plus a wooden stylus to use. It's a cute gift to put in a stocking or a small gift basket. Ages 4+

Pokémon Paldea Evolved Elite Trainer Box

For tweens into the Pokémon Trading Card game, this box will beef up their card collections with their favorite Paldea-region Pokémon from the Scarlet and Violet games. It comes with nine booster packs, along with fun extras for players like damage-counter dice, card sleeves, coins for coin flips, status markers and energy cards. Ages 6+

Instax Mini 9 Instant Camera

Cell phone cameras get the job done, but it's way more fun to take pictures with an instant camera — especially when there's film involved. They'll especially appreciate the small mirror that makes taking selfies so much easier. The camera comes in several colors, and you can buy additional film with fun borders. (And get an album to put the pictures in, too!) Ages 8+

Reversible Axolotl Plushie

Axolotls are the animal du jour, and this plush gives you two for the price of one. It comes in a galaxy pattern with a happy expression, but flip it inside-out and you get the firey one with an angry expression. If you don't like that pattern combo, it comes in more than a dozen others. Ages 3+

Flying Orb Ball

These glowing, flying spheres are definitely trendy among tweens, and this one has received more than 4,000 five-star ratings on Amazon. The whole thing is controlled by hand, not remote, and kids can learn how different throwing angles result in different flight paths. Ages 6+

Photo Clip String Lights

They'll love personalizing their rooms with these lights, which feature 50 clear clips to hang photos from on 17ft of lights. Their walls will be one-of-a-kind.

Super 3D Pen

They can take their art projects into the next dimension with this pen, which gives them the basics for 3D printing. It lets them control the flow speed for the plastic filament, and it also comes with three colors (though you can always get them extras).

Karaoke System

Perfect for sleepovers, birthday parties and even her average Friday night, this light-up karaoke machine is an instant party. They can play music from an old-fashioned CD or via Bluetooth for endless soundtrack options.

Light-Up Wire Art

They'll learn about electricity and circuits when they use this kit, which lets them make their own works of art with glowing, LED wire. They can use one of five picture templates, or come up with their own creations. When they're done, they can either hang it from the wall or display it on a wooden stand. Ages 9+

Star Wars Villainous

In this strategy-based board game, you play as one of the iconic Star Wars villains: Darth Vader, Kylo Ren, General Grievous, Asajj Ventress or Moff Gideon. Each villain has its own unique abilities, and things like TIE fighters at their disposal, that they can use to try and accomplish their objectives before the other players. Ages 10+

RELATED: The Best 'Star Wars' Gifts for Kids and Adults

Make Your Own Candy Sushi Kit

For a tween with a sweet tooth, they'll love this kit which is a cross between a DIY activity and a baking project. They'll make candy versions of salmon rolls, spicy tuna rolls, and maki with fruit candy, rice treats, marshmallows and other goodies. It also comes with a bento box to keep! Ages 8+

Original LED Marquee

They can easily express themselves through a lightbox by making it show their favorite quotes or song lyrics at any given time. This particular one comes with 100 tiles, and it can be powered through the included USB cord (batteries work too, but they aren't included). There's even built-in storage for extra letters on the back of the lightbox.

Moon Lamp

This lamp is 3-D printed to look just like the surface of the moon. Kids can use a remote control to change the color and pattern of the lights or set an automatic shutoff timer. It also comes in four sizes.

Parchment Paper Oil Blotting Sheets

If they're starting to get involved in a skincare routine, they'll love these papers, which helps absorb excess oils from the face (something tweens can certainly relate to). One Amazon reviewer even writes, "I am a guy, and I have really oily skin...so I like to keep some of these for self-esteem reasons and to keep my glasses from sliding down." These sheets don't have any powder in them, and you get 100 sheets in a packet.

Layered Name Necklace

Double-layer necklaces are in, and this one makes it easy with a matching custom-name necklace and a heart charm. You can also get it with a birthstone instead of a heart, with two names, or in other metals like rose gold or silver.

Good Housekeeping 1,001 Amazing Science Facts

Why does milk go sour? What can scientists learn from studying dinosaur poop? Do we drink the same water that was around during the pre-historic era? If the 11-year-old in your life is full of these kinds of questions, this book has the answers. Experts from the Good Housekeeping Institute take readers from deep within the human body to way out in space to bring them the most interesting scientific tidbits around. Ages 8 – 12

A5 Lux Kick Scooter

Good Housekeeping Experts appreciated the way that Razor's A5 scooters have an easy-to-adjust height, so they last for years, and also fold up small for easy storage. The Lux model also has wheels that illuminate to make a spinning light show It comes in orange and green. Ages 8+

RELATED: The Best Scooters to Get Them Rolling

How we choose the best toys and gifts

For toys, the Good Housekeeping Institute does year-long toy testing to evaluate for safety, durability, and ease of use, then hands the toys over to real kids to make sure they have the all-important fun factor. While non-toy gifts are not evaluated in the Lab, editors still look for gifts put out by trusted brands, gifts with great reviews from purchasers, best-sellers and editors' favorites. The list is then vetted by Good Housekeeping editors, who, after years of curating gift guides and keeping track of trends, tries to match the items with what is popular now and what Good Housekeeping readers and families have loved in the past.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

For decades, the Good Housekeeping Institute has provided expert reviews and advice on everything parents and children love, including STEM toys, educational toys, sensory toys and more.

