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Original poster

To ask for some Lego advice

75 replies

GoodAfternoonSeattle · 31/05/2018 21:15

My three year old daughter loves Lego. She has a small box of classic Lego and has exhausted the ideas booklet. We have tried building other stuff but the pieces are such that you can’t build massive amounts other than the stuff in the ideas book.

Payday today so fancied buying her some more Lego but I’ve trawled amazon and I just can’t decide what to buy.

Lego Friends? Another classic box? Which one?

It’s a minefield! What has happened to Lego?!

OP posts:
FreddieMac · 31/05/2018 21:22

Creator sets are good, as is Lego city. Or I would try the Lego elves, that looks really nice. Cheaper (slightly!) than the themed sets which I guess they have to pay liscening on.

Probably another classic box is a good bet. Or Lego juniors? They have nice knight sets which are colourful and fun.

agentdaisy · 31/05/2018 21:24

I'd either get a bigger box of lego classics that's got some different pieces, there's a celebration brick box that has a variety of different pieces, or buy some of the themed sets eg the Disney ones.

Try looking on the official lego store online to see if anything jumps out at you. Then search for the specific set on amazon/argos/smyths toys etc to see if there are better prices for it.

I don't know if it's Rose tinted lenses but lego definitely seemed better when I was a kid. Now there seems to be far too many themed sets that are designed to make one specific thing as opposed to the massive boxes of different pieces I remember from childhood.

Original poster
GoodAfternoonSeattle · 31/05/2018 21:24

Thank you Smile

Another Lego related question for Lego fans. Do you mix all your Lego together or do you keep it in its sets??

OP posts:
Zeze247 · 31/05/2018 21:25

My daughter started out at that age with juniors then moved onto Friends

Original poster
GoodAfternoonSeattle · 31/05/2018 21:25

Thanks that’s exactly how I feel agentdaisy

OP posts:
Idontbelieveinthemoon · 31/05/2018 21:25

The Classic anniversary boxes are great, the DC have recently had the undersea ones and they're fab.

The other ones to try are the City ones. Because you can build vehicles you never run out of things to make and the large baseplates you can buy separately make for fab constructions.

Friends DCs have the Lego Friends sets and to be honest they don't look as much fun as the City stuff.

Zeze247 · 31/05/2018 21:26

My daughter keeps her friends stuff built up in sets. The juniors all got mixed with the basic stuff. Mine is on display - unleash the kragle!!

FASH84 · 31/05/2018 21:28

We picked up a huge box of random Lego pieces in a charity shop for about £20 it really helped build a basic collection, worth checking local selling sites and bootsales too. The licensed sets make nice gifts but once built you funny want to wreck them which defeats the point for kids to me.

Idontbelieveinthemoon · 31/05/2018 21:29

Another Lego related question for Lego fans. Do you mix all your Lego together or do you keep it in its sets??

It depends on the child. Both DC here are very into Lego so over the years we've amassed a lot. DS1 is 12 and has huge ones like the Death Star and Millennium Falcon which he'll never dismantle (I also have the Disney Castle and won't dismantle that til I give it to my Grandchildren). DS2 is younger so isn't as precious about his, but some of his more special ones are on shelves in his room, like BB8 and his X Wings.

I like that they have a mix and can build new creations rather than just having one definite 'toy' from it.

Itsveryhard · 31/05/2018 21:31

I'd not get Lego friends. Neither of my girls liked it and much prefer the Lego sets where you can make and create whatever you want.

Original poster
GoodAfternoonSeattle · 31/05/2018 21:35

There is a part of me that really doesn’t want to buy Lego Friends tbh Blush why does everything have to be “girlified”?

OP posts:
happinessiseggshaped · 31/05/2018 21:35

We have some Lego friends, its OK and sells a lot cheaper than standard lego - hence why we have some!

I would buy some more mixed Lego and buy some more ideas books to be honest. Most of the sets are designed for 5 years up and aren't that creative, its more about following the instructions.

Its often cheaper to buy new on good deals than it is second hand with Lego! Anything more than 20% off is a decent offer but prices vary so worth looking around a lot. Lego holds its value so keep the boxes and instructions.

happinessiseggshaped · 31/05/2018 21:36

And both my kids (7 and 4) mix their sets and it drives me mad. I know other kids who keep sets immaculately made up. That is not my children!

WatchoutDSisdriving · 31/05/2018 21:41

There is a lot of Lego second hand on eBay which is often for better value if it is not for a gift. Check that it states it is from a smoke free home though as we made the mistake once and need up throwing it away as it smelt of smoke.

