Review: 21538 Minifigure Vending Machine from LEGO® Ideas

A little under four years ago, Rob Vangansewinkel submitted his Minifigure Prize Machine to LEGO® Ideas. The wonderful concept took a little while to reach the 10K votes required to be considered, but was announced as a future product in June 2023.

In late May 2024 fans were unexpectedly asked to vote on a colour for a new Classic Space astronaut and a Castle faction, to be included in the Vending Machine. So it has felt like quite the wait since the hype started – not only to discover what minifigures would actually be included but also how closely this product would resemble the submitted project. From the publicity images alone, here is a set that looks like it has been worth the wait – so let's delve deeper.

Review: 42664 Travel Boat Adventure & 42673 Family Vacation Beach Resort from LEGO® Friends

For our first set review of the June 2025 wave of LEGO® Friends sets, we’re taking a trip to the seaside. We’ll hop on a cruise with 42664 Travel Boat Adventure, which will bring us to the idyllic scene depicted in 42673 Family Vacation Beach Resort. Grab your swimming suit and your coconut cocktail for a relaxing look at the exotic new elements found in these sets.

June 2025 LEGO® Gifts with Purchase

A variety of LEGO® Gifts with Purchase (GwP) are currently available around the world, including the Ferrari 499P Hypercar for North America and many European countries. Additionally, there's either a LEGO® Friends or a LEGO® Creator polybag, tied to purchases of specific themes. Bucking the trend, Australia and New Zealand get an exclusive with the LEGO® BLUEY™ GwP, for real, and another chance at Trophy Award.

Review: 10459 Bluey's Family House & 10458 Ice Cream Trip from LEGO® DUPLO®

As well as the 3 new LEGO® 4+ BLUEY™ sets, LEGO® DUPLO® have released 2 new sets for toddlers (and parents) to enjoy! 

Just like the LEGO sets, there are lots of new elements to play with. Join us as we take a look at sets 10458 Ice Cream Trip with Bluey and 10459 Bluey's Family House and Memory Game. This is gonna be fun!

Review: LEGO® GwP 5009325 The Simpsons™ Living Room

Set 10352 The Simpsons™ Krusty Burger has been available to LEGO® Insiders since Sunday along with its accompanying Gift with Purchase (GwP), 5009325 The Simpsons™ Living Room. On Wednesday 4 June 2025 they both become available to all, so having already reviewed the Krusty Burger LEGO set we thought we would take a close look at the "couch gag" living room GwP today. Cue theme tune!

LEGO® Pick a Brick: new elements added in June 2025

A sense of normality returns to LEGO® Pick a Brick! New pieces from LEGO sets released in February 2025 have been added to the service following the traditional 4-month gap.

There's only 32 pieces this time, almost all of which you can see in the image above, which may be a relief to your wallet after the 1000+ new elements added a month ago! However, one of the ones not pictured above is rare, having never appeared in a commercially available set – read on for details.

What are the new LEGO® parts in June 2025 sets?

I've created a list showing all 1083 new LEGO® elements added in June 2025, with links to which sets they come in, in case you wish to purchase.

For those of you who prefer it, here is our list of the 108 June 2025 sets showing their new elements.

Also today, 3 June, new pieces have been added to the LEGO Pick a Brick service from sets released in February 2025.

Review: 76976 Spinosaurus & Quetzalcoatlus Air Mission from LEGO® Jurassic World™

The Jurassic Park franchise has been with us since 1993. Back then my cinema ticket and a tub of popcorn cost me less than £5 and the idea of a LEGO® collaboration that would make T. rexes, brachiosauruses and raptors was probably as outlandish as the idea of a dinosaur theme park. But here we are, over thirty years and several sequels later, a cinema ticket for Jurassic World Rebirth and a tub of popcorn will probably cost me closer to £15 and LEGO movie tie-in dinosaurs are commonplace enough that we now look to tick off species of prehistoric creature from our wants lists.

