The best Lego sets aren't just the ones that will make your kids squeal with delight once they see the box. The true mark is how they put it together and how long they enjoy it once the initial building is done. Most sets give a blueprint with simple, step-by-step instructions. While some kids follow these instructions to the letter, others see them as guidelines and free-build their way to something completely unique."The beauty of Lego is that you can do both: you can slavishly follow the set instructions, one step at a time, or you can chuck them aside and create something entirely new," says Dr. Jon Sutton, a Lego enthusiast and the managing editor of "The Psychologist" for the British Psychological Society. "Some people bemoan the fact that the sets [are] more about building the latest movie tie-in than it used to be. I'm not sure I agree: it's good for kids to have the opportunity to do both set and free-building, and in my experience they do. And when I see how my boys play with Lego -- together, constructively, literally building on each other's ideas -- it makes all the money I've spent on Legos feel worthwhile!"
While the branded sets come and go based on popularity of movies and licensed characters, the best ones are the free-building sets that keep kids and adults coming back, according to Karen Nolan, who handles public relations for Lego. "Lego City, Lego Friends, Lego Star Wars, Lego Duplo and Lego Classic have been some of our best sellers this year -- in fact, year over year."Pick up some of those top toys, or try one of these best Lego sets for kids:1) Lego Juniors Fire SuitcaseThe Lego Juniors Fire Suitcase is a great carrying case for fun with vehicles and mini figures on the go.2) Lego Juniors Pirate Treasure Hunt SetKids get a quick start and lots of imaginative play options with the Lego Juniors Pirate Treasure Hunt Set.3) Lego Classic Medium Creative Brick BoxStart your kids' collection with the 484 assorted pieces, a storage box and building ideas found in the Lego Classic Medium Creative Brick Box.4) Lego Education Community Mini FiguresCreated for the school setting, the Lego Education Community Mini Figures set satisfies even the most Lego-obsessed kid out there, letting them build their own people to populate all of their worlds.5) Lego Education Vehicles SetStart at the beginning with all the transportation vehicles your children can imagine in this 934-piece Lego Education Vehicles Set.
At just over $100, the price tag seems hefty but you'll never have to buy a Lego City set again.6) Lego Friends Heartlake Shopping MallA complete experience for hours of building and pretend play, the Lego Friends Heartlake Shopping Mall is perfect for a kid who's into shopping.7) Lego City Camper VanImagination and adventure await with the Lego City Camper Van, which also comes with a canoe.8) Lego Magikus Board GameBuild and play the best Lego Magikus Board Game, which also happens to be magic-themed.9) Lego Superheroes Batman: Man-Bat AttackEvery Batman fan needs a Batcopter and Batman figure. The Lego Superheroes Batman: Man-Bat Attack comes complete with villains and a crisis scenario.10) Lego Creator Treehouse 3-in-1Treehouse, lakeside hut, farmyard barn -- let the kids decide with the Lego Creator Treehouse 3-in-1.11) Lego Creator Power MechThe Lego Creator Power Mech features 3-in-1 transformation from a giant robot to a helicopter and a pickup truck.12) Lego Superheroes Knowhere Escape Building SetKids dig deep into "Guardians of the Galaxy" with the Lego Superheroes Knowhere Escape Building Set.
It includes a trap door, catapult, poseable figures and lots of weaponry.13) Lego Star Wars AT-AT SetFans of Star Wars will love creating their own interactive armored snow vehicle, complete with weapons and snow troopers, in the Lego Star Wars AT-AT set.14) Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention SystemThe hefty cost prices this amazing programmable Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention System kit off the mass market but it pops up in schools and organizations for an introduction to robotics.15) Lego Master Builder Academy Set Robot & Micro DesignerThe helps your kid become a master builder with handbooks filled with tips and tricks from the actual designers at Lego."Lego is so easy to put together that even very young children can do it," says Dr. Sutton. "Immediately they are in a world of order and chaos, rules and no rules, where a collection of simple studded bricks can become a dragon, a racing car or a double-decker couch!"Want more toy suggestions? Check out the toy guides at Citrus Lane for suggestions that are sure to be a hit with your little one.
Cara Stevens is a freelance writer living in Connecticut with her husband and two children. She has authored several books for children and writes frequently about parenting, hair care, DIY crafts, food and healthy living.Prev Touchscreen Learning Tablets for Kids: The Yay to the Nay Next 8 Ways to Raise Thankful KidsAre you looking for a great starter Lego set for a small beginner?Lego is, without question, one of the best toys for kids ever to be invented. In fact, on a recent poll it has been voted as the number one toy of all time. It's so easy to see why - it is versatile, fun and encourages creativity and imagination. Playing with Lego can help to develop a young child's fine motor skills, and children can play with it for hours. There is no end to the things you can build with these colored bricks. In fact, in our house it has proved to be the most played with toy we have ever had due to its unlimited play value. My oldest child has so far spent 6 years constructing increasingly intricate Lego models, and my youngest son, aged just 3, is beginning to follow suite.
