LEGO® NINJAGO® review: 71720 Fire Stone Mech

Kev Levell (on Flickr) takes a deep dive into the 2020 LEGO® NINJAGO® set 71720 Fire Stone Mech today. Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | UK Amazon | USA LEGO Shop | USA Amazon | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. New Elementary may get a commission. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

An incredible 45 sets were released within the LEGO® NINJAGO® theme in 2020; that’s a lot even allowing for magazine cover mounts and the perennial pocket money “character spinner” variants. It’s a number exceeded only by LEGO Friends sets, while LEGO Star Wars languishes just behind with 43.

The 71720 Fire Stone Mech is one of the larger sets in Ninjago's 2020 ‘Master of the Mountain’ subtheme. He’s a big fella too, weighing in at 667g with a total of 968 pieces including 5 minifigures, all for a comparatively reasonable £64.99 / US$69.99 / 68.23€.

LEGO® Technic review: 42116 Skid Steer Loader & 42117 Race Plane

Omid (@nwbricks) reviews LEGO® Technic 42116 Skid Steer Loader and 42117 Race Plane. Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. New Elementary may get a commission. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

This double review examines two small-but-mighty LEGO® Technic sets. With just shy of 300 parts between them and a price tag of £8.99 / US$9.99 / 9.99€ each, 42116 Skid Steer Loader and 42117 Race Plane are definitely targeted more at young builders but are not without their fair share of neat features. They were both released at the start of the year in the first wave of 2021 Technic sets. Let's take a look! 

LEGO® DOTS review: 41915 Jewellery Box

Andrew Barnick completes his analysis of the 2020 LEGO® DOTS range today with 41915 Jewellery Box. Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. New Elementary may get a commission. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

For what will possibly be my last LEGO® DOTS review for New Elementary (at least for the 2020 sets), I am reviewing 41915 Jewellery Box. Along with 41914 Creative Picture Frames, this is one of the largest Dots sets, with a bright light yellow sorting tray and plenty of parts to obsess over. With that in mind, let’s dive in!

LEGO® review: 40462 Valentine's Brown Bear

TobyMac (from Rebrickable) reviews the latest adorable seasonal set from LEGO® Extended Line today, 40462 Valentine's Brown Bear. Buying this cutie? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. New Elementary may get a commission. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

Valentine’s Day is on its way. As usual, LEGO has released a set to commemorate the occasion; this year it is 40462 Valentine's Brown Bear. I want to judge this set for any interest group, regardless of your love-life, so rather than looking at this as just a Valentine’s set, I’ll also be looking at its part selection.

(CW: HP) LEGO® 75979 Hedwig: Professor's "One Set" MOCs

The Professor (on Instagram) is back today with more of his alternate builds of a LEGO® set: this time he creates 7 new models using only parts from Harry Potter 75979 Hedwig! The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this. Editorial note: Although views expressed by Harry Potter's creator do not align with that of New Elementary, we continue to cover HP sets. Read about our stance here.

75979 Hedwig immediately attracted me because it mixes classic LEGO® System elements with Technic. I have always liked these sets which combine the best of both worlds, especially when maintaining aesthetics while integrating movement. Before I show you my alternate builds let's take a brief look at the original model and what interesting pieces you get in it.

LEGO® Disney review & MOCs: 43187 Rapunzel’s Tower

Caz Mockett (BlockHeadUK) takes a look at a 2020 LEGO® Disney set today, 43187 Rapunzel’s Tower. She takes a special look at the new swing piece before using parts from the set in her own creations! Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | UK Amazon | USA LEGO Shop | USA Amazon | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. New Elementary may get a commission. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

43187 Rapunzel’s Tower is part of the LEGO® Disney theme, featuring Princess Rapunzel and Flynn Rider and Rapunzel’s cute little chameleon, Pascal, stars of the movie Tangled. The set is aimed at the 6+ age group and, when built, comprises the huge prison tower for Rapunzel, a garden swing and the Snuggly Duckling Inn. Let’s take a closer look at its unique and rare parts.

LEGO® Super Mario review: 71380 Master Your Adventure Maker Set

Tim Goddard (@tim_goddard928) continues our LEGO® Super Mario coverage today with 71380 Master Your Adventure Maker Set as he lists its new parts, prints and exclusive 2021 Super Mario barcode stickers. Buying this 366-piece set? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. New Elementary may get a commission. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

‘Master your Adventure Maker Set’ - what an impressive name! In order to use any of the Super Mario sets to their full potential you need the 71360 Adventures with Mario starter set, but this is sort of an additional starter set to space out other expansions you might have purchased and to give a bit of room for your character packs to be displayed or line up an attack against any passing plumbers.

That is not all: it comes with some new play features, a special ‘customisation machine’, a 30 second pipe and some new characters.  We will look at them a bit later but first on to the parts.

LEGO® Ideas set review: 21325 Medieval Blacksmith

Today Kev Levell (on Flickr) reviews the construction of LEGO® Ideas set 21325 Medieval Blacksmith, following his parts analysis yesterday. Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. New Elementary may get a commission. Products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

In medieval times, a blacksmith was a vital part of any village or town’s existence (as my kids and I discovered in our home learning while stuck in Lockdown 3). They were among a small group of craftsmen that no civilisation at the time could have done without. Usually working in iron and later steel, they would make all manner of things – nails, horseshoes, hinges, weapons, armour and hand tools, among many other practical and decorative things. A blacksmith would also be called upon to mend those same things too.

LEGO® Ideas parts review: 21325 Medieval Blacksmith

Kev Levell (on Flickr) today reviews the 2164 pieces in 21325 Medieval Blacksmith, the new LEGO® Ideas set priced US$149.99/ CA$199.99/ 146.99€/ £134.99/ AU$249.99. Buying it? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. New Elementary may get a commission. Products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

The LEGO Group is taking us on a journey in time. Back to Medieval times and, by association, back to the Classic Castle sets of the 1980s.

21325 Medieval Blacksmith is beautiful: this isn’t just a half-timbered house with a characteristically charming second-storey overhang, oh no, there is much more to it. The three floors are packed with authentic-looking details and clever features.

LEGO® review: 40460 Roses & 40461 Tulips

TobyMac reviews 2 seasonal sets from LEGO® Extended Line today; 40460 Roses and 40461 Tulips. Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. New Elementary may get a commission. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

Today I’ll be looking at 2 new LEGO® sets released in January 2021: 40460 Roses and 40461 Tulips. At first glance they appear to be smaller versions of the 10280 Flower Bouquet that Thomas Jenkins reviewed recently. I’ve built that set myself, and I was pleasantly surprised by the overall build experience and end result, so I’m curious if these 2 smaller sets will bring some of the same colour and joy as well.

LEGO® Technic review: 42125 Ferrari 488 GTE 'AF Corse #51'

Zachary Hill (@zacharyphill) reviews the 2021 LEGO® Technic 42125 Ferrari 488 GTE “AF Corse #51” for you today. 

Nothing compares to the intensity of the FIA World Endurance Championship. 24-hour long races, mid-race driver changes, and multiple car classes sharing the track are a monumental challenge for any team. Race team AF Corse and racecar builder Ferrari have had an incredibly successful partnership in endurance racing, while The LEGO Group and Ferrari have enjoyed similarly astounding teamwork bringing over 50 co-branded sets to fans since 1997.

The new LEGO® Technic 42125 Ferrari 488 GTE gives racing fans the biggest Prancing Horse set ever with 1677 pieces, over 300 more than previous record holder 8653 Enzo Ferrari 1:10. At 48 cm (18¾”) long this model breaks the 13-year hiatus since the last 1:10 Ferrari model. This set is now available priced at US$169.99/ CA$229.99/ £169.99 / €175.45.

LEGO® Ideas review: 21323 Grand Piano

Today Tim Johnson reviews LEGO® Ideas 21323 Grand Piano, the 3662-piece set based on the Ideas submission by Donny Chen. Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. New Elementary may get a commission. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

Released in August 2020, 21323 Grand Piano is an unusual and remarkable LEGO® product. For the few of you still unaware of it, let’s start with the quickest of rundowns. Measuring 58 x 38 x 16 cm (23 x 15 x 6 in) and weighing over 6kg (13 lb) in the box, this is a faithful LEGO representation of a working grand piano. Lids flip open, the stool rises, the keys strike strings – and it kinda plays music too; a Powered Up electric motor can be activated by a phone app to make the keys move while music plays on the phone.

LEGO® Trolls World Tour review: 41258 Vibe City Concert

Today Tom Loftus (Inthert on Flickr) completes our LEGO® Trolls World Tour coverage – that we began back in April 2020! – with a review of the parts in 41258 Vibe City Concert. If you're buying this set from USA Amazon, consider using our affiliate links - New Elementary may get a commission. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

The explosion of colour that is the LEGO® Trolls World Tour theme concludes with its final encore: 41258 Vibe City Concert. With 494 pieces, five weird and wonderful minifigures and an original retail price of US$59.99 / £54.99 / 58.48€ it is the largest set to come from this theme.

LEGO® Star Wars review: 75274 TIE Fighter Pilot Helmet

Today Tim Johnson reviews LEGO® Star Wars 75274 TIE Fighter Pilot, one of the 2020 'helmet' sets. Buying it? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | UK Amazon | USA LEGO Shop | USA Amazon | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. New Elementary may get a commission. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

In March 2020 The LEGO Group released a series of ‘helmet’ sets under the 18+ branding featuring designs from Star Wars and Iron Man. I eschewed the perhaps more iconic Stormtrooper and Boba Fett for the sleek TIE pilot fighter, depicting John Mollo’s design from the original film in 1977. 

Before the build, let’s take a look at its parts which are fairly standard for the most part – in fact, quite a nice aspect to the inventory is its prevalence of simple elements. Well over half of its 724 pieces are plate or some kind of useful modified plate!

LEGO® Technic review & MOC: 42123 McLaren Senna GTR

Aron Gerencser (Pohaturon) kicks off 2021 by reviewing LEGO® Technic set 42123 McLaren Senna GTR™ – and then building something quite different with some of its parts! 

Alongside really big licensed LEGO® Technic cars like the Chiron and the Sián are the smaller - but still sizeable - licensed cars intended to be more affordable. while still bringing accuracy and build quality that both kids and adult collectors will appreciate. 42123 McLaren Senna GTR is the latest of these cars. Let’s see if we have a champion on our hands, or if it should have made a pit-stop before primetime. 

This 830 piece set costs 49,99€/ US$49.99/ £44.99/ AU$89.99/ CA$69.99 and is available from today, 1 January 2021. 

LEGO® Botanical Collection review: 10281 Bonsai Tree

Thomas Jenkins (@thomas_jenkins_bricks) has another LEGO® Botanical Collection review for you today; the 878-piece Bonsai Tree. Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. New Elementary may get a commission. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

Much like building with LEGO® bricks, bonsai is the art of replicating its subject at a much smaller scale. As such, a LEGO bonsai tree is a match made in heaven.

It’s exciting to see the LEGO Group continue to branch out into the adult market. 10281 Bonsai Tree is one of two sets from the new Botanical Collection, a sub-theme of the Creator Expert series. The Bonsai will be released alongside 10280 Flower Bouquet (read our review here) on 1 January 2021 and will be priced at US$49.99/ €49.99/ £44.99/ AU$89.99/ 449.0 DKK/ CA$69.99.

LEGO® Botanical Collection review: 10280 Flower Bouquet

Thomas Jenkins (@thomas_jenkins_bricks) has been busy tending his LEGO® Botanical Collection sets, starting with the 756-piece Flower Bouquet Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. New Elementary may get a commission.

I’m not a fan of plastic flowers, but after a quick glance at the box of the new LEGO® Flower Bouquet I’m already starting to change my mind.

10280 Flower Bouquet sows the seed for the new Botanical Collection, which currently includes one other set, 10281 Bonsai Tree, which I have also reviewed. They're an exciting new addition to the 18+ range, offering something quite unique: non-licensed, non-minifig, real-world scale display pieces. Plus, at US$49.99/ €49.99/ £44.99/ AU$89.99/ 449.0 DKK/ CA$69.99 they're among the least expensive of the new adult-oriented sets.

LEGO® Chinese Festival review: 80107 Spring Lantern Festival

Our LEGO® Chinese Traditional Festival set coverage continues today with 80107 Spring Lantern Festival, reviewed by Lee (cityson). It's available now priced US$119.99/ £89.99. Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. New Elementary may get a commission. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

The second Chinese New Year set for 2021 is the larger 80107 Spring Lantern Festival, introducing LEGO® fans to this special day in traditional Chinese New Year celebrations with a stunning 1793-piece Chinese Garden display. As discussed in our preview article, this is another set filled with wonderful pieces, but does the building experience live up to the hype? 

LEGO® Chinese Festival review: 80106 Story of Nian

The LEGO® Chinese Traditional Festival sets quickly became popular with fans worldwide and now Lee (cityson) takes a detailed look at what's coming in 2021. Buying this set? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. New Elementary may get a commission. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

I was really excited when the two new Chinese Traditional Festival sets were revealed in November for their wonderful builds and parts, but are the actual products as exciting as the official pictures suggest? In this 3-part review series I will examine these sets closely, starting with the smaller set, 80106 Story of Nian. Since I have covered most of the new parts in the preview article, we will instead jump right into the models and take a more thorough look at the parts in my concluding article in a few days' time.

LEGO® CITY Review: 60292 Town Centre and 60306 Shopping Street

Caz Mockett returns today with two more 2021 LEGO® CITY sets. Buying from LEGO.com? Consider using our affiliate links: UK LEGO Shop | USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop, for other countries 'Change Region'. New Elementary may get a commission. The products in this article were provided for free by LEGO; the author's opinions are not biased by this.

Today I complete my reviews of five LEGO® CITY sets to be released on 1st January 2021. So far we looked at 60304 Road Plates and then 60290 Skate Park with 60291 Family Home, which leaves 60292 Town Centre and 60306 Shopping Street. So let's head into town for some shopping!