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.It's Sunday but the powers that be behind John Lewis' Black Friday offers have deemed that the bargains shall continue! This year John Lewis has focussed on price matching other major retailers, so if a top deal is sold out elsewhere, there's a good chance John Lewis might have the item at the same price. John Lewis has also revealed its best selling products so far this Black Friday.The extended warranties (ranging from two to five years), reliability and customer service you get with John Lewis makes it an ideal place to shop at this time of year though, so while there are few unique deals the ones that are there are probably worth getting at John Lewis rather than anywhere else.We're listing the best John Lewis Black Friday deals currently live on the site, and we'll continue to update this guide over the weekend to point you towards the best bargains.
LG 4K TV: Get the 43-inch LG 43UH610V Ultra HD HDR TV for just £369.95LG OLED: Or there's the 65-inch LG OLED65B6V, with a year free of Sky Q for £2,869See all John Lewis Black Friday TV dealsSony PS4 Slim: Pick up the PS4 Slim in 500GB trim with a copy of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare for just £209.95Sony PS4 Slim: Or upgrade to the 1TB model for £229.95, which also includes Infinite Warfare. Xbox One S: On the Xbox side, John Lewis is adding a free controller if you buy either the Gears of War 4 or Fifa 17 Xbox One S bundles for £279.95. Microsoft Surface Book: Get Microsoft's awesome ultrabook with a £400 saving - the top model comes with the Microsoft Arc Mouse, the Surface Pen Tip Kit and a leather sleeve - all for £1,399MacBook Air: Take a look at this deal for the MacBook Air, which comes with a £100 discount down to £849.See all John Lewis computing dealsiPad Air 2: Want an iOS tablet this November? John Lewis is offering £30 off its normal iPad Air 2 price at £349.Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge: Last year's flagship Samsung phone is now down to £399.95.Moto X Force: Want one of Motorola's best phones?
You can save £30 on this deal as it's £449.95.Amazon Fire: Amazon's cheapest Fire tablet is now down from £50 to £29.95Amazon Kindle Paperwhite: One of the best ereaders money can buy here - it's the Kindle Paperwhite for £79.95.Sennheiser Momentum 20 headphones + free in ear M2s We picked out these cans as a great price when they went on to Argos with a free pair of in-ear M2s - and John Lewis have only gone and matched the offer Sonos Play:1: It's got £30 off with this deal and it's only £139 on Black Friday. UE Boom 2: Fancy one of the best Bluetooth speakers on the market? There's £15 off at £84.95.UE Megaboom: Or there's the larger UE Megaboom which is £100 down at £149.95.Withings Activite Steel: Need a fitness tracker but don't want something plastic and naff? The Withings Activite Steel is now only £87.99.Garmin Fenix 3 GPS Multisport Watch: Here's a great deal on a specialist running watch and you can get it for only £289.99.LEGO Technic: Get the LEGO Technic 42056 Porsche 911 GT3 RS set with a 20% saving - now £179.97ARCHOS Drone: Fancy a drone this November?
It's £100 off making it only £100.BB-8 droid: Get the Sphero BB-8 droid from Star Wars - now down to £99.95Withings Body Cardio WS-60: Need some smart scales this Christmas? How about these from Withings for £119.95.Amazon Echo Smart Speaker: Amazon has put its brand new Echo speaker down from £150 to £119.95 and John Lewis has matched it.Amazon Fire TV Stick: This is always on offer, but it's now only £24.95 on John Lewis.Nest Cam Indoor Security Camera: This is a saving of £45 as the Nest Cam is now only £114.Nutri Ninja Blender with Auto IQ: This blender is only £69.99, which is a saving of £69.99.See all John Lewis Black Friday toys dealsUp to 50% off all kitchen pan sets20% off Le Creuset dishes40% off Sophie Conran dish and plate sets30% off all Dartington Vases and giftsHere's where you can find all the other best deals from Amazon, Currys and Argos during the Black Friday period this year.Home Entertainment: HD ready LG Portable Minibeam PH550G HD Wireless Projector was £399.00, now £309.99 Home Entertainment: LG Portable Minibeam PF1000U Ultra Short Throw Full HD Projector was £899, now £699.99 PC: Devolo dLAN 500 AV + Add-On Powerline Adapter was £89.99, now £59.99PC: Elgato Video Capture, Digitise Video for Mac, PC or iPad was £93.38, now £49.95PC: Lenovo ideapad 110 15.6-inch Intel Celeron Notebook was £249.99
, now £179.99PC: Save up to 40% on HyperX HeadsetsPC: Trust Tytan 2.1 Speaker Set with Subwoofer for PC and Laptop was £52.99, now £49.99PC: Up to 30% Off Epson PrintersVideo Games: Just Dance 2017 (PlayStation 4 and Wii U) was £39.99, now £19.99Video Games: Just Dance 2017 (Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Xbox One) was £39.99, now £18Kindle books: Save at least 70% everyday on top-rated Kindle BooksBooks: Save 50% on Historium was £20, now £11.99Apparel: Up to 50% off Kids ClothingApparel: Up to 50% Off Popular Culture MerchandiseApparel: Up to 50% Off Women's SleepwearBeauty: 30% Off Majestic Pure BeautyBeauty: Save at least 60% on Baylis & Harding Gift SetsGrocery: Up to 67% off selected Advent CalendarsHealth & Personal Care: 30% Off Majestic Pure BeautyHome: Up to 50% off Sealy Duvet and Mattress Topper RangeLuggage: Up to 29% Off SuitcasesOffice Products: Save up to 40% on MoleskinePersonal care appliances: Oral-B Smart Series 4000 Cross Action Electric Toothbrush was £119.99, now £49.98Shoes: 50% Off Selected Rockport Men's ShoesToys: Up to 40% Off Selected Melissa & Doug Arts & CraftsWine: Save Over 35% On Haig Club Whisky was £44.99, now £27.99