If you’ve spent your early childhood building vague and barely recognizable figures out of LEGOs (yes, your mum lied to you, they’re not that great), chances are, you’ve also had your fair share of this very painful experience: stepping on LEGO bricks.
And if you have little ones who are continuing the tradition of leaving LEGOs lying around, making adults painfully cry, now’s the best time to upgrade their brain-building playsets, slash, unlikely weapons of doom.
In this piece, we’ve curated the best LEGO sets that are suited not just for your kids but also for kids-at-heart like you!
But before we dive into that, below is a quick history of arguably the best toy ever invented.
From a wooden furniture shop to an iconic toy company
LEGO started in an obscure Danish town in 1916. But it was not a toy company yet at that time.
A carpenter named Ole Kirk Christiansen set up his own shop and started making wooden ladders, stools, and ironing boards—the very first items in his small inventory.
Not long after that, unfortunately, a fire destroyed his shop and his family’s home in 1924, right when he was already looking to expand his business.
Little did he know that it’s only the first of many unfortunate events that he and his business would have to face in his lifetime.
In 1929, the world plunged into the “great depression” and 3 years after that, his wife died. Germany then occupied Denmark in 1942 and his factory caught fire – again.
If these events happened to somebody else, he or she would’ve stopped right there. But no, Ole Kirk managed to stage a comeback every time.
It was when he was on the brink of bankruptcy that he started making toys. Since the times were hard, creating inexpensive but profitable items seemed to be the best option for his crashing company.
And his bestseller? A wooden duck with a movable beak, which is an extremely rare collectible right now.
It was only in 1949 when they started building the Automatic Binding Brick, which was the predecessor of the modern LEGO that we know today.
The idea of self-locking bricks, however, was not Ole Kirk’s original idea. It was a design made by a British company called Kiddicrafts. Surprisingly, this company allowed Ole Kirk to use the design and make improvements to it
But in 1981, LEGO formally bought the rights to Kiddicrafts bricks and designed a “System of Play” around it, which ultimately became the foundation of every LEGO playset that we all grew up with.
And the rest, as they always say, is history.
With that out of the way, let’s now move on to the list!
Below are only some of the best LEGO sets for every kind of LEGO builder. Whether you’re an ultimate collector, a hobbyist, or a parent who wants to give a LEGO playset for the kids (or for yourself), this list is for you.
Best LEGO sets of all time
We’re setting the bar high for this list, and we’ll start with the greatest LEGO sets of all time. If Volkswagen has The Beetle, and Elon Musk has his Tesla, well, LEGO has these playsets.
Not only are these the greatest of all time, but they’re also some of the best collectible LEGOs of our era right now!
1. LEGO Collector’s Series Millennium Falcon
Star Wars is arguably the biggest franchise in pop culture history. From movies to merch, and collectibles like the LEGO Collector’s Series Millennium Falcon set, Star Wars dominates the space.
And we’re not even including outer space, yet.
This set is one of LEGO’s biggest as it has exactly 7,541 pieces, including seven minifigures, and it’s also probably one of the most popular LEGO sets ever. Thanks to the franchise’s huge following.
When built, the Millennium Falcon measures about 83 cm long, and 60 cm wide, complete with a cockpit, upper and lower quad laser cannons, other realistic details to help you beat the Dark Side.
Oh, it also comes with an extensive building guide!
If you’re a big Star Wars fan, we bet you don’t need to tell you that The Force is strong with this one and every other Star Wars LEGO sets here!
2. LEGO Art World Map
This playset is the biggest LEGO set so far, at least in terms of brick count. With more than 11,000 pieces, the LEGO Art World Map is not just a challenging build, but also a gorgeous piece of wall art for your home.
The best thing about this set is that you can also track the places that you’ve already travelled to using small coloured pins. This way, you can always remind yourself what place to go to next!
3. LEGO Colosseum
If you can’t go to Rome anytime soon, why don’t you bring Rome to your room? Buy this Colosseum LEGO set from the LEGO Creator Expert series and enjoy a monumental build!
With over 9000 pieces, this LEGO set is a detailed replica of one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. It’s no wonder why it’s one of LEGO’s best-selling brick sets!