Available from today, 76976 Spinosaurus & Quetzalcoatlus Air Mission should tick off at least one of those boxes but, as the largest set of the wave, perhaps comparing it to the price of cinema tickets and popcorn is a little unfair. I'll need to add a tray of nachos, a big gulp of fizzy pop and a bag of M&Ms for me and the family, to come close.

Review: 31217 Tiger from LEGO® Art

As with all art, the LEGO® Art theme is constantly evolving. Last year, 31211 Macaw Parrots was the first set with the label ‘The Fauna Collection’ featuring two flat, stylized parrots not directly based on an artist's work. The second set in the collection is now rearing its roaring head: 31217 Tiger. 

Join me on a jungle tour through many new elements to find this majestic creature.

Review: 10348 Japanese Red Maple Bonsai Tree from LEGO® Botanicals

Four years after the LEGO® Botanical Collection debuted with the launch of 10281 Bonsai Tree, The LEGO Group returns to the tree nursery from midnight tonight (Saturday 1 June 2025) with the release of 10348 Japanese Red Maple Bonsai Tree.

Review: LEGO® 11203 Bluey's Family House, 11202 Bluey's Beach and Family Car Trip & 11201 Playground Fun

Hooray! The long-awaited LEGO® BLUEY™ sets are almost here. The new theme launches with 3 LEGO® System 4+ sets which my family and I have reviewed here today: 11201 Playground Fun with Bluey, 11202 Bluey's Beach and Family Car Trip, and 11203 Bluey's Family House; and 2 LEGO® DUPLO® sets, which we will review soon.

With heaps of new elements, including new minifigures, tons of prints, and even a few new moulds (for real life!), there's a lot to discuss. Let's do this!

LEGO® Ghost Effect with Bar (part 5500)

Today we're playing catch-up with a quick look at the geometry and connection points of an element introduced in 2024: Design Element No.8 (5500), also known as Power Burst, Energy Claw Section Rounded with Bar End and 3 Bar Handles on BrickLink and Ghost Effect with Bar on Rebrickable.

Despite appearing on our best parts of 2024 list, we've yet to actually analyse this ghoulish element in all its ethereal glory, but now that it is available on LEGO Pick a Brick in 2 colours, its time has come.

Review: 10367 Balrog Book Nook from LEGO® Icons

LEGO® Lord of the Rings was very popular back in 2012 and 2013. Less than 20 sets were released, and their aftermarket prices are formidable. The theme returned two years ago under the LEGO® Icons line with more adult-oriented and expensive playsets, flanked by some LEGO® Brickheadz. Compared to 10316 Rivendell (see our review by Ben Davies), 10333 Barad-dûr (review by Jonas Kramm) and 10354 The Shire (review by Thomas Jenkins), the June 2025 set 10367 Balrog Book Nook feels like a modestly sized, affordable model.  Except that modestly sized and affordable in 2025 means 1201 pieces for US$129.99/ £109.99/ 119.99€!

May 2025 LEGO® Gifts with Purchase and promotions

See the June 2025 GwP here
Here is a historical record of the Gifts with Purchase (GwP) and promotions available on LEGO.com during May 2025. Most are no longer available, however a couple continue until end 2 June.

Parts review: June 2025 LEGO® Friends sets

Summer is coming to the Northern Hemisphere, and Heartlake City continues to grow with another wave of sets. With 13 products, the range coming on 1 June 2025 is a fair bit smaller than January's, which featured 20, but that won't diminish the quality of the models, or of course the new elements they bring – and there's even a new color.

As with the previous waves, I’ve opened up all the boxes we received for review – 11 of the 13 sets – and dug through them to bring you an overview of all the new elements these bring us, before building the featured models in later articles. 

Parts review: June 2025 LEGO® Technic

The second wave of LEGO® Technic for 2025 is hitting shelves next month. It’s comprised of 3 sets: 42208 Aston Martin Valkyrie, 42209 Volvo L120 Electric Wheel Loader, and 42210 2 Fast 2 Furious Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34) Car. I think it’s not much of a spoiler when I say that each one is attractive to MOCers in its own way.

