Camps are not only for summer vacation. Many kid-focused organizations, such as the YMCA, offer school vacation camps on dates that local schools have off. At these camps your 11-year old will be placed with other children his age and have the chance to socialize and participate in age-appropriate activities. In areas of the country that have year-round schools, these camps are particularly prevalent, with some places making the camps their entire business as the staggered vacation times mean someone is always on break from school.
During major vacation times many organizations, such as museums and area attractions, offer activities and special events for youths. Look into points of interest in your area that your 11-year old has expressed interest in seeing. Make a list of the top places and let her choose one or two. Have her invite one or two friends along for the day. For ideas, check out the calendars of children's museums, sports teams, historic sites and amusement parks.
For school holidays in the cold winter months, when you're stuck inside, plan a series of craft cooking projects for your creative 11-year old child. Kids this age are old enough to tackle these projects with little guidance. Let him plan several meals or desserts during the school holiday and take him to the store to shop for all the needed items. This will give the parents a break from cooking and give the child a chance to explore a new interest and feel a sense of independence.
Organize a major activity that involves friends and classmates of the 11-year old. Kids this age are still young enough to enjoy organized games, but are beginning to test the waters of independence. Plan a photo scavenger hunt at a large local park. Make a list of objects found in the park and have the kids team up and set out in groups to photograph the items on the list. Set boundaries of how far they can go and enlist other parents to help with supervision if the group is large.