It captures the ancient archways, walkways, the olive trees, and even the elaborate hypogeum beneath the floor’s arena, perfect for adults who love architectural wonders and LEGOS.
If you want more challenging builds, check our LEGO Creator Expert collection here.
Best LEGO sets for kids
While certain LEGO sets are a collector’s dream and are worthy of their own glass shelves and ambient lighting, with a sign that says “Please don’ touch”, LEGOs will always be a kid’s play toy.
A toy that’s meant to be chewed on, left lying around the house and stepped on by unsuspecting adults.
After all, the name LEGO is derived from the Danish phrase “leg godt” which literally means “play well.”
Not only are LEGOs display-worthy and fun to play with, but they’re also vital in the brain and fine motor development of your kids.
Below are only some of the best LEGO play sets for kids that you can buy for them:
1. LEGO Classic Around the World
This playset will take your kids around the world with 15 build ideas that are inspired by popular animals, plants, and objects from different countries.
So, what’s in the box? Well, your kids will have to build these LEGOs:
●toy bald eagle
●sailing boat
●cactus
●Asian house
●parrot
●kangaroo with joey
●baby crocodile
●giraffe
●orca
●lion
●palm tree
●bus
●brown bear
●penguin with chick and fish
●and airplane
With a variety of pieces from around the world, your kid’s creativity will certainly be sharpened and flow freely.
Not to mention, this playset also includes a colourful wall map of the world. Get the LEGO Classic Around the World set here.
2. LEGO Duplo sets
All LEGO Dupo sets are perfect for the little builders. Each playset from this collection was designed to develop the motor and cognitive skills of each child at an early age.
Take the LEGO Duplo Fire Station and Helicopter for example. It’s a large playset for kids aged 2 years old and up.
Inside the box, you will find male and female firefighter figures, a moveable fire truck, ladder, hose, lights, siren, and a helicopter.
These pieces are perfect for playing out real-life scenarios, pushing your kids to explore and imagine stories of their own.
With the well-thought out designs and colourful builds offered by the LEGO Duplo collection, these playsets can also help develop and hone the soft but very important skills like resilience, self-expression, and confidence.
Check more LEGO Duplo sets here.
3. LEGO Batman vs. The Joker: Batmobile Chase
If your kids love Batman, the LEGO Batman vs. The Joker: Batmobile Chase playset is the perfect birthday or Christmas gift.
It features Batman, Batgirl, The Joker action figures, the iconic Batmobile, and other essential pieces for the chase.
Your kids can use their playful imagination and stage a robbery by using The Joker action figure, bank vault full of money and his getaway vehicle.
After playing out the robbery, your kids can stage the thrilling chase led by Batman and Batgirl riding the Batmobile, then take the story in every direction that they could think of.
With the right pieces in place, this set offers limitless scenarios within the Gotham world that your kids will surely enjoy!
Get this specific set and other LEGO Batman play sets here!
4. LEGO Frozen Ice Castle
This Frozen-inspired Ice Castle LEGO playset is perfect for the ones who grew up watching Elsa, Anna, and Olaf the Snowman! If you have kids that are in their teenage years, around 14 and up, make sure to get them this cool as ice LEGO set!
Your little Frozen fangirl, or fanboy, will certainly enjoy this set with over 1700 pieces, including the buildable ice castle with the iconic grand staircase, ice fountain, and minifigures like Elsa, Anna, Olaf, and Kristoff.
When built, the castle stands at 65 cm high, and 35 cm wide with loads of accessories for your kids to play with!
Get this LEGO Frozen Ice Castle here.
5. LEGO City playsets
Help your kids understand the world around them by letting them recreate it with a set of LEGO bricks and minifigures!
The LEGO City collection is designed for children to build their own cities and role play every possible scenario that could happen in a city, from fire rescues to bank heists, hospital emergencies, or simply a day in the park.
Your kid can be the brave fire captain in his or her own LEGO City Fire Brigade, a head lifeguard in LEGO City Beach Lifeguard Station, or even the badass driver in LEGO City Stunt Show Arena!