Much of the toy testing for this article was overseen by Rachel Rothman, the Good Housekeeping Institute's chief technologist and director of engineering, with the help of Marisa LaScala, Good Housekeeping's senior parenting and relationships editor. For more than 15 years, Rachel has put her training in mechanical engineering and applied mathematics to work by researching, testing and writing about parenting products. Plus, as a mom to three kids under 5, she has plenty of first-hand experience.

Marisa has covered all aspects of the world of parenting, from the postpartum years through the empty nests, since 2015, and she's pitched in with Good Housekeeping's toy coverage since 2018. She lives in New York City with her husband and daughter, who are both avid toy collectors and very into the TeeTurtle reversible plushies.

Shop more toys and gifts for kids

Looking for more great gifts for kids? Let the experts do all the hard work for you!

• Top-tested items: See what toys, gifts and books ranked the very highest in our Lab tests with our Good Housekeeping Best Toy Awards, our Good Housekeeping Best Kids’ Book Awards and our Good Housekeeping Parenting Awards.

• Tech for kids: Our lab experts are often asked for recommendations for digital devices for kids, and we've tested kids' phones, kids' smartwatches, kids' tablets and game consoles and to see which ones held up the best for families.

• Great learning toys: While all toys can be helpful vehicles for supporting developmental growth, we love to spotlight notably exceptional educational Toys and STEM toys as well as ones that can support social-emotional growth, like those included in our lists of the best sensory toys, pop fidget toys, Montessori toys and autism toys.

• Gifts for babies: Please the newest members on your gift list (and their parents) with these useful baby registry items, as well as gifts for babies, gifts for baby girls and gifts for baby boys. Of course, you might want to get something for new parents to help them through the hectic newborn stage.

• Gifts for toddlers: The coolest new toys in this space pull double-duty, whether it's social-emotional learning combined with motor skills, or creative play combined with language, as you can see in our gift guides for gifts for 1-year-olds, gifts for 18-month-olds, gifts for 2-year-olds and gifts for all toddlers, as well as our stocking stuffers for toddlers.

• Gifts for preschoolers: As they begin to explore the world around them on a deeper level, help them explore with STEM sets, art kits, creative toys and toys that inspire their imaginations. Find our favorites in our gifts for 3-year-olds (including gifts for 3-year-old boys and gifts for 3-year-old girls), gifts for 4-year-olds (including gifts for 4-year-old boys and gifts for 4-year-old girls) and gifts for 5-year-olds (including gifts for 5-year-old boys and gifts for 5-year-old girls).

• Gifts for big kids: By these ages, they've developed their own interests. Help them dive deeper into the subjects that most interest them, from coding to art to cartooning to history and geography, with these gifts for 6-year-olds (including gifts for 6-year-old boys and gifts for 6-year-old girls), gifts for 7-year-olds (including gifts for 7-year-old boys and gifts for 7-year-old girls), gifts for 8-year-olds (including gifts for 8-year-old boys and gifts for 8-year-old girls), and gifts for 9-year-olds (including gifts for 9-year-old boys and gifts for 9-year-old girls). It's also fun to shop for some of our best-reviewed and top-selling stocking stuffers for kids.

• Gifts for tweens: Sure, once they get old enough for an iPad or gaming console you might be at a loss of what to get them. We have you covered with engaging picks for gifts for 10-year-olds (including gifts for 10-year-old boys and gifts for 10-year-old girls), gifts for 11-year-olds (including gifts for 11-year-old boys and gifts for 11-year-old girls), and gifts for 12-year-olds (including gifts for 12-year-old boys and gifts for 12-year-old girls), or see what's trending with boys or tween girls as a whole.

• Gifts for teens: We decode what's on the lists for this picky age group, from the hottest accessories to the most-wanted tech gifts, with gifts for 13-year-old boys, gifts for 13-year-old girls, gifts for 14-year-olds, gifts for 15-year-old boys, gifts for 15-year-old girls, gifts for 16-year-olds, gifts for teen girls, gifts for teen boys and even fun stocking stuffers for teens.

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