In the year of the Barbie movie and the Eras tour, I’m here to tell you that Lego is back, and it’s not just for kids.
My love for Legos started when I worked at a summer camp during college. The camp wasn’t an official Lego camp, but the sessions were built around different Lego builds with each week having a new theme (think Minecraft, amusement park, robotics, superheroes). I spent eight hours a day teaching children how to make Lego builds by following instructions and following their imagination! My favorite part of the job was watching the campers show their caretakers their builds at the end of each day, explaining how they built it and, generally just looking proud of their hard work.
You may think of Lego sets as something that only kids can enjoy, but the company has worked hard in recent years to expand its builds to feature sets from movies like “Harry Potter,” TV shows like “The Office” and “Friends,” pop culture icons like BTS and cultural moments like Pac-Man and Nintendo. These sets are geared toward adults, and some take hours — and thousands of bricks — to build.
Read on to see the eight Lego sets to gift this holiday season.
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Lego Ideas Home Alone
Price: $299.99 at Amazon
The movie lovers who can quote “Home Alone” will appreciate this intricate set that features all the movie’s iconic scenes, including a zip line to the tree house, a Michael Jordan cutout that goes with the train set and, of course, all of Kevin’s booby traps.
Lego Architecture Skyline Collection
Prices at Amazon:
Looking for a way to memorialize your trip to a big city? Or perhaps you want a quick build that you can display in your house? Currently offered in the skyline collection are London, Paris and Singapore, but in years past we’ve seen Berlin, Las Vegas, Dubai, Venice and others.
Lego Botanical Collection
Prices:
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$49.99 at the Lego Store – Bonsai Tree
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$59.99 at the Lego Store – Flower Bouquet
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$59.99 at Amazon – Wildflower Bouquet
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$49.99 at Amazon – Orchid
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$49.99 at Amazon – Succulents
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$49.99 at the Lego Store – Dried Floral Centerpiece
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$99.99 at the Lego Store – Bird of Paradise
The Lego Botanical Collection launched in 2021 with the Bonsai Tree and Flower Bouquet. Since then, the collection has expanded to include a Wildflower Bouquet (pictured above); an Orchid that would look great on your desk; a set of nine different succulents that can be arranged to fit your space; a Dried Floral centerpiece; and my personal favorite, the Bird of Paradise. All of these builds allow you to add your own touches by adjusting the leaves and flowers.
Lego Icons Land Rover Classic Defender 90
Price: $239.99 at Amazon
Car lovers rejoice! The classic car is now in Lego form. Don’t let the name fool you, though: The site lists this set as being based on the 1983 classic, but the Defender from that year was actually the Land Rover 110; the 1984 model is the Land Rover 90, but these numbers just signified the size of the wheelbase in the original models, so they were virtually the same. The Lego set comes with accessories for “off-roading,” and the build itself has functional steering, working suspension and accurate interior details.
Lego Icons Real Madrid – Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
Price: $399.99 at Amazon
The real Santiago Bernabéu Stadium has a seating capacity of around 81,000; while the Lego version may not have as many seats, it still does justice honoring the history of the stadium.
Lego Icons Boutique Hotel
Price: $229.99 at Amazon
Move over Marriott, there’s a new hotel brand in town. Lego’s Boutique Hotel, inspired by European architecture, boasts five sections: a penthouse suite, guest rooms, staircase, terrace and lobby. While other sets allow you to customize the sets with stickers, this set claims to have new elements and new colors to help it stand out. This is a great set for people in your life who need a staycation. What could be better than a new set that has seven — yes, seven — minifigures, including a bellhop and receptionist!
Lego Ideas A-Frame Cabin
Price: $179.99 at Amazon
When I retire, I want to live in an A-Frame cabin in the woods of Maine on a small lake. I envision walks in the woods, canoeing on the lake, snowshoeing in the winters and reading by the fire. It’s like someone at Lego took all of that and made it into a set. This set features a loft, four minifigures (all dressed in sweaters, how cute!), a typewriter for when inspiration strikes and a canoe.
Lego Creator Expert Bookshop
Price: $199.99 at Amazon
In my dream world, this is what all bookshops would look like, and I would be lucky enough to live in the attached townhome next door. This three-story build includes a reading nook near the fireplace and an outdoor balcony for drinking coffee.
Check out some of our other 2023 gift guides:
- The best tech gifts under $50
- 5 gifts for remote workers
- AI gifts that are actually fun and productive
- The best outdoor gift ideas
- The best subscription boxes
- Travel gifts for frequent fliers
- The best puzzle gifts of 2023
- The 20 best STEM toys
- 6 gifts for book lovers
- Tech-powered gifts for green thumbs
- The best gear for aspiring podcasters and streamers
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