My sister and I played for hours, sprawled out in different positions on the floor. Sunday afternoons were dedicated in this fashion: a large sheet rumbled on the ground with piles of Lego around us. It’s one of my strongest play memories, and we still talk about those times to this day. Now I’m the parent, and it’s my turn to watch my kids form friendships through play.
Toys that encourage a special bond are at the top of my list, and Lego in particular, is fabulous. I’ve purchasedLego Friends sets before because my daughters resonate with the designs and characters, and the cute collections have become a wonderful addition to our extensive Lego collection.
Lego Friends are designed to engage girls with relatable stories that facilitate friendships, and encourage the joy of creating and building with Lego. Set in Heartlake City, the five main characters are Mia, Stephanie, Emma, Andrea and Olivia. Below is a snapshot of their personalities and interests:
- Olivia is friendly and intelligent; she likes reading, hiking, nature, and science.
- Mia is helpful and caring; she likes animals, magic, sports and playing the drums.
- Stephanie is confident and down to earth; she likes baking, ballet, soccer and organising parties.
- Emma is kind and fashionable; she likes designing clothes, cars and horseback riding.
- Andrea is practical and dramatic; she likes singing, dancing, acting and cooking.
I’m featuring some of the new sets for 2015:
- Heartlake Lighthouse (41094)
- Vet Clinic (41085)
- Mia’s Roadster (41091)
- Little Foal (41098)
- Olivia’s Garden Pool (41090)
You can find individual mini reviews over on my YouTube Channel.
There’s an attention to detail in these sets which my daughters adore. It’s the chain that holds the boat to the lighthouse and the indoor toilet. They LOVE the toilet. Ha! It’s the cherry for the glass and the different ice-cream flavours. It’s the heart shaped pool and the way the x-ray machine in the animal clinic moves. It’s so fun to play with!
Heartlake Lighthouse
Set on the lake, there’s ice cream to eat and fun to be had in the water.
* This set comes with 2 figures, Kate (on the far left) and Stephanie (second from the right)
Vet Clinic
Groom, care and play, the clinic has it all.
Mia’s Roadster
Fill the car with petrol; wash and fix it.
Olivia’s Garden Pool
The pool is a heart shape! Refreshments, music and a slide means a fun time.
Little Foal
All you need to feed and care for the foal.
Figures
Figures come with cute flowers, sunglasses and hats so you can change up the looks.
Now, I’m not exaggerating when I say the girls played with the sets for 7 hours straight, with a 10-minute break for lunch. It started with creating, and then playing, and later, I set up a tent in the backyard and gave the girls afternoon tea there. I had to go out and drag them in for dinner. The girls agreed it was “the best day”. The fun and enjoyment continues, and that’s the beauty of Lego.
I’m sharing five ideas on how to facilitate friendships with Lego Friends below.
1. Play Dates
Make a backyard tent for play dates or just for somewhere different to play. This is deceptively easy to set up, and friends could take their Lego bricks outdoors and have a cute picnic. Find step-by-step instructions for setting up a simple sheet tent here.
2. Travel
Create travel sets for holidays, parks and playgrounds. Print a paper play mat, throw it in a cute box and take Lego Friends anywhere. Download the printable lake for the boat here.
3. Parties
Have a Lego Friends inspired birthday party.
- Lego Brick Cake with mini cardboard flat bunting.
- Make mini Lego Brick gift bags by attaching 6 circle shapes with double sided mounting tape to a paper gift bag. This makes it look like a Lego brick. Inside the bags you could include a Lego Friends Mini Figure, a lollipop and gel pens
- Build a Lego brick cutlery holder. This is easy to make – simply build a box shape with an empty centre and pop your cutlery in.
- Download lego Friends colouring pages and set up a table with drawing items.
- Serve cheese blocks: cubes of cheese with a pretzel stick handle.
- Bake brick biscuits: rectangle iced biscuits with the same coloured smarties on top.
