Getting into lego...best starter set? your favourite/maost played with sets?

[tassisssss]

Think we're going to bite the bullet and start ds' lego collection for his 5th b'day. I've been looking at various starter sets, but wondered if anyone had any top suggestions of what to get or avoid?

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MNHQ Update
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I think it is just something that builds up!
Someone brought ds a city fire helicopter for xmas when he had just turned 4, and he got a few other city fire things.
ATM (5.5) he is into the Mars Mission and Exo-Force sets.
My mum got him a set for xmas which had loads of normal blocks, vehicle chassis, wheels, etc. Think Argos has it for £20.

Ds started getting into Lego at about 4/5. He likes the Lego City sets, e.g. Fire, Police, construction. He isn't really into Star Wars, etc. Most Lego city is suitable from age 5.

He also has a bucket of various bricks, with an ideas leaflet, but doesn't use it as much as the City sets.

Argos do a tub with about 2000 bricks in it for about £20. it has allsorts from nomral building blocks to pieces that can be used to make cars and houses.

Its excellent value.

what does he like? mine like the Star wars, bionicles and racers

some of the sets are complicated and once DH has finished putting them together DS 6 usually breaks them in about 8 seconds. The famous Christmas Lego building epic afternoon when it took DH about five hours to build enormous crane which collapsed as soon as DS touched it! (I laughed, secretly).

Buy a few flat sheets and a big box of misc lego and a box of misc vehicles so you can build more and have lots of wheels and wheelbases to use.

Bionicles are good though, DS loves his, and you can create lots of good creatures.

he likes vehicles and when at my mums and playing with our old stuff enjoyed the house and roof pieces.

Chasing Squirrels, your box sounds great, would you mind checking what it's called please? Thanks for suggesting argos as I'd not looked there and I'm liking their "ultimate vehicles tub".

mamazon, could you tell me your box's name too please?

Thanks!

My DS designed his own lego helicopter and the box it came in on the lego website - that is really good.

it was the ultimate vehicles one, think it was around £20 but not sure as she didn't actually buy it - she used some points they get for something and got it online from somewhere (waffle waffle).

(florida, the christmas afternoon scenario you describe is exactly what I'm dreading and why I've been putting off the transition from duplo for as long as possible!)

My ds started with the racers and has built up from there. He's not great at following the instructions to build anything himself (I have to do that) but he makes lots of his own vehicles out of all the bits.
I'd say either go for several racers (which can then be combined) or one big thing that has lots of wheels (so can make your own little vehicles).

Any of the themed stuff (indiana jones etc) seems to be less good value (in terms of no of pieces) than the main city stuff.

The lego website is great and has lots of good games too! In fact, I've just been playing the indiana jones game .

ditto the website, ds loves it.

I think playing and building and using the old imagination is far less frustrating for all concerned rather than trying to make a crane or the Millenium Falcon (£359 in the lego shop by the way!)

definitely a bucket!! weve had loads of bucets over the years now we have a load of bricks in a huge lidded box .....when it comes down from the attic(we rotate certain toys) everyone gets involved in a construction project.

If he likes vehicles, definitely get something that has wheels. I think that's why my ds doesn't play with the bucket so much - it didn't include any wheels.

Califrau, don't see a red bucket. Which blue one would you suggest? Is the smallest one enough? Is there enough to do with the(larger) bucket alone or will I need to supplement with sets? My impression was that there were loads of basic bricks but not a lot of the more interesting bits? Do all the buckets come with a booklet of ideas?

He already has a very basic set of the megabloks version of lego but hasn't played with it a huge lot (only basic bricks). He much preferred by mum's bit bucket which has tonnoes of vehicle and house bits. I was hoping to bung the megablocks stuff and the real lego in together but see this may not be ideal.

I would recommend some basic brick sets to get him going.The lego city stuff is really good if you want sets. Some base boards are always good to have too. ds has almost an entire city going on(he is lego obsessed).
Have you looked on the website?
The train set is really good.

tassis, don't hate me, but of all the Lego we have collected over the years, the most enjoyed has been Jack Stone, which has been discontinued but pops up on eBay all the time.
Jack Stone figures, the Jack Stone aeroplane...and then the ordinary bricks as everyone else suggests
The other themed sets have all been a waste of time tbh

I should have made that IME califrau
Lego is much loved in our house but all themed sets are immediately and alarmingly bastardised!

thanks all!

think i'll drag dh round toys r us and the amazon/argos sites next week when he's on holiday and let him decide.