For now, we’ll take a look at the new elements in all 3 sets, and at a later date, the actual models.

Parts review and MOC: 42170 Kawasaki Ninja H2R from LEGO® Technic

Set 42170 Kawasaki Ninja H2R Motorcycle was the 2024 addition to the 1:8-scale LEGO® Technic motorcycle range, depicting the Kawasaki Ninja H2R, also from 2024. It is noteworthy for being the first set to feature new engine cylinder elements that have quickly spread to all kinds of sets, big and small.

Today, rather than build the bike, I'll take a look at the inventory – in particular the exclusive new mould – and come up with something else to build with it.

Review: 77037 Aloy & Varl vs. Shell-Walker & Sawtooth from LEGO® Horizon Adventures™

Based on the LEGO® Horizon Adventures™ video game released late last year, March 2025 saw the launch of 77037 Aloy & Varl vs. Shell-Walker & Sawtooth. The second LEGO set inspired by the world of Horizon, my expectations are high after the much-praised 76989 Horizon Forbidden West: Tallneck from 2022 (see Zach's review of set 76989).

Review: 21357 Disney Pixar Luxo Jr. from LEGO® Ideas

1986 was a historic year.  The world was rocked by some tragedies; the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after launch and the Chernobyl disaster remains the worst nuclear accident in the history of nuclear power generation. On a lighter note, the disposable camera was invented by Fujifilm, and the animated short film Luxo Jr. was produced and released by Pixar Animation Studios.

The next LEGO® Ideas set to be released is 21357 Disney Pixar Luxo Jr., a LEGO version of the baby lamp and ball featured in the short film, which remains a icon of the company today.

Review: 10360 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft from LEGO® Icons

A new LEGO® Icons set has just landed! 10360 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is a 2417-piece set that recreates the space shuttle Enterprise and the modified Boeing 747™ that was used to transport it between missions. While LEGO has produced a great number of space shuttle sets in the past, this is the first time to see this specific shuttle in brick form. This is also the first official LEGO depiction of the Boeing 747. 

Fasten your seat belts and check that overhead compartment because this jumbo jet is quite a ride!

Review: 10351 Sherlock Holmes: Book Nook from LEGO® Icons

With the endless surge of adult-oriented sets, it is astonishing that Sherlock Holmes, the world's most famous detective, has not officially appeared in a LEGO® form – not even as a Gift with Purchase, similar to the Jules Verne set. 

Created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887, Sherlock's influence in storytelling has been remarkable. Thus, it's brilliant to see that his LEGO debut is directly bound to books: LEGO® Icons set 10351 Sherlock Holmes: Book Nook is designed to be displayed among them.

Review: 10352 The Simpsons™: Krusty Burger from LEGO® Icons

The Simpsons™ is one of the most famous and longest-running animated shows ever, and is still going (strong?). The dysfunctional family has been captured in LEGO® form before, and now, after 10 years of silence (aside from a rogue LEGO® Brickheadz set), they are back for a snack – at 10352 The Simpsons: Krusty Burger.

As I was still fully in my LEGO® Technic phase when The Simpsons LEGO sets came out, I’m eager to build the revival, now marketed under the LEGO® Icons umbrella, and discover its new pieces.

What are the new LEGO® parts in May 2025 sets? (Updated to 15 May)

I've created a list showing all 222 new LEGO® elements added in May 2025, now updated to include the exciting new sets released today, Thursday 15 May: 10360 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, 72037 Mario Kart: Mario & Standard Kart and 31216 Keith Haring’s Dancing Figures as well as the GwP 40767 Up-Scaled Baby Astronaut and the LEGO® Insiders reward 40787 Mario Kart – Spiny Shell.

For those of you who prefer it, here instead is our list of May 2025 sets showing their new elements.

