What Lego set?!?!?
October 27, 2016 6:40 PM Subscribe
Help me pick out a Lego set!
It's my daughter's 10th bday and she asked for a Lego set. She didn't ask for one in particular and I don't think she had anything specific in mind.
I picked up and put down the Lego Prison Island set like 20 times and ditto the Nexo Knights fortress. Prison Island looked super fun but kinda...depressing? Who wants to think about prison?
What I really wish I could get is Lego Castle sets but alas.
I have access to a Lego Land. I plan on going tomorrow. What awesome set would you get? I'd like to keep it around $100. But if there was something stupendous i might go up a bit.
Also, anyone have the Lego Simpsons house or the Kwik E Mart? Are they as amazing as they look?
It's my daughter's 10th bday and she asked for a Lego set. She didn't ask for one in particular and I don't think she had anything specific in mind.
I picked up and put down the Lego Prison Island set like 20 times and ditto the Nexo Knights fortress. Prison Island looked super fun but kinda...depressing? Who wants to think about prison?
What I really wish I could get is Lego Castle sets but alas.
I have access to a Lego Land. I plan on going tomorrow. What awesome set would you get? I'd like to keep it around $100. But if there was something stupendous i might go up a bit.
Also, anyone have the Lego Simpsons house or the Kwik E Mart? Are they as amazing as they look?
Best answer: If she's super girly type of girl she might like this.
There is a whole series of the Elves sets.
You also might want to look at the Creator series of legos. They are less themed & the pieces tend to be more flexible if she's the sort to want to make her own thing instead of just making a set piece. They run tend to cheaper than anything with a merchandising tie in so you could pick up 2 or 3 of the sets. They also make a good base if she's just starting into Lego. You can get everything from a dinosaur to a corner deli. When I was 10 I would have loved the campervan set.
posted by wwax at 7:14 PM on October 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
There is a whole series of the Elves sets.
You also might want to look at the Creator series of legos. They are less themed & the pieces tend to be more flexible if she's the sort to want to make her own thing instead of just making a set piece. They run tend to cheaper than anything with a merchandising tie in so you could pick up 2 or 3 of the sets. They also make a good base if she's just starting into Lego. You can get everything from a dinosaur to a corner deli. When I was 10 I would have loved the campervan set.
posted by wwax at 7:14 PM on October 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: The Lego train sets are quite nice. I got my nephew the bullet train one for his birthday and he loved it.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 7:32 PM on October 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 7:32 PM on October 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: How...Legomaniac...is she?
I spent every Xmas for years saying "Lego" and then just "More Lego" when asked what I wanted and then, with mild exasperation, what else. So already had a bevvy of sets and rarely built what the Lego company suggested, and I would have gone nuts about all the different colours in these "Creative" sets.
I was big into building cityscapes with lots of little houses and City Square would have been awesome; it has unique pieces, it has signs, it has a good number of people, it would have been easy to build up my city around it.
However. If they had had these boxes of OMG where you can build old crazy-elaborate row houses/offices I would have been in tears (because of my extreme maturity) if anybody had said "But kmennie, it says it's for ages 16 up." Keep in mind I was a member of the Lego Fan Club when this involved a quarterly booklet with red and black printing, had submitted to building contests, had enough Lego to injure a whole neighbourhood of parental feet, etc.
All that said -- I have a 9yo daughter that I have some mild theological differences with; she likes Lego Friends. Ugh. Why did they have to make different minifigs? Bad enough there are ones without yellow flesh but these things with their e-z pop-off hair and tiny limbs... Okay, anyway, if given the Heartlake Grand Hotel I would find it sufficiently Lego-esque that I would forget about it being too girly and build away (and OMG, look at all the unique pieces). (Also, my kid would have the patience for that, but not the elaborate antiquey "Creator" stuff.)
Finally, the Winter Toy Shop has a nice building (I know, I know, I like building buildings...), lots of people, and some good unusual pieces, and it's very...Christmassy.
I keep wondering why she didn't specify a few sets and then I remember I never did. "But what happens if somebody gets you one you already have?" "Then I'll have more Lego," I said, "and it will still be good."
Does she have any interests that have sets? We have, thanks to side interests, ended up with the Ghostbusters car (very cool, but more display than play), a bunch of Doctor Who sets, and some Minecraft... Oh, and, yes, the train sets are very good, but you generally need extra track, and enough Lego already to have the train actually have somewhere to go to and from; otherwise it's just a train on a circle that...circles. Still somehow fun, but, best for the kid/kidult with a good whack of "City"-type Lego to build up around it.
posted by kmennie at 8:31 PM on October 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
I spent every Xmas for years saying "Lego" and then just "More Lego" when asked what I wanted and then, with mild exasperation, what else. So already had a bevvy of sets and rarely built what the Lego company suggested, and I would have gone nuts about all the different colours in these "Creative" sets.