- ‘Paint’ a favourite Friend character on marshmallows (tutorial here).
4. Craft
Couple play with craft and make cute matchbox beds. Printable here.
5. Room Set Up
I notice my daughters enjoy setting up Lego in their room as decoration (and for play). The Heartlake Lighthouse in particular looks absolutely adorable and you set it up on a blue paper to extend that water look.
You can find a range of Lego Friends sets to buy on Amazon.
The heart of Lego Friends is friendship. It’s about building, creating, imagination, and bonding through play. And that is why it’s a top gift idea and on that note, here’s a giveaway!
Giveaway
GIVEAWAY ENDED
I’m giving away 3 Lego prize packs over the next three weeks (1 winner per week). Each pack will contain:
- Lego Friends Bunny & Babies
- Lego Friends Olivia’s Garden Pool
- Lego Friends Vet Clinic
To enter, simply leave a comment below with the answer to this question: Who would you give the prize pack Lego set to and why? and end your entry with #LegoFriendsLove.
Open from 9:01 am Australian Eastern Standard Time on Wednesday 29 April 2015 and ending Sunday 17 May 2015 AEST. Please read the full terms and conditions here.
90 Comments
Lucinda Tooth
April 30, 2015 at 9:43 pmI’d give my soon to be 7 year old a set and in turn she will pass it on to her baby sister once she has learnt not to eat it!! X
Rachael Stokes
April 30, 2015 at 9:56 pmI would give it to my nearly 5 year old daughter. She loves building, making scenes, lots of imaginary play and as a recently single Mum, we have just moved house, this would be a great little pick me up present for her and a box that certainly won’t sit unopened. #LegoFriendsLove
Kylie-anne Stewart
April 30, 2015 at 10:09 pmI would give this to my nine year old daughter. She absolutely loves lego friends and plays with it for hours. She even manages to get her big brother (12) to join in on the fun. #LegoFriendsLove
Fiona
April 30, 2015 at 10:41 pmI would give it to my kids, Lego is the go to toy in my house. My Daughter (7) and Son (4) spend hours playing lego together and have requested it as their main present for Christmas and Birthdays since each were 2yo (Mmn and Dad like to get involved too)
Jodi
April 30, 2015 at 11:44 pmI would give this to my almost 4 year old daughter. She LOVES her small collection of Lego. Her daddy introduced her to the joys of playing with Lego with sets that he has and I look forward to expanding our collection as she grows. She also loves watching the Lego Friends tv series which emphasises those themes of creativity, friendship and teamwork. #LegoFriendsLove
Lisa
May 1, 2015 at 5:42 amGreat story! I like your ideas for a Lego party. Also… We visited a Lego ‘fair’ in booval over the holidays called ‘switch bricks’ and they hire out their Lego for parties 🙂 my soon to be 7 year old and 5 year old are already planning their next party 🙂 so if we won the prize I think you know I’m gonna keep it because deep down we all still love our Lego (JK: I’d give it to my 5yo to share with big sis – it would be her first big kids Lego 🙂
Lisa
May 1, 2015 at 5:45 amGreat story! I like your ideas for a Lego party. Also… We visited a Lego ‘fair’ in booval over the holidays called ‘switch bricks’ and they hire out their Lego for parties my soon to be 7 year old and 5 year old are already planning their next party so if we won the prize I think you know I’m gonna keep it because deep down we all still love our Lego (JK: I’d give it to my 5yo to share with big sis – it would be her first big kids Lego
#legofriendslove
Claire Hipkins
May 1, 2015 at 8:07 amI would give it to my sons. They have a very small collection of lego and I reckon all lego is for both sexes. They love it regardless.
Jess
May 1, 2015 at 8:24 amI would give the prize to my 3 year old daughter, to strengthen her growing imagination and to develop her independent play but importantly to establish in my daughters that no toys are gender specific and they can do whatever they want. #LegoFriendsLove.