Review: LEGO® 40767 Up-Scaled Baby Astronaut GwP

Spacebaby, Spacebaby, SPACEBABY! LEGO® set 40767 Up-Scaled Baby Astronaut is the adorable new Gift with Purchase (GwP) that is now available, until 23 May 2025 or while stocks last, with all purchases meeting the minimum threshold of 150€/ US$150/ CA$190/ £135/ AU$245/ NZ$265. We received an early copy for a review, so let's take a look at this oh-so-cute mega-baby face.

Review: 76974 Brick-built Mosasaurus Boat Mission from LEGO® Jurassic World™

LEGO® Jurassic World™ sets have rarely contained brick-built dinosaurs, but the June 2025 offering 76974 Brick-built Mosasaurus Boat Mission depicts some new heroes on an adventure with a brick-built beast of impressive dimensions. The mosasaurus is not a dinosaur, it's a prehistoric marine reptile of epic proportions, so will the LEGO interpretation float my boat or leave me at sea?

Updated LEGO® colours: 427 Cool Yellow & 426 White

January 2025 LEGO® Marvel set 76313 MARVEL Logo & Minifigures, and March 2025 sets LEGO® Art 31215 Vincent van Gogh – Sunflowers and LEGO® Architecture 21062 Trevi Fountain have introduced two new colours to the LEGO colour palette. Did you spot them?

While we did notice there had been a change in shade of Bright Light Yellow (TLG name Cool Yellow), we missed the new White, until LEGO colour guru Rylie Howerter brought the updates to our attention. Read on to find out more about these "new" colours.

Set review: 75409 Jango Fett's Firespray-Class Starship from LEGO® Star Wars™

Today we complete our analysis of LEGO® Star Wars™ 75409 Jango Fett's Firespray-Class Starship. In part 1 we examined set 75409's new moulds and recoloured pieces. In this article we'll be exploring the set's build techniques and minifigures, before concluding with a look at the impressive completed model and play features.

"Hang on son, we'll move into the asteroid field. And we'll have a couple of surprises for him"

Review: 31216 Keith Haring Dancing Figures from LEGO® Art

Keith Haring was a famous American pop artist, best known for having created stylized figures and animals, often drawn in lines that were simple but nevertheless packed in a lot of energy and movement. That style is the subject of the latest LEGO® Art set, 31216 Keith Haring – Dancing Figures.

Parts review: 75409 Jango Fett's Firespray-Class Starship from LEGO® Star Wars

For a simple man trying to make his way in the universe, Jango doesn't travel light. LEGO® Star Wars set 75409 Jango Fett's Firespray-Class Starship is bountiful in every sense of the word. Today we examine the new moulds, recolours and decorated elements it has to offer.

LEGO® Pythagorean triangles: Escaping the grid

Arno Knobbe (@legoarno on Instagram) completes his popular trilogy of guest articles today, gently introducing you to the math behind useful techniques for building at diagonals to the LEGO® grid. If you missed them, you may wish to read the others first – Part 1: building at angles, and Part 2: techniques with reflected wedges.

Building a triangle naturally forces you to escape the LEGO® grid. Sure, you can align 2 sides with the grid – creating a right triangle – but the third side will have to be diagonal. As soon as you try this, you run into trouble: most dimensions will not lead to easy connections at the 2 corners involved, neither with hinge plates nor regular stud-antistud connections. The age-old answer to this challenge, that most builders will be familiar with, is the Pythagorean triangle. Today’s article is my modern take on this millennia-old technique.

May 2025 deals for LEGO® Star Wars™ Day

The deals for Star Wars Day, May the Fourth, are now over. We will keep this page live as a record of what was on offer, including our review of 40765 Kamino Training Facility.

Visit our page of current LEGO® promotions and Gifts with Purchase (GwP) for May 2025 to see what happened after Star Wars Day.

Tom Loftus' MOCs using May 2025 Pick a Brick parts

LEGO® Pick a Brick paused new uploads earlier this year, but they have just resumed the addition of new parts a month earlier than anticipated!

