How we pick our products
LEGO blocks have been a staple of children’s childhood for over half a century. A Danish company founded in 1930, and becoming established and famous by 1949, it’s now a household name and we guarantee that nearly everyone has played with LEGO in their lifetimes. These coloured blocks have a wide variety of sizes and shapes, and nowadays you can get playsets which are designed to make a specific thing, such as a skyline, aeroplanes, even Harry Potter sets!
If you’re just starting on your LEGO journey, or if your child is really into it and need another set or maybe your child loves Disney and you want to introduce them to LEGO Disney? Well, whatever the reason may be, we’ve got you covered with this ultimate guide, where we have rankings of the best LEGO sets on the market, reviews of these products, and lots of hints, tips and info so you can choose the best one for you. Let’s get started!
Contents
First things first
- LEGO is a company dedicated to the construction of toys and is known worldwide thanks to its famous product, the building blocks of bright colours. Today, they are made from bioplastics, so their material is derived from plant products.
- LEGO is suitable for children from 1 year of age and there are larger pieces available to prevent them from being swallowed, such as LEGO DUPLO. LEGO is available up until adulthood, with more complex models and a very advanced number of pieces, such is the case of LEGO Creator Expert.
- There is such a wide variety of shapes and models of this well-known toy, so it is easily adaptable to the interests of your little ones (or yours!). Some of the top sellers are LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Great Hall, LEGO City Transport Train and LEGO Star Wars.
The best LEGO in the UK
We’ve had a look at the different LEGO sets on the market, analysed prices and customer reviews, and come up with this comprehensive list of the best in the UK. You can see each of our favourite LEGO sets in the selection below, alongside a little description of each product. We’re certain that by the end of this ultimate guide, you will have chosen the best LEGO set for you and your child!
- LEGO 60218 City Great Vehicles Desert Rally Racer Construction Set for Kids
- LEGO 60215 City Fire Station Building Set
- LEGO 10698 Classic Large Creative Brick Box Construction Set
- LEGO 21034 Architecture London Skyline Building Set
- LEGO 60138 City Police High Speed Chase Playset
LEGO 60218 City Great Vehicles Desert Rally Racer Construction Set for Kids
First up, we have Amazon’s Choice for LEGO, which is the City Great Vehicles set for kids. This fab set features a sturdy race car with an opening roof, large front air intake and adjustable rear spoiler. The car also has chunky tyres so it’s very realistic. It also has a racecar driver mini-figure and a scorpion figure which is perfect for anyone who loves racing and desert scenes.
One of the cheapest LEGO products on the market, this is perfect for anyone who is getting started in the world of LEGO, or if you have children and you want to keep them entertained and allow them to build their motor and spatial skills but you’re on a budget. What’s more, you can also use this as an add on to any other LEGO sets that you have, so you can make any other set that little bit more fun! What more could you want?
LEGO 60215 City Fire Station Building Set
Next up we have this fabulous feature-packed fire station set. This is truly a classic LEGO set and it comes with a three-level fire station with an office, relaxation room and scout tower, a small waterside dock, a separate garage and a landing pad. If you thought that’s all, you’re wrong! It also has an off-road vehicle with a stud-shooting fire hose and working light, buildable drone, a spinning drone with rotating camera and a fire station dog figure!
This is the perfect set for any child who is creative, imaginative, loves being a little engineer, loves all things fire station and firefighter related, and loves to be an everyday hero. With endless role-play possibilities, this set will bring your child or even yourself hours of fun!
LEGO 10698 Classic Large Creative Brick Box Construction Set
Now we have a set of LEGO that is essential for anyone of any age who loves LEGO. This is the classic brick box set, and you know that anyone can have hours of fun with this. These LEGO bricks come in 33 different colours and the box contains 790 pieces, including eight different types of windows and doors with eight different frames. You also get baseplates, sets of eyes, tyres and wheel trims – so when we say that the possibilities are endless, they truly are!