I was big into building cityscapes with lots of little houses and City Square would have been awesome; it has unique pieces, it has signs, it has a good number of people, it would have been easy to build up my city around it.
However. If they had had these boxes of OMG where you can build old crazy-elaborate row houses/offices I would have been in tears (because of my extreme maturity) if anybody had said "But kmennie, it says it's for ages 16 up." Keep in mind I was a member of the Lego Fan Club when this involved a quarterly booklet with red and black printing, had submitted to building contests, had enough Lego to injure a whole neighbourhood of parental feet, etc.
All that said -- I have a 9yo daughter that I have some mild theological differences with; she likes Lego Friends. Ugh. Why did they have to make different minifigs? Bad enough there are ones without yellow flesh but these things with their e-z pop-off hair and tiny limbs... Okay, anyway, if given the Heartlake Grand Hotel I would find it sufficiently Lego-esque that I would forget about it being too girly and build away (and OMG, look at all the unique pieces). (Also, my kid would have the patience for that, but not the elaborate antiquey "Creator" stuff.)
Finally, the Winter Toy Shop has a nice building (I know, I know, I like building buildings...), lots of people, and some good unusual pieces, and it's very...Christmassy.
I keep wondering why she didn't specify a few sets and then I remember I never did. "But what happens if somebody gets you one you already have?" "Then I'll have more Lego," I said, "and it will still be good."
Does she have any interests that have sets? We have, thanks to side interests, ended up with the Ghostbusters car (very cool, but more display than play), a bunch of Doctor Who sets, and some Minecraft... Oh, and, yes, the train sets are very good, but you generally need extra track, and enough Lego already to have the train actually have somewhere to go to and from; otherwise it's just a train on a circle that...circles. Still somehow fun, but, best for the kid/kidult with a good whack of "City"-type Lego to build up around it.
posted by kmennie at 8:31 PM on October 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: If she has any Minecraft tendencies, those sets are pretty neat.
The Fortrex lives in our house now and is pretty darn awesome.
Many of the Elves sets have dragons, and dragons are cool.
posted by feckless at 8:42 PM on October 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
The Fortrex lives in our house now and is pretty darn awesome.
Many of the Elves sets have dragons, and dragons are cool.
posted by feckless at 8:42 PM on October 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: The Lego Simpsons house is super amazing. I think it's a bit outside your price range, but it was a fun build and I was very impressed with it. The same designer was responsible for the new Disney Castle set, which is way way way outside your price range but also one of the most crazy-deep Lego sets I've ever built.
I'd get her a Creator set, personally. Either a 3-in-1 (which is fun because you can take apart the set and build something else with most of the same pieces - they come with 3 sets of instructions) or one of the Modular Buildings. Or this sweet Christmasy train if they have it.
When I was 8 or 9 I would have been ALL OVER the Elves line though. Maybe a little old for it at 10. If any of the Architecture sets are from your city or a city she loves, that's another option. Oh man and the Friends folks are doing some sweet amusement park rides right now that I'm trying not to let myself buy...
Honestly, there are so many rad Lego sets out there. Anything your daughter is interested in, you can probably find a Lego set that pertains to it. If she has any especial passions you think might be well represented in Lego but you're having a hard time locating them, feel free to Memail me and I'd be happy to try and help.
posted by potrzebie at 9:14 PM on October 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'd get her a Creator set, personally. Either a 3-in-1 (which is fun because you can take apart the set and build something else with most of the same pieces - they come with 3 sets of instructions) or one of the Modular Buildings. Or this sweet Christmasy train if they have it.
When I was 8 or 9 I would have been ALL OVER the Elves line though. Maybe a little old for it at 10. If any of the Architecture sets are from your city or a city she loves, that's another option. Oh man and the Friends folks are doing some sweet amusement park rides right now that I'm trying not to let myself buy...