The best thing about this collection is that you can build an entire community by simply putting them side by side. You can start with the essentials like a hospital, school, town centre, then expand your city from there.
These are only some of the best LEGO sets that you can give to your kids. These playsets will certainly help your kids in developing essential skills at an early age.
Go buy these LEGO sets for kids and start them young!
Best LEGO sets for adults
When buying a LEGO set for your kids or nephews and nieces, we know you’re tempted to pick one up for yourself as well. And we can’t blame you!
As grown-ups ourselves, we still geek out on the newest releases of LEGO Ideas, LEGO Creator Expert, and, yes, even the LEGO Harry Potter series!
That’s why if you’re on the hunt for LEGOs for your kids, don’t be shy to choose any of these sets or collections to build in your own playtime as well!
1. LEGO Friends Apartments
If you’ve spent the 90s binging the popular show FRIENDS and spent your Friday night of the 2020s rewatching the same series, we know you’ll love this LEGO set.
The LEGO Friends Apartments features two of the most iconic apartments in TV history: Joey and Chandler’s flat and Rachel and Monica’s crib.
It’s also complete with a faithful LEGO minifigure version of the squad: Rachel, Ross, Chandler, Monica, Joey, Phoebe and even Janice!
This set is perfect for avid fans of the hit show, it doesn’t matter what decade you grew up in, as you can recreate the most memorable moments that happened in the living room of Monica’s apartment.
Learn more about the set here.
2. LEGO Hogwarts Castle
It won’t be a LEGO list without any of their Harry Potter playsets. Simply because this collection is one of their best-sellers! This is not surprising because aside from Star Wars, Harry Potter is also one of the biggest franchises in pop culture history.
And if you’re a true Potterhead since the release of the first book: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, we know we don’t need to cast a magical spell to make you fall in love with this LEGO Hogwarts.
It’s a highly detailed and buildable castle with over 6000 pieces! It features towers, turrets, chambers, and other iconic features of the Hogwarts School of Wizardry!
Not to mention, it also includes 4 minifigures of the Hogwarts’ founders and 27 micro figures of all major characters in the series!
This collection certainly offers a one-of-a-kind experience and a very rewarding build not just for young Hogwarts aspirants but also for grown-up wizard wannabes!
Buy the LEGO Hogwarts Castle here.
3. LEGO Technic sets
LEGO Technic sets are the ultimate dream for your somewhat-annoying car head friends who have nothing else to talk about but cars, wheels, and machines.
And if you don’t have that kind of friend, maybe you are that friend!
And we won’t blame you for that. In fact, if you love cars and heavy machines, we might have something for you.
The LEGO Technic collection transforms you from being an ultimate fan to a kick-ass head of engineering.
You can build any vehicle you want! From luxury cars like the LEGO Lamborghini Sian FKP 37 to race cars like the LEGO McLaren Formula 1, 4x4s like the LEGO Ford F-150 Raptor, and more!
These sets are perfect for those who are on the hunt for more challenging yet rewarding builds. Not to mention, they’re great for displays and showing off!
Buy more of these LEGO Technic sets here.
4. LEGO Ideas collection
LEGO Ideas brick sets are a huge array of highly detailed models that has no unifying theme to them. The only thing that makes them all similar to each other is that the ideas for them were all created by and voted for by avid LEGO fans.
The LEGO sets in this ensemble are either inspired by widely popular TV series like Seinfeld or anything iconic in pop culture like the Fender Stratocaster.
It’s a really diverse collection and they’re all challenging builds since most of them have over 1000 pieces to work on!
These LEGO Ideas models are great collectibles as well, especially the gorgeous and functional LEGO Ideas Typewriter that was inspired by the classic typewriter that was used by LEGO’s founder himself, Ole Kirk!
Check more LEGO Ideas sets here.
Buy LEGO toys and sets online in Australia
No matter how old or young you are, building and collecting LEGOs are the ultimate hobby.
That’s why if you want to start your kids in LEGO collecting early, or you want to pick up a new pastime, now might be the right time to get crazy with LEGOs.
Here at Toy Hunters, we offer a huge collection of LEGO sets that are properly categorised into themes to help you easily find what suits you and your kids best!
