With the presents unwrapped and played with for a mere day or two, the time is right for new ranges of Lego to be launched. After all, there’s Christmas money and gift vouchers just waiting to be spent.
Lego Friends have been launched in time to ring-in the new year of 2012. The range, along with new Ninjago toys, are available online at Toys”R”Us for home delivery, and will arrive in stores soon.
Lego Friends marks yet another attempt by the company to grab a slice of the lucrative girls collectibles market. While Lego, as a plaything, is neither specifically for boys of girls, recent years has seen the line of products become perceived by much of the public as a “boys” toy.
This renewed attempt to appeal to a great number of girls is not without some slight controversy, many of Lego’s (and many now grown-up) female fans took exception to all the pink, pets and chillaxing [stet] with the girls. There’s also some discussion and protest being expressed through the social media website Twitter, via hashtag #LiberateLEGOs.
Naturally, for a toy manufacturer this is all about sales and after four years of intense research, Lego may well have yet another most wanted toy in the shops, only this time displayed along-side Sylvanian Families and Polly Pocket in toy stores.
Taste in toys has always divided children, be it Barbie verses Bratz or Lego verses Playmobil; so it is without doubt the following video clip will make some girls delight and others cringe:-
The LEGO Friends Line-Up
Stephanie’s Bakery (3930): the finishing touches are being prepared for a garden party.There’s fresh-baked cakes to remove from the oven, dishes in the sink to be washed and the umbrella garden table needs setting – £4.99.
Olivia’s Tree House (3065): all of the friends love meeting in this treetop retreat to play games and camp out under the stars. Climb the folding ladders to watch the ladybirds, catch butterflies and feed the cat. Watch the ocean waves or wish on stars through the telescope. Stash secret treasures in the hidden compartment and decorate the whole fort with wildflowers – £19.99.
Olivia’s Workshop (3933): help Olivia create a remote-controlled pet robot or inventions in her workshop. Olivia loves tinkering with her toys to make cool creations. Write plans on the chalkboard and examine crystal under the microscope. Use the power tools to put the robot together then oil him with the oil can! Work on parts for new inventions in the vice or on the workbench, then store it all away in the shelves and rack of chemist jars – £9.99.
Emma’s Splash Pool (3931): the friend’s favourite place to be in the summer is Emma’s Splash Pool. Head over to Emma’s place to work on your tan in the lounge chair, cool off in the pool or have an ice cream in the fresh air – £4.99.
Olivia’s House (3315): home to Olivia, her parents and her pet cat is this big, bright house with lots of rooms for hanging out and having fun. Help Olivia to grill up a barbecue for the girls. Get the lawnmower out and mow the lawn and swing in the yard. An ideal home to host a sleepover or have a party. This house is built in sections for easy rearranging and you can decorate, customise and rebuild it – £69.99.
Heartlake Dog Show: it’s a great day to be a pretty puppy in Heartlake City. Mia is taking her two puppies to the annual Heartlake Dog Show. Help her to show them off on the podium and runway for the judges. Guide the pups through the obstacle course. Will Mia’s puppies win a prize? Set come with Mia Ladyfig figure and 2 puppies – £19.99.
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- City Park Cafe
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- Olivia’s Tree House
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- Stephanie’s Cool Convertible
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- Heartlake Vet
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- Olivia’s House
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- Stephanie’s Bakery
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- Emma’s Splash Pool
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- Andrea’s Stage
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- Olivia’s Workshop
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- Mia’s Puppy House
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- Stephanie’s Pet Patrol
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- Emma’s Design Studio
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- Heartlake Dog Show
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- Olivia Ladyfig
Mia’s Puppy House (3934): not only an abode for one of Mia’s canine friends but also the place for grooming (in time for that Puppy Show, no doubt). Use the soap, spray bottle and tub to help Mia give her puppy a bath. Brush its hair on the grooming table and dress it up with a pretty bow – £9.99.
Stephanie’s Pet Patrol (3935): Stephanie has her cool quad bike ready to patrol for lost or wounded pets. Help her to rescue the animals of Heartlake City. Go off-road and find animals to bring to the veterinarian or to take back home to their owners. There’s a trailer to load them into for transportation. A bunny either gets rescued or tags along for the ride; luckily Stephanie has a carrot to give to the ceature – £9.99.
Heartlake Vet (3188): if you’ve had the patience to read this far, then you’ll know Heartlake City has numerous animal inhabitants. So, it’s only right that the city has its own veterinary surgery, called Heartlake Vet. Mia helps out and learns to take care of her furry friends. Help the veterinarian to get all of the all so cute little creatures back to tip-top health. Examine them on the examination table, check temperatures, apply the ice pack, listen to heartbeats and feed the animals their medicine. Weigh them on the scale and even take x-rays. Cages can be decorated with butterflies, ladybird and flowers. Set includes 3 animals, Mia and Veterinarian Sophie mini-doll figures – £19.99.
Stephanie’s Cool Convertible (3183): pick up the rest of the LEGO Friends for a road trip full of fun and adventure. Stephanie loves cruising in her Cool Convertible. Help her wash it to a sparkle and load her puppy into the backseat. Top destinations may, or may not, include the beauty shop, to the beach, or just go on a road trip with the girls – £14.99.
Andrea’s Stage (3932): Andrea is the biggest star in Heartlake City and she loves to perform for her LEGO Friends and fans. Help Andrea to put on her best performance yet. Shine the spotlight on her as she plays the piano. Then crank up the boom box as she sings into the microphone. Finish it off with a dance to your favorite song – £9.99.
Emma’s Design Studio (3936): help Emma create her next fancy fashion design. Use her laptop for inspiration and design table with colour samples to create fun fashions. She can take photos of her work with the camera and turn up the tunes with her mp3 player while she gets creative. Emma has everything she needs to create trendy new dresses and the coolest clothes for all of her friends to wear – £9.99.
City Park Cafe (3061): Andrea works at the Lego Friends City Park Café and loves dishing out tasty treats, when she is not singing into her broom and daydreaming of her big performance. It’s the perfect place in Heartlake City for all of the LEGO Friends to meet for milkshakes and burgers or to chill and have fun. You can bake goodies for the girls in the café kitchen, complete with everything you need to serve up café cuisine in style. There’s even an outdoor dining area, the perfect place to enjoy a milkshake in t he sun. Order up a sweet snack, serve the customers and pay with LEGO money bricks. Includes 2 Ladyfigs: Andrea and Marie – £29.99.
The recommended age for these kits varies from between 5 and 6 years upwards, not suitable for children under 3 years of age due to small parts.
Lego Friends are available to order now from Toys R Us in Great Britain.
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