Honestly, there are so many rad Lego sets out there. Anything your daughter is interested in, you can probably find a Lego set that pertains to it. If she has any especial passions you think might be well represented in Lego but you're having a hard time locating them, feel free to Memail me and I'd be happy to try and help.
posted by potrzebie at 9:14 PM on October 27, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: The volcano sets are pretty cool. I have to say the tank castle does sound sweet too. Space Shuttle if they're into spacey stuff?
posted by EndsOfInvention at 1:31 AM on October 28, 2016
posted by EndsOfInvention at 1:31 AM on October 28, 2016
Best answer: As a bonus, and because all good lego gets built and then dismantled and built into something else, you could look at getting a set of generic Lego pieces - these are good value (price per brick) , and expand the rebuild possibilities. For example extra minifigs are great.
posted by carter at 5:19 AM on October 28, 2016
posted by carter at 5:19 AM on October 28, 2016
Best answer: Thank you everyone. Lots of good ideas. :)
I am heading to legoland later this morning and I will report back.
posted by ian1977 at 5:36 AM on October 28, 2016
I am heading to legoland later this morning and I will report back.
posted by ian1977 at 5:36 AM on October 28, 2016
Best answer: Good luck! Please report back. btw if she gets into Lego, JANGBRiCKS is a great channel for ideas and reviews.
posted by carter at 8:21 AM on October 28, 2016
posted by carter at 8:21 AM on October 28, 2016
Best answer: Seconding the Creator sets. Those are designed with the intent of providing a collection of pieces that are good for more than just making the thing on the box cover. Some of the licensed ones are full of such specific pieces that your options for making entirely new things are limited.
I'll say this though: if your kid loves Lego and your budget is $100, it will be hard to get anything she doesn't have a blast with.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:04 AM on October 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'll say this though: if your kid loves Lego and your budget is $100, it will be hard to get anything she doesn't have a blast with.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 9:04 AM on October 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: So I went to legoland and I had to resist from asking for a special Lego line of credit from my bank.
The creator buildings (theatre, town square, etc) are sooooo cool but also $$$$. The Nexo Knights are very cool but also kinda...busy? I don't know.
The train sets were awesome.
I like the Star Wars stuff a lot. Ewok village? Want. But I was kinda hoping to stay away from licensed stuff.
Ultimately.....I hate to say it guys but I went with Prison Island. It has a tiny shark and a rubber life raft. I keep having visions of my daughter and I playing escape from Alcatraz. I'm guessing that is the intended effect.
They gave me a bonus Advent calendar for signing up for the Lego VIP program or something. It was free. And I'll get $10 store credit. Which almost makes up for the fact that legoland prices are like 10-15% higher than target.
posted by ian1977 at 9:20 AM on October 28, 2016 [3 favorites]
The creator buildings (theatre, town square, etc) are sooooo cool but also $$$$. The Nexo Knights are very cool but also kinda...busy? I don't know.
The train sets were awesome.
I like the Star Wars stuff a lot. Ewok village? Want. But I was kinda hoping to stay away from licensed stuff.
Ultimately.....I hate to say it guys but I went with Prison Island. It has a tiny shark and a rubber life raft. I keep having visions of my daughter and I playing escape from Alcatraz. I'm guessing that is the intended effect.
They gave me a bonus Advent calendar for signing up for the Lego VIP program or something. It was free. And I'll get $10 store credit. Which almost makes up for the fact that legoland prices are like 10-15% higher than target.
posted by ian1977 at 9:20 AM on October 28, 2016 [3 favorites]
If it's not too late, we really enjoyed the Spaceport. Bonus for having the design engineer (the minifigure holding the shuttle plans) be a female. (Points subtracted for a "space shuttle" not actually being a real thing any more.)
posted by caution live frogs at 9:21 AM on October 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by caution live frogs at 9:21 AM on October 28, 2016 [1 favorite]
You can avoid going to Legoland by checking out Lego.com. Also, don't beat yourself up on price, Lego doesn't really go on sale and the Target price (and the Toys R Us price) is generally the same as the price at Legoland. You got a nice bonus. That advent calendar is like $20.
My next task (before Christmas) is to start looking for Lego buy/sell/trade groups. But I have to make space in kiddo's closet first!
posted by vignettist at 3:30 PM on October 28, 2016
My next task (before Christmas) is to start looking for Lego buy/sell/trade groups. But I have to make space in kiddo's closet first!
posted by vignettist at 3:30 PM on October 28, 2016
If you're getting a sea-related set, you could also pick up this little kit (60090 Scuba Scooter) that has an octopus.
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:04 PM on October 28, 2016
posted by LobsterMitten at 10:04 PM on October 28, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
Me: "They're 10."
15yo: "Then that would be pretty much perfect. I think they would really appreciate that set."
He has also expressed appreciation for the Star Wars Rogue 1 sets, and says they have gotten really good reviews, though he has no hands-on experience of them yet.
posted by Orlop at 7:05 PM on October 27, 2016