The issue is, that although the Duplo range caters for 2 - 5 year olds, my little one is fixated on playing with the 'big boys Lego' (I will admit that he likes to copy his brother). This article is intended to highlight some of the best 'big' beginner Lego sets available for young children. Every child has to start somewhere, and below I have detailed the sets that I believe are the best for little hands starting out on a childhood voyage of building. Liitle Kids love the Big Kid's Toys I decided to review the best first Lego sets for young children after watching my almost-three-year-old concentrating on building a 'lorry' with one of his brother's sets. My youngest has a big box of Duplo, but - as I mentioned - this has been deemed much less interesting than the 'proper' stuff. Although standard Lego is advertised as suitable from age 4+ for the most basic sets, my son has a great time constructing vehicles using this small 'big boy's' set. Undoubtedly, the end result does not look very much like the picture on the box.
But hey, who cares? His 'lorry' has wheels and moves along and he is always very proud of it, no matter how it turns out. And isn't that what counts in the end? Besides, creativity and inventiveness should always be encouraged,in my book. My overview is based in part upon my own search for Lego gifts for my youngest son's imminent birthday, as although his older brother does already have a huge collection, much of it is designed for much older builders (7 - 8+). Also, at the age of 10 he has all the sets mixed up now, as he likes to use his combined sets to build his own advanced (and very imaginative) models using all the special features found in the older sets.Lego for Boys or Girls?Lego is loved by both boys and girls - when choosing a child's very first Lego set, you could either go for the basic starter set such as the Blue or Pink Brick Set (detailed below), or a set with a theme, like the airport building set. Boys will probably enjoy the vehicle based sets - my 3 year old son, although he does not even meet the minimum suggested age, can produce quite realistic looking cars with Lego as long as he has 2 sets of wheels and a long base to fix them onto.
The rest he just kind of builds up on the top and he is happy. Lego sets for older children are often heavily based on following instructions to achieve the end result - however, younger children have not yet developed this skill unless it is extremely simple. That is why simple sets are best for small children starting out, in order to prevent frustration. My son loves wheels and so I intend to purchase one of the vehicle building sets for his birthday next month. My oldest son's first set was the Blue Brick Set, which we still have today. This contains all the necessary basics for starting out on a long journey of Lego building. There is a Pink Brick set designed to appeal to little girls, and you can purchase either set in either standard or large. Boys often prefer more vehicle based sets, while girls tend to enjoy making things like houses. The great thing about Lego is that it can be added to and expanded over the years. Lego Brick Boxes - Ideal for BeginnersThese are the basic Lego sets to get your child started (see right).
The sets include doors, windows, flowers and trees - plus lots and lots of bricks to kickstart young imaginations. The Blue Brick Box is the very same set my oldest son started out with - the box itself makes a very handy storage container for the Lego. It is big enough to accommodate an expanding collection - we still have ours but it is crammed very full now and the lid doesn't fit! Compared to the size of the box there does not seem all that many Lego bricks inside when you open it (221 pieces). However, for really young children it is enough - sometimes too many pieces can become a little daunting. The Ultimate Building Set (also pictured right) would make an excellent alternative starter set if you are willing to pay a little bit more. This set contains the usual starter pieces, but also includes additional pieces such as wheels. There are 405 pieces here - almost twice the amount of the smaller set. Because of the option to build vehicles or a helicopter (such as those detailed on the front of the box) this set may very well appeal to a little boy - more so than the cheaper box which does not contain such pieces.
Both of the Pink Brick Boxes are perfect for little girls - the cheaper set is the basic starter set and the large box is an expansion of the smaller set.Lego Sets with Vehicles and WheelsThe Road Construction Set is a great beginner set for boys - most boys love anything with wheels and so will be in their element. Your child can make a truck, front loader, steamroller, plus more - a minifigure is also included. If your child is very young help might be needed assembling the vehicles. There are also some very small pieces contained within the set. At the time of writing this article (Feb 2011) the price of the Road Construction Set on Amazon seems quite expensive, so the Airport Building Set would make a less expensive alternative. I know my little boy would love this just as much - in fact I am certainly tempted to get it for him. He loves wheels, and this set has 15 of them, along with propellers, a pilot and worker minifigures. There are 310 pieces with this set, which is more or less identical to the Road Construction Set, so at the time of writing it is better value for a very similar type of toy.
My Lego Town - Great for either Girls or BoysI love this set - it has enough features to appeal to either a girl or a boy. It has the housey type of bricks that girls often like, but also wheels and a propeller which will attract little boys. The set is quite large with 516 pieces. There are 2 minifigures, roof tiles, windows, doors, windshields, wheels and steering wheels for creating vehicles, a propeller for building a helicopter, flowers, fences, a crate, a mailbox plus letters (we have one of these and it is quite popular), and a clock. This would make a lovely first Lego set for any young child.Alternative Lego Sets for Young ChildrenUnsuitable for Under 3'sPlease note that although I have detailed the Lego on this page as ideal for a child's first set, all products are listed as suitable for age 4+. Sets can typically contain extremely small pieces which make them unsuitable for children under 3 because of the risk of choking. If you are looking for Lego for toddlers, then Duplo is recommended from age 2+.