It used to be that LEGO marketed its products primarily to kids. But in recent years—especially with the pandemic as a magnifying factor—LEGO has found a dedicated adult audience, through a combination of nostalgia-oriented marketing and the inherent therapeutic quality of the bricks themselves.
And increasingly, the definition of what is an "adult" set and what is a "kid" set is becoming less defined. LEGO now groups its sets by target audience—by what age group will like the final build result. The difficulty is still factored into the age recommendation, but it's certainly a reduced factor, especially when sets like the Sonic the Hedgehog Green Hill Zone are rated 18+.
So with that in mind, here are the Best Sets for Kids in 2022. Think of the age range as less a measure of maturity and more a measure of brick experience. It is the minimum age that one should be, but not the maximum. To paraphrase LEGO: adults are more than welcome.
1. Medium Creative Brick Box
LEGO Classic Medium Creative Brick Box 20% off $34.99$28.00
- Set: #10696
- Age Range: 4+
- Piece Count: 484
- Dimensions: N/A
- Price: $34.99
This is how most of us start our LEGO journeys—with a pile of spare parts that we craft into whatever we dream up. The Medium Creative Brick Box is an excellent gateway for a person who is completely new to LEGO. The Box has a good mixture of every major piece type and color, and it gives you some preliminary, simple builds to teach basic technique.
2. Farmers Market
LEGO City Farmers Market Van 34% off $44.99$29.50
- Set: #60345
- Age Range: 5+
- Piece Count: 310
- Dimensions: 4 in. (10 cm) high, 10 in. (25 cm) long, 6.5 in. (17 cm) wide
- Price: $44.99
The farm is a classic theme in the LEGO franchise, and this Farmers Market comes with a food kiosk truck, complete with a massive carrot on its roof. There are crops that your minifigures can garden, and there's even a hungry rabbit for them to chase away.
3. Fantasy Forest Creatures
LEGO Creator 3in1 Fantasy Forest Creatures 20% off $14.99$11.99
- Set: #31125
- Age Range: 7+
- Piece Count: 175
- Dimensions: 4 in. (10 cm) high
- Price: $14.99
This set is part of the LEGO Creator line, and it's a "3 in 1" set. That means you can build this set as a squirrel; or an owl and a hedgehog; or a deer and a rabbit. The 3-in-1 concept guarantees hours of building and is extremely cost efficient, especially for a retail price of $14.99.
4. Downtown Noodle Shop
LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Downtown Noodle Shop 20% off $44.99$35.99
- Set: #31131
- Age Range: 8+
- Piece Count: 569
- Dimensions: 7.5 in. (19 cm) high, 6.5 in. (16 cm) wide and 2.5 in. (6 cm) deep
- Price: $44.99
Think of this as a preparation for the more advanced LEGO modular buildings. The Downtown Noodle Shop is also a 3-in-1 set. The first (and most visually appealing) option is a two story townhouse, with a noodle house on the bottom and an apartment on top. The second is a bike shop and art studio. And the third is an arcade, with three gaming machines and a massive controller on its roof.
5. Majestic Tiger
LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Majestic Tiger 20% off $49.99$40.00
- Set: #31129
- Age Range: 9+
- Piece Count: 755
- Dimensions: 5 in. (14 cm) high, 12 in. (33 cm) long, 2 in. (7 cm) wide
- Price: $49.99
It's another 3-in-1 set! You could build a koi fish or a red panda. But most builders will opt for the tiger, which is sleek, realistic looking, and uncommonly pretty for a beginner LEGO set. The face looks dangerous and fierce, and every limb is poseable, allowing the figure to languish or pounce, depending on your preference.
6. Iconic Chess Set
- Set: #40174
- Age Range: 9+
- Piece Count: 1450
- Dimensions: 10” x 10" (26cm x 26cm) square
- Price: $64.99
LEGO is notorious for retiring its sets, to make room for the new ones. But the Iconic Chess Set has endured for years. You build the 64 square board, and you build the 32 game pieces. And best of all, the board opens up so you can store the pieces and take the set on the go.
7. Medieval Castle
LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Medieval Castle $99.97
- Set: #31120
- Age Range: 9+
- Piece Count: 1426
- Dimensions: 10.5 in. (26 cm) high, 12 in. (31 cm) wide, 11 in. (28 cm)
- Price: $99.99
If you have your eye on the recent LEGO Lion Knights castle, but think it might be too expensive or too difficult, try this smaller scale Medieval Castle, which has a water mill, a throne room, a smithy, and a prison. And best of all, it's also a 3-in-1 set, which means you rebuild it as a medieval marketplace or a castle tower.
8. App-Controlled Transformation Vehicle
LEGO Technic App-Controlled Transformation Vehicle $149.00
- Set: #42140
- Age Range: 9+
- Piece Count: 772
- Dimensions: 4.5 in. (12 cm) high, 10 in. (26 cm) long, 7.5 in. (20 cm) wide
- Price: $149.99
Part of the LEGO Technic line, this buildable remote controlled car drives on treads. It has a triangular shape, so if you drive it into a wall, it flips and continues driving the other way. It's not traditional, brick-centric LEGO, but a STEM kid will love it. For more traditional vehicles, check out the best LEGO car sets.
9. Mosaic Maker
- Set: #40179
- Age Range: 10+
- Piece Count: 4702
- Dimensions: 15 in. (38 cm) long, 15 in. (38 cm) wide
- Price: $129.99
This concept is really cool. You upload a photo to LEGO's website, and they convert it into a 15×15 inch mosaic, composed of LEGO dots. You can then order this mosaic as a custom set and assemble your family photo.
10. Material Handler
LEGO Technic Material Handler $149.99
- Set: #42144
- Age Range: 10+
- Piece Count: 835
- Dimensions: 12.5 in. (33 cm) high, 15.5 in. (40 cm) long, 6.5 in. (17 cm) wide
- Price: $149.99
And lastly, this material handler comes with pneumatic functions; you assemble air tubes into the build, which triggers the grapple to open and close. It's also fairly big; you'll get an impressive end result for the effort you put into it.
That's our guide for kids, but take a look at our roundup for the best LEGO sets for adults if you want something a bit bigger or more complex. Those who like video games, including retro games, can take a look at our favorite Nintendo LEGO sets.
We also have suggestions for Star Wars LEGO sets for the sci-fi fans in your life. Fantasy fans can check out our favorite Harry Potter LEGO sets, and superhero stans can take a look at the best Marvel LEGO sets.