This set of LEGO classic pieces is compatible with all LEGO construction sets, and it is at a really great price on Amazon and it has hundreds of five-star reviews, including some titled “perfect starter set for little engineers”, “great value” and “hours of fun”. So there’s no excuse for you to have this in your home!
LEGO 21034 Architecture London Skyline Building Set
Now we have a truly unique LEGO set, where you can build a detailed model of London’s skyline. This set is amazing and is a must-have for anyone who is interested in models and in cities. What more could you want than to build a model set of one of the biggest, most famous and most metropolitan cities in the world?
This set features the National Gallery, Nelson’s Column, London Eye, Big Ben and Tower Bridge and it includes a collectable booklet which has lots of interesting and thrilling information about the design, architecture and history of each building featured. This makes this LEGO set perfect for kids and even adults who are interested in architecture and design. An exciting set which features 468 pieces means that it will keep you or your kids entertained for a very long time!
LEGO 60138 City Police High Speed Chase Playset
Last but certainly not least, we have this police high-speed chaster set, which is the number one bestseller on Amazon. This set is at a very good price and is very often on offer on Amazon, so grab one while you can! This set features a police helicopter toy, a police pursuit car toy and a sports car full of stolen loot, so your children can have hours of fun recreating police scenes and being as imaginative and creative as they want!
Additionally, the police helicopter features spinning motors, a removable cockpit canopy and a lowering winch with hook. As with the other LEGO sets, this one comes with a wealth of accessories including handcuffs, walkie-talkies, money bill, even a buildable barrier, so your children can create many scenes including pursuit scenes, bank-robbing scenes, speed chasers and you can even catch the thieves with the winch!
Shopping Guide: Everything need to know about LEGO
You’ve seen the best LEGO sets on the market, now it’s time for the buying part. You’ll have to consider a series of different aspects that go well beyond price when the time comes to buy LEGO for yourself, friends or family. If you or someone you know is interested in LEGO, then we’ve put together this fab list of things we recommend that you think about before making your purchase. We’ve also got a list of the most frequently asked questions by people who are considering buying LEGO and we’ve answered them, so by the end of this section, any remaining doubts will be dispelled and any remaining questions will be answered. Let’s dive right in.
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What is LEGO?
What ages are LEGO blocks suitable for?
| Ages | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| 1 – 2 years | Blocks that are larger and do not contain small pieces that can be swallowed. Brightly coloured, simple pieces like farm animals, that can be added to scenes to create things like farm settings, houses etc easily. |
| 3 – 5 years | Sets that are a little more complicated and that have more pieces than basic models. These sets are called “LEGO Juniors”. |
| 6 – 8 years | At this age, children will start to be more interested in themed LEGO sets, such as Marvel, Disney etc. |
| 9 – 11 years | Now’s the time for more elaborate sets which are more complex and take longer to make. These are great because children of this age tend to have longer attention spans than younger children and can entertain themselves. |
| 12+ years | The most advanced construction sets with hundreds or thousands of pieces, mechanisms and lighting are perfect for people who are 12 years and above. |
What types of LEGO sets are there?
- LEGO DUPLO
- LEGO Toy Story
- LEGO City
- LEGO Classic
- LEGO Disney
- LEGO Star Wars
- LEGO Marvel
- LEGO Juniors
- LEGO Jurassic World
- LEGO Friends
- LEGO Creator
- LEGO Harry Potter
- LEGO Creator Expert
- LEGO Architecture
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Are there any benefits of playing with LEGO?
- Improves fine motor skills because children use their hands to play with the pieces which improves coordination.
- Improves concentration since they have to concentrate as to put the pieces together well enough so that it doesn’t fall over or fall apart.
- Helps to improve maths skills because children have to organise and count pieces, especially if it’s a set that comes with specific pieces to build a specific thing, like the London skyline, for example.
- Increases creativity because children can make anything they want to out of a set of LEGO bricks!