Anneta
May 1, 2015 at 9:06 amMy 6 and 4 year old girls would love to play with those ! They have just discovered Lego friends and it’s lovely watching them bond and make up wonderful stories and play (well together!) for hours.
Joanna
May 1, 2015 at 10:41 amI would give it to my daughter who turned 5 yesterday. She has recently discovered Lego Friends through a friend at school and loves it. She can sit and play quietly with it for hours. So much better than watching TV. Listening to her dialogues is so amusing too. #LegoFriendsLove
Lauri
May 1, 2015 at 12:37 pmI would give this to my sons, to give to his best friend Amelia! She is the most beautiful little girl, caring, sensitive and generous. My son adores giving gifts so they would both be rapt and get to enjoying playing with it together.
Thanks for the fabulous Lego ideas!!
Virginia
May 1, 2015 at 5:58 pmI’d give it to my little girl, my son is always being given Lego at Birthdays which she does enjoy too, but making dresses for Han Solo and C3PO had its limitations! #legofriendslove
Elise
May 2, 2015 at 5:28 pmMy little 3 year old is turning 4 next week and is definitely ready for some fun, slightly more grownup lego! We love duplo, but I know she would enjoy having quiet big sister time away from her baby brother to play with some girly lego.
Elise
May 2, 2015 at 5:29 pm!! Forgot 🙂 #LegoFriendsLove
Shannon Chant
May 4, 2015 at 9:33 amI would give it to my 7 year old daughter. She is often playing Lego with my 4 year old son and helping him build his creations. It would be great for her to have her own ones to build
Chelsea
May 4, 2015 at 9:39 ami would give the prize to my 6 yr old daughter. My favourite moments are seeing her drag her Lego into her 8yr old brothers room where they sit for hours playing together. Lego friends blend amazingly well into the Star Wars and chima worlds. I love peering into the room and seeing their imaginations at work! I know these moments won’t last forever do I am enjoying them now!
Bec Walsh
May 4, 2015 at 9:49 amI’d give it to my 5 year old daughter. She is ready to move on from duplo but her little sisters still use the duplo. This lego would be similarly shared once they reached the appropriate stage.
Cassanda
May 4, 2015 at 10:10 amWithout doubt my 10 year old daughter, she loves Lego friends and can lose the day creating. Can never have too much pink lego (unless it is under your feel but give me a day of tip toeing around lego over computer screens any day)! #legofriendslove
Peta
May 4, 2015 at 10:41 amI would love to give a set to our 7yr old, she loves Lego and plays with hers every day. Her 5yr old sister brings her duplo in and they play together.
#LegoFriendsLove
Charlie
May 4, 2015 at 11:38 amI would love to gift Lego Friends to my 5yr old daughter. She still enjoys Duplo with her little brother but I LOVE that this type of play encourages creativity and can incorporate everyday items too without all the pressures that many other ‘girl’ toys on the market put on little girls to be grown up! #LegoFriendsLove
Gayle
May 4, 2015 at 1:09 pmI’d give it to my son and daughter who spent the weekend building and playing Lego . My son built a meccano plane that became the rescue plane
Caroline
May 4, 2015 at 2:31 pmi live in Zimbabwe, so i would give it to my good friend’s two beautiful daughters who live near Perth! my boys love Lego, it encourages teamwork, patience and imagination! (Lego also encourages patience in Mum when I step on a few stray blocks late Au night!)
Kerrie
May 4, 2015 at 8:00 pmIf we were lucky enough to win the “big people’s little bricks” I would sneak it to my beautiful oldest daughter Bridget(6). With two younger brothers and a sister we have only encouraged Duplo at this stage and they all absolutely adore it but often Bridget’s grand designs are sabotaged by a little wrecker. I can imagine how much Bridget would love locking herself in the study, cubby or up in our tree house and playing Lego Friends with her dad (the current Duplo King). She would feel very grown up and special.
