Lego Ninjago and Snow Resort Ice Rink {2017 Holiday Gift Guide}

For decades, Lego has set the standard for toys.  Legos were a fixation of past generations and continue to prevail in the landscape of toy stores and homes around the world.  Lego started out fairly simply, the concept being nothing more than blocks of varying shapes and sizes that could be used to build things.  The company’s offerings have substantially expanded throughout the years to include beloved characters and a successful slew of films that help to reinforce or introduce these characters in the form of toys.  The popularity of the Lego franchise makes these favorites ideal for holiday gifts.  You can always be assured that anything from a Lego collection is going to be a big hit with kids, and they’ll be something that kids will play with for months, maybe even years, to come.

Lego recently unveiled a new collection called BrickHeadz.  This collection is full of recognizable characters that allow fans to bring home a piece of the action.  Lego has taken characters from movies, comics and TV shows and games to create a cast of vibrant Legos that are fun to play with as well as to collect.  These characters stay true to the name BrickHeadz. All the products feature very dominant heads, so they’re kind of like bobbleheads, only way more visually appealing and with the added bonus of providing a hands-on building experience.  It’s really a unique concept that appeals to kids and even adults.  Not only can you bring home your favorite characters, but you can literally create them with your own hands out of a bunch of separate pieces.  What kid wouldn’t go crazy over that? 

Lego has released some great products in their BrickHeadz collection.   You’ve got your superheroes like Batman, Robin and Captain America.  You’ve also got your villains like the Joker.  And, for good measure, Lego also threw in a couple of our favorite heroines, Belle and Black Widow. 

One of the BrickHeadz items that I recently got my hands on is the Lloyd Lego BrickHeadz construction character from the Lego Ninjago Movie.  This fierce little guy is a blast to build and comes with lots of fun details that mimic the animation in the movie and really bring him to life.  The color scheme for this character is green, gold and black.  These colors adorn his sleek ninja garb, which includes a headband and a very cool belt.  Kids will love that the included sword, or katana, can easily be removed for lots of playing options.  Once your child is done building Lloyd, they can display him on the included collector’s baseplate, which boasts the BrickHeadz icon, and provides another opportunity for building.  This is a fantastic gift for kids ages 6 and over. 

The Lego Friends collection also has great products that are especially popular with girls.  There is even a cute animated program with a bunch of episodes that you can find on YouTube.  These episodes help you get to know the characters better and give you some insight into the thought process that went behind the creation of the sets.  It’s great to watch the videos and then play with the sets that you just saw on screen.  Not that kids have any problems with imagination, but the videos definitely add something special to the experience. 

Just in time for the holiday season, Lego has released an addition to the Friends collection called Snow Resort Ice Rink.  This set features a skating lodge outfitted with all sorts of nooks and crannies to explore. There is a revolving stage under a cute pitched roof that is decorated with musical instruments that the characters can hold, a microphone and speakers. There is a window to buy snacks, like mugs for hot chocolate or coffee, a pretzel, a croissant and a carrot.  The set also comes with money to use at the retail shops. There is also a window to rent all of the necessary hockey and skating gear, such as hockey sticks and a puck.  The skating rink includes doors that open and shut and just outside of the rink is a bench to sit and have a snack and a chat.  The characters can make a plan for the day using the map of the slopes. There are also detachable hockey goals for when for converting the rink into a hockey game. 

This resort is all outdoors, and even includes a little tree that houses a cute bunny named Moka. Stephanie and Nate are the two figures that come with the set.  Nate has black hair, brown eyes and is decked out in a green and white skating suit.  Stephanie has blonde hair and blue eyes.  Her adorable outfit includes a blue and yellow jacket that perfectly coordinates with her hair and eyes. The jacket includes little details like a drawstring and zippers. She’s also got on a turtleneck, a skirt, tights and boots.

The Lloyd Lego BrickHeadz and the Snow Resort Ice Rink are excellent holiday finds. In the digital age, it’s always a good idea to give children something that will ignite their imaginations, and Lego continues to encourage kids to get creative through play.