But what to do with them? I've explored the potential of some of the pieces in original LEGO build creations using my own collection.

Review + MOC: 10347 Petite Sunny Bouquet from LEGO® Botanicals

When I reviewed the LEGO® Botanicals "Four Gentlemen" sets, I was pleased to find that the company is able to release high-quality, adult-oriented sets with more affordable price tags. Available from this Thursday 1 May 2025, set 10347 Petite Sunny Bouquet continues the trend, taking the idea of a bunch of flowers without an included vessel and halving the usual price. What is the result?

LEGO® Pick a Brick: new elements added in May 2025

It's back! Having paused the addition of new elements in February 2025, today LEGO® Pick a Brick have resumed – and it's a mammoth haul of over 1,000 pieces.

Grab a cup of tea and have a delicious browse through the incredible offering. Our visual list of new PaB elements can be sorted by element category or by color, and now includes Element IDs too in case you're searching for something in particular. 

This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.

Review: 76970 Baby Dinosaur Dolores Aquilops from LEGO® Jurassic World™ Rebirth

For me, a highlight of LEGO® sets over the last few years has been some of the brick-built creatures that would have been unthinkable in the past. As part of their LEGO® Creator 3-in-1 line, they have now made all manner of brick beasts; crocodiles, giraffes, pandas and more have all been depicted in impressive style.

The recent range of baby dinosaurs have naturally found favour with my kids, and myself. The newest addition to this group, LEGO® Jurassic World™ Rebirth 76970 Baby Dinosaur Dolores Aquilops looks super-cute in all the official imagery so far released, so let's take a look at what goes into making her.

Reveal: 31216 Keith Haring Dancing Figures from LEGO® Art

Our review of set 31216 Keith Haring Dancing Figures is now available

The next release from LEGO® Art is another exciting choice: the iconic work of 1980s artist Keith Haring. His energetic, symbolic figures have been part of pop culture for over 40 years now, and set 31216 Keith Haring – Dancing Figures translates them into LEGO form superbly.

Revealed: 10348 Japanese Red Maple Bonsai Tree and 10349 Happy Plants from LEGO® Botanicals

LEGO® Botanicals are retreading old ground and breaking fresh ground with their latest two sets to be revealed, and while both share Japanese influences, they couldn't be more different: a big new bonsai tree, and tiny little kawaii-style potted plants who are best buddies and love you very much.

There are two thrilling new moulds in set 10348 Japanese Red Maple Bonsai Tree, and both this and set 10349 Happy Plants feature many exciting recolours. So let's get started with our examination of these June sets!

April 2025 LEGO® Gifts with Purchase

Today, Tuesday 29 April 2025 is the final day of 40783 Coral Reef Diorama as the global Gift with Purchase (GwP). Then, LEGO® Star Wars™ deals and GwPs for May the Fourth will commence on Thursday 1 May.

Review: 21356 River Steamboat from LEGO® Ideas

Cast off! The steam engines are under fire! 

If you bought a ticket at the booth you may board the Amelia, LEGO® Ideas latest and biggest set. But now you’ll hopefully enjoy your ride on the “Ghost ship of the Mississippi” – we’ll get to that naming later. 

Flower Pot Pals: Jonas Kramm's Pick a Brick project

The LEGO® Pick a Brick team challenged New Elementary to transform an ordinary set into something new with the help of some extra pieces from Pick a Brick online. Jonas Kramm stepped up by reimagining iconic LEGO® Botanicals set 10329 Tiny Plants as a series of Flower Pot Pals! Here's what he came up with – and you can try one for yourself by studying his breakdown.

Tom Loftus' Fractal 45 spaceship MOC

Continuing today's reflected wedge extravaganza, Arno Knobbe challenged me to dream up something swooshable using some of the geometric delights we saw in his technique article about building off the LEGO grid with reflected wedges. Let's escape the grid in a spaceship!

