December 18, 2015 Dana

LEGO Star Wars and more: the best gifts with bricks!

Is there anything we can really say about the furor around Star Wars: The Force Awakens that hasn’t been said? The early reviews say it lives up to the hype – and even if it didn’t, nothing could possibly stop the marketing juggernaut that makes Star Wars toys some of the hottest gifts this year.

And even without a new Star Wars movie to make LEGO one of the “it” brands of the moment, LEGO sets are still a surefire hit with almost any kid. Especially if the set is part of a series that they love!

LEGO Star Wars

LEGO Star Wars sets have been topping the toy charts for over 15 years now, starting with 8 sets from Episode 1 and 5 sets from the original trilogy.

Since then, they’ve been flying off the shelves, and your kids will be very pleased to receive an Imperial Troop Transport, General Grievous with a Wheel Bike, or a miniature TIE Interceptor (pew pew!).

LEGO Minecraft

Minecraft and LEGO are an obvious fit: like the world of LEGO, the world of Minecraft is built of blocks. Also like traditional LEGO, Minecraft is open-ended, and like many LEGO sets, you can start with a predetermined design and then mix and match to devise your own unique creations (which you can then show off – in LEGO’s case, to your parents and buddies, and in Minecraft’s case, to an eager online audience of other obsessed fans).

Admittedly, I don’t know what the significance of The Farm in Minecraft is, or The Nether Fortress, or The Cave. And I don’t intend to find out. Because kids aren’t the only ones who get totally hooked on this game, and I’m not taking any chances.

LEGO Friends

Envy the glamorous life of the LEGO Friends: after you get styled at the Hair Salon , you can get some refreshments at the Juice Bar, but the best adventures take place beyond their headquarters in Heartlake City. How would you like to get to the Beach House: via Private Jet , or via Dolphin Cruiser? These Friends definitely have it made.

Superheroes

Statistically speaking, at least, Spider-Man is the world’s most popular superhero, but Batman is never far behind. And given the success of recent superhero movies, your kid’s favorite may be The Hulk, or Captain America, instead. Why choose when LEGO has them all?

Plus, the LEGO Juniors series makes superhero fun accessible to smaller builders, who will love having the opportunity to build with Batman and Spider-Man too.

DUPLO

Speaking of younger builders: the littlest builders of all can enjoy open-ended building fun with the LEGO DUPLO All-In-One Gift Set, enjoy creative role-playing with sets like My First Shop or the DUPLO Baby Zoo (too cute!), or do some basic building with favorite characters like Disney Princesses.

OYO Sports

Finally, for the sports superfans: OYO Sports toys give kids a creative way to root for the home team, and their cute mini-figures and blocks are compatible with LEGOs. But a video is worth a thousand words, so I’ll let Kendra, our Assistant Buyer, take over here: