Goes skateboarding around the neighborhood
Walks the dog
Cooks/bakes
Plays keyboard
Plays drums
Reads
If nobody is around will allow himself to be talked into art projects with little sister
Basketball in driveway

My 11yo would have a screen on at all times if possible. When he doesn't, he's reading (mostly graphic novels until the new Rick Riordan arrives next week) or playing with legos. He's very big on superhero comics/videos/legos. But he's not above building blanket forts with his younger brother or doing other "little kid" stuff like creating castles with magnatiles.

Buy him some colored pencils/markers and let him make a graphic novel:
http://www.lynnplourde.com/uploads/31/Documents/2-CREATING-GRAPHIC-NOVEL-LINKS.pdf

Mine reads, but then it's a compulsion with him.
Other than that he does Legos, or pretends play with his little sister.

Reads, plays with his drone, builds legos (becoming less frequent), annoys his 10 year old sister and also plays with her. Homework and piano takes up a good part of his "free" time this year.

well, my 10 yr old still loves legos; sometimes will make other things with his looms (tutorials online); play the piano (that's very few and far between); shoot hoops outside; read. Right now DS is outside hunting squirrels in our yard (we have a ton of those suckers); play with his pokemon cards; solitaire card games; sometimes builds stuff with his cards; shoot his nerf guns (drives me nuts to find the nerf bullets everywhere); rubics cube (he has two different kinds); bug his sister - his all time fave.

Lego set

Snap circuits

Reading

Drawing

Think fun (solo) games

I’d have him help you make dinner. You can go over recipes. It could be a nice bonding time and he’d learn a practical skill.

Otherwise, what does he gravitate to?

A neighbor’s son is very into origami. He looks up these crazy designs on youtube and figures out how to do them.

A family friend’s son finger knits:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsZsUBYU0qU
He has ADHD and it helps him fidget constructively.

There’s arm knitting too:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GUEfWHDswY

You can make keychains and such from paracord:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgdyJIghXTo

These can build fine motor skills and can be done pretty much anywhere.

I’d consider taking him to a mini-maker faire or drop in for a session here:
http://kid-museum.org
He might fall in love with something.

My 5th grader reads, does rubix cube (good tutorials online), plays with r.c. helicopter.

OP here - yeah, I do stuff with mine but I'm looking for ideas for stuff he can do himself when I'm making dinner or whatever when he's done with his homework.

I take mine out biking or jogging.
Pool in the summer.
Sledding in the winter.
I still do a lot of stuff with him.

My 11 year old DS needs more things to do independently. He will watch TV or play wii, but doesn't have that many screen free things to do when he doesn't have a friend over or an activity. My older DS is not home a lot. I know he should play alone more, but what does your 11 year old do? Need new ideas please.....