LEGO® techniques with reflected wedges: Escaping the grid

After the popularity of his first guest post for us, Arno Knobbe (@legoarno on Instagram) returns today to explain more core building techniques for sending your models off the rectilinear grid. 

In my previous post, I discussed a classic LEGO® technique for building at an angle, the rectangle trick, and its relation to the "sugar grid", a concept recently introduced on the Brick Sculpt YouTube channel. In this article, we’ll look into another mainstay of LEGO building techniques, reflected wedges. I’ll investigate some parallels between this technique and the sugar grid as well.

Review: 5009157 Amelia Ticket Booth GwP from LEGO® Ideas

The biggest LEGO® Ideas set to date, 21356 River Steamboat, is now available to LEGO® Insiders and will be available to all from midnight Thursday 10 April 2025. In addition, until 13 April or while stocks last, those who buy it from LEGO Stores or LEGO.com will receive the Gift with Purchase (GwP) 5009157 Amelia Ticket Booth. Let's see what this 152-piece model has to offer!

Interview: LEGO® 10353 Williams Racing FW14B with designer Gus McLaren

We just published Zach's review of LEGO® Icons 10353 Williams Racing FW14B and Nigel Mansell but the set was actually revealed to us in September 2024 during Fan Media Days, where Tim Johnson sat down with designer Gus McLaren to talk about the set.

What are the new LEGO® parts in April 2025 sets?

I've created a list showing all 110 new LEGO® elements added in April 2025, with links to which sets they come in so you can check for the ones you might be interested in.  The list now includes 21356 River Steamboat, which was released on 7 April. Stay tuned for our review of this massive LEGO® Ideas set!

For those of you who prefer it, here is our list of April 2025 sets showing which contain the most new elements.

Review: 10353 Williams Racing FW14B & Nigel Mansell from LEGO® Icons

The turn of the 1990s brought immense technological innovation to Formula 1 racing, and with it fierce rivalry as teams competed for race car construction and driving dominance. 10353 Williams Racing FW14B & Nigel Mansell is the second historic F1 LEGO® Icons set from this era, showcasing an engineering marvel which finally put Team McLaren-Honda in Williams' mirrors again.

Parts review: 11040 Magical Transparent Box from LEGO® Classic

LEGO® Classic set 11040 Magical Transparent Box is loaded with 228 translucent pieces (plus 12 spares!), comprising 43 unique clear parts. At first glance, the set looks like a box of basic bricks but a closer look reveals a few surprises – including a few new moulds! 

Review: 40761 Sméagol and Déagol GwP from LEGO® Icons Lord of the Rings

The latest LEGO® Icons Lord of the Rings set is here, accompanied by a very precious Gift with Purchase: 40761 Sméagol and Déagol. Those who purchase 10354 The Shire between 2 and 8 April (while stocks last) will be eligible to receive this éagoly awaited GwP. We received an early copy for review, so let's go on a lovely family fishing adventure.

LEGO® DUPLO® figures with hair: rare prototypes uncovered

LEGO® have tested many projects behind closed doors and usually we only see the results when the item makes it into production.  

We have a treat for you today,  as we have obtained a couple of rare prototype LEGO® DUPLO® figures with synthetic hair that escaped the test room in Billund. We are not certain, however, of the date these were explored. 

Review: 43263 Beauty and the Beast Castle from LEGO® Disney™

It’s been 34 years (pause to realize my age…) since Beauty and the Beast was released by Disney™, blowing audiences away with the vibrant story and visuals. The movie and its characters have become icons, and many LEGO® sets have been inspired by it. So far, all of these sets are either aimed at children in the LEGO® Disney Princess theme, LEGO® Brickheadz, or references in other sets like 43226 Disney Duos. 

Now, for the first time, an 18+ set fully dedicated to the movie is being released: 43263 Beauty and the Beast Castle. Will it be as impressive as the original? Be our guest, and join us in exploring the mysterious castle and all its secrets.