- It reduces stress because what is stressful about spending time by yourself or with friends and building your own games?
- Acquire awareness of space because children have to gauge how to build things like houses – they have to work out how many blocks can fit in a certain space, etc.
- LEGO encourages teamwork because there’s nothing better than working together to create something fun and exciting that children can continue to play with even after it’s finished.
What material are LEGO blocks made of?
Since 1964 they have used ABS plastic which is free of toxins and more resistant to high temperatures. Since 2010 they have been working with bioplastics only, which are plastics derived from vegetable products such as soy, corn or potato starch. As a result, they are a reliable and safe product for children.
Should I play LEGO with my children?
Something to watch out for though is that you don’t end up doing the complicated parts for them all the time – it’s good to guide them, but also give them the task to construct harder builds so that they can work the problems out for themselves and feel a sense of accomplishment when they’ve finished.
Shopping Criteria
When you’re thinking about buying LEGO, it’s important to think about lots of things. Luckily for you, we’ve done all the hard work. We’ve summed them up below – take a look!
- How old is my child?
- What is my child interested in?
- Is the LEGO set good value for money?
- Is it a special edition?
- How many people will be playing?
How old is my child?
Probably the most important and obvious aspect to consider before purchasing a LEGO building block model is the age of the child.
For example, when buying this LEGO for children from 1 to 2 years old there are the LEGO DUPLO models. For older children from 6 to 8 years old, there is LEGO Disney, LEGO Star Wars or LEGO Friends. As for the older, more experienced kids, we there is the LEGO Creator Expert, LEGO Harry Potter or LEGO Architecture. Don’t get one which is designed for the wrong age group, since it can leave them feeling bored or patronised if it’s too easy, and frustrated if it’s too difficult.
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What is my child interested in?
There are many types of LEGO so you’re guaranteed to find one that fits with your child’s interests. Also, if you want to buy a gift for someone you don’t know too well, LEGO classic is a great option.
Whatever your child likes – there’ll be a LEGO set for them! Do they like Disney? Perfect! Get them a Toy Story set. Do they like Marvel? We’ll, the SuperHeroes set will keep them entertained for hours! You get our drift, there is something for everyone.
Is the LEGO set good value for money?
LEGO is great value for money – when you get the original LEGO brand, you know that you’re getting a good quality product, made of materials which are safe for kids and sets with unique designs. LEGO construction sets tend to cost between £12 and £20. There are the more complex models which have thousands of pieces such as the LEGO Technic Rough Terrain Crane which can cost up to £200, but these can be used hundreds of times and can be passed down the family!
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Is it a special edition?
If your child has a specific interest in a film franchise, certain cities or certain brands of cars, then special edition LEGO sets are perfect for them. Some of the most famous themes available are Disney, Star Wars or Harry Potter.
It is also possible to find very limited editions which are hard to come by, but which every collector would like to have. For example the LEGO Volkswagen T1, the Sydney Opera House or the Taj Mahal.
How many people will be playing?
If you are going to buy a LEGO set, it is recommended getting one that can be played by more than just one person. This will encourage teamwork, cooperation and support. There is even a specialised set for adults called LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY, with the aim of creating a better working environment by using these blocks in company meetings.
Summary
LEGO is one of the most famous brands in the world: it has been around for decades, and everyone has played with LEGO at some point in their lives, so much so that it is an important part of many people’s childhoods. Nowadays, there are thousands of types of LEGO and they’re all wonderful, so much fun and so beneficial for children. LEGO is also made from safe plastics so you don’t have to worry about your children spending hours playing with plastic that could be harmful to heir health.
Thanks for reading! If you liked this ultimate guide and found it useful, leave us a comment in the section below and tell us which LEGO construction set was your favourite when you were a child, or tell us what your child’s favourite set is! You can also share it on your social media so more of your friends and their families, friends or children can experience the true joy that is playing with LEGO! Enjoy and happy building!
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