Jodie
May 4, 2015 at 8:42 pmI would give it too my youngest daughter who is 5 as she sneaks into her big sisters room to play with her Lego and friends set. She would feel so grown up to have her own set. #legofriendslove
Karin Gillman
May 4, 2015 at 10:42 pmI would give it to my beautiful daughter Alice. She plays with her big brother Finn’s lego, but he’s not always great at sharing it. It would be really nice for her to have some that was hers, and maybe that would help them play together (we can always dream). #legofriendslove
Amy
May 5, 2015 at 1:25 amMy daughter Taylor would be the one I give this to if I won. She loves Lego friends and spends a lot of time playing with her sets.
Ashlee Petch
May 5, 2015 at 2:04 amCreative ideas! I would give it to my 4yo daughter Amelia who loves Lego Friends lego and episodes. She has a beautiful mind and a passion for people. Lego friends encourage her to be the best of herself, and I love seeing her create her masterpieces. She would be so happy. ##legofriendslove
Natasha Munns
May 5, 2015 at 2:08 pmhi Kell! I would give it to Miss 10, who MIGHT even let me help her build it (or at least, pass her the pieces she needs…) #LegoFriendsLove
Steph Watson
May 5, 2015 at 4:13 pmI would give it to my 5yr old (6 in 15 sleeps, she keeps telling me) as she absolutely loves her lego, she’ll sit and play for hours, taking all her sets apart and using her instructions to put it all back together by herself! Love the ideas above for some different lego play!
#LegoFriendsLove
Melanie McCoy
May 8, 2015 at 8:29 pmMy 4 year old daughter. She amazes me with her attention when playing with legos.
Anthea
May 11, 2015 at 10:27 amI would love to share this great prize with my 5 yr old daughter. She loves watching her brother create and build for hours. This prize would allow her to join in and play in her own imaginary world. It brings me great joy to see them at the table playing together with their lego and to see her beaming smile as she starts her own collection. #LegoFriendsLove
Claire Goldsmith
May 12, 2015 at 11:14 amI’d give these to my little Miss Five – I have so many happy memories of playing Lego with my brother, well into my teens. It has always been the best toy for imaginative kids and I love all the new incarnations.
Hannah Karpinski
May 12, 2015 at 7:52 pmI loved lego when I was younger. I’d give the set to my eldest niece as she is homeschooled and loves making and creating things 🙂
travis
May 12, 2015 at 7:55 pmI would give the lego to my daughter who loves to build up tall buildings #legofriendslove
Helen Bonnage
May 12, 2015 at 8:11 pmI would give the set to my girls; Miah 7 and Safara 5. Working out lego together provides them with not only hours of fun but also the all important sibling rivalry is put on the back burner while they are immersed in one of their most favourite past times (especially when it’s due to snow here tomorrow and theres no going outside to find frogs in that kind of weather;-)
Helen Bonnage
May 12, 2015 at 8:13 pmwoops forgot to end with the all important #Legofriendslove
Helen Bonnage
May 12, 2015 at 8:14 pmI would give the set to my girls; Miah 7 and Safara 5. Working out lego together provides them with not only hours of fun but also the all important sibling rivalry is put on the back burner while they are immersed in one of their most favourite past times (especially when it’s due to snow here tomorrow and theres no going outside to find frogs in that kind of weather;-) #Legofriendslove
Tammy
May 12, 2015 at 9:08 pmI would give it to my 4 year old daughter. I don’t recall there being any girls themed Lego when I was growing up. I played a little with my brother’s Lego, but I would have loved the Friends range. It’s girly but wholesome and better yet, helps their development especially dexterity. #LegoFriendsLove
haley
May 13, 2015 at 9:17 amI would give the sets to my two beautiful girls who are 5(almost) and 8(almost). They are lego mad. they grew up with duplo and now are really loving all the girls lego. my oldest has adhd and dispraxia and lego has helped her fine motor skills. thanks for giving us the chance to entre this 🙂 #legofriendslove