Our kids mixed it all up and enjoyed making different things with it as well as the initial booklet project.

bookmum08 · 31/05/2018 21:42

The Classic range is best if you want loads of basic bricks and things like windows and doors, wheels for cars etc. They are the ones in the Yellow boxes. There are several different size boxes to choose from currently available. At age 3 she may find it difficult to understand the instructions if you buy a specific set but the Juniors Range (Red boxes) are good for beginning to simple builds with instructions and are a good way to get a supply of people (minifigs /minidolls). The Juniors range has sets linked with the various different ranges - City, Friends, Disney Cars, Disney Princess, Ninjago - and the best thing of course is you can mix them all up together - So if Snow White from the Disney set wants to be a builder using the cement mixer from the City set she can.
I absolutely adore Lego - but I am happy to buy other brands that are compatible. The Blox range sold in Wilkos is good quality (it is also sold in other retailers under the name Bloc Tech and sometimes called Brick to Brick).

BrieAndChilli · 31/05/2018 21:42

DD has lots of Lego friends, she loves it, she loves the riding stables and the houses.
DS age 7 also plays with the friends stuff. (He also has loads of city stuff) plus we have Star Wars, several trains, and loads of generic stuff.

There’s a wide enough variety On the Lego ranges that there’s something for everyone, surely it’s kist as bad to say girls(and boys) CANT have pink and purple Lego as it is to say they can ONLY have it?

I’ve bought DS friends Lego as he loves penguins and the pets range had a penguin set.

DelurkingAJ · 31/05/2018 21:43

We have plastic storage boxes with dividers and try to keep sets together in those with the instructions at the bottom...so all the fire sets are in one box etc. We have an extraordinary amount of Lego (including mine) and DS1 is only 5 so we went for something that could be expanded forever.

delilabell · 31/05/2018 21:45

Ours gets all mixed up . (My dh dies a ltitle buy each time)
I agree with a post about buying a second hand box full from car boot or something. That's how we've collected a lot of ours.
Ds started at 3 and we'd just sit together and build (mine was always a house Blush ) I'd also recommend a couple of the boards (wilkos sell there version in a pack of 4 I think for about £8 and it's compatible unlike there "lego" which is crap)

DumbledoresApprentice · 31/05/2018 21:47

My lego sets are kept in completed sets on shelves... but then I’m in my 30s. Grin Even as a kid I wouldn’t mix my favourite sets in with the random bricks though. I liked to have some stuff that I could do what I liked with but I wouldn’t like to mix up the pieces from my favourite sets. I’d go with lego creator or lego city stuff for a kid.
I collect the lego architecture sets but they are more aimed at adults and the sets are made of all the tiny fiddly bricks and studs and are no good for making other stuff with IMO.

OhTheTastyNuts · 31/05/2018 21:47

At that age my DC loved Lego Mixels. They are discontinued now but available on eBay. If you buy three creatures from the same family you can then 'max' them into a new creation. Hours of fun!

agentdaisy · 31/05/2018 21:47

Isontbelieveinthemoon I have serious lego envy. I'd give my right arm and possibly a dc for the big millenium falcon and/or death star but can't justify the expense right now.

It depends on the child as to whether they keep sets separate or mix them. Ds and dd2 build their sets and then chuck it all together whereas dd1 keeps every set separate. I build mine and put it on display.

My dds didn't rate the lego friends too much either tbh. They said they're okay but too girly and pink, they preferred the star wars/elves/disney ones.

I'd stick with the creator type boxes for now as they give more scope for imagination. Ds2 is 5 and likes building his siblings sets but prefers the classics types as he likes building whatever he feels like, usually strange looking aliens and dinosaurs.

agnurse · 31/05/2018 21:47

If she is 3 she might do best with Lego juniors.

My stepdaughter quite liked LEGO Friends.

EqualityIllusion · 31/05/2018 21:49

There's a great 3-in-1 dinosaur set that's about £15 I think.

I don't like the Friends range.

User467 · 31/05/2018 21:50

I have a Lego daft DS. We don't keep in sets it was too difficult. He plays with it most days and loves creating his own things. I went a bit crazy trying to keep it organised so I popped to Ikea and made a Lego station! Different drawers for different colours and a few wee tubs for the smaller bits (he has collected a lot of Lego over a few years worth of birthdays and xmas). I love it!

DS is into specific themes, ninjago nexo knights so we go mostly for that but started with Lego city. I'm also not a fan of Lego friends although my DD does love it. It infuriates me that in our local toy shop all other Lego is in the construction aisle but friends is in the pink barbie aisle.....why?

If you're dd isn't into specific sets then you can get good bundles on gumtree, much cheaper way of adding to your collection . I've also bought a few specific sets off gumtree but only when they have a pic of it built up

bookmum08 · 31/05/2018 21:54

Itsveryhard you can 'make and create' whatever you want out of ALL the Lego sets even the Friends ones. The instructions aren't compulsary! I have built a Friends style space ship, I am currently creating a canal barge out of a Spongebob set, I turned a little car set (probably about 20 pieces) into a robot.