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The 9 best LEGO sets for kids and adults of all ages

You’re never too young (or too old) for LEGO. Whether you’re shopping for your child or for yourself, check out our picks for the best LEGO sets now.

Published Sep 14, 2023
6 min. reading time
Picture of kids playing LEGO

Whether you’re a LEGO lover or you’re shopping for a child, grandchild or friend, it can be challenging to pick the top LEGO sets and find the right one. This is especially true for younger kids who may have a tough time with more complicated, difficult-to-assemble sets.

On the other hand, the best LEGO sets for adults are typically very complicated and include lots of pieces, making them more rewarding. Lots of adult LEGO sets are meant for display, too, so they function as a unique piece of interior decor for LEGO lovers. 

So, whether you’re shopping for a child or for someone who’s a child at heart, we’ve put together a list of the best LEGO sets for people of all ages! Let’s get into the details.

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See the best LEGO sets for all ages

LEGO creative bricks in yellow box set
Great for freeform, creative play
LEGO Large Creative Brick Box
$59.99 at LEGO
Lego steam park build
Best for younger children
Lego STEAM Park
$209.95 at LEGO
LEGO treehouse with characters
For versatile play
Lego Friendship Tree House
$79.99 at LEGO
Harry Potter LEGO set in packaging
Best for Harry Potter lovers
Lego Harry Potter The Battle of Hogwarts
$79.99 at LEGO

Great for freeform, creative play

Specifications

  • Suited for ages: 4 to 99

  • Number of pieces: 790

If you ask us, this is one of the best LEGO sets for boys and girls of all ages. It comes with 790 total pieces in a brick-shaped box that’s great for storage. You’ll get a wide variety of standard bricks, sloped bricks, windows, doors, baseplates and other essentials. Since it’s not a themed set, this is a great LEGO set if you want to unlock your child’s creativity. 

This is a great LEGO set for an 8-year-old boy who loves building castles, houses and other structures, for example. It’s also a good option if your little one is just starting out with LEGO, since it offers so many versatile pieces that can be combined with other LEGO sets. 

Overall, it’s the best LEGO set for building without restrictions, particularly if you want to play along with your kids. You’re only limited by your imagination.

Best for younger children

Specifications

  • Suited for ages: 3 to 5

  • Number of pieces: 295

When it comes to LEGOs for toddlers, you’ll want to stick with something from their DUPLO lineup. DUPLO sets are made from bigger blocks that are easier for little ones to assemble and work with. These bigger blocks and figures also pose less of a choking hazard, since standard LEGO sets can have very small pieces that are easily swallowed.

The STEAM Park LEGO set includes 295 DUPLO bricks, as well as, a few minifigures. It also includes 16 different instruction cards that you can help your child assemble into a trolley, car ramp, pinwheel and more. 

The included gears, tracks, pulleys and other components make it easy for toddlers and younger kids to build their own unique structures, too.

For versatile play

Specifications

  • Suited for ages: 8+

  • Number of pieces: 1,114

This is one of the best LEGO sets for older kids who can handle a larger build. It includes 1,114 blocks as well as four LEGO Friends minifigures. These are larger and more “doll-like” than the smaller traditional LEGO minifigures. The tree house structure is full of detail, including a telescope, a wind turbine and a swing.

This is one of the best LEGO sets for an 8-year-old boy or girl who wants to learn a bit more about inclusivity, too. It includes a mini figure in a wheelchair, as well as a wheelchair-friendly elevator for the treehouse. 

Other highlights include a beehive, interchangeable minifigure faces and a few retro-inspired LEGO pieces inspired by the 10-year anniversary of the LEGO Friendship line of products.

Best for Harry Potter lovers

Specifications

  • Suited for ages: 9+

  • Number of pieces: 730

This is one of the best LEGOs for boys and girls who like Harry Potter. It’s also a good option if you’re looking for small LEGO kits that aren’t too expensive and have a small footprint. This LEGO set is a folding diorama that takes place during the climactic battle of Hogwarts. Because it folds, it’s not too big when stored.

Of course, it comes with Harry Potter and Voldemort minifigures, complete with LEGO pieces representing magic spells. Other characters in the set include Neville Longbottom and Nagini, making a total of six minifigures. 

Additionally, this LEGO set is a two-in-one because you can disassemble the Hogwarts plaza and build the Hogwarts Bridge, instead.

A splurge for LEGO Ninjago fans

Specifications

  • Suited for ages: 14+

  • Number of pieces: 5,686

When looking at pictures of LEGO sets, it can be hard to envision how intricate the set really is in real life. This LEGO building set is no exception. It consists of 5,686 pieces, making it one of the largest on our list. It’s also one of the most expensive, but it’s a fantastic splurge for big LEGO Ninjago fans.

This LEGO Ninjago City Gardens set features a gigantic tower that’s over 29 inches in height, as well as a temple and a total of 19 Ninjago minifigures. It’s truly stunning to look at and is packed with little features and surprises for LEGO Ninjago fans, like the Ninjago History Museum, Ice Cream Shop and Chen’s Noodle House.

However, the complexity of this set means that it’s not easy to assemble, so this is definitely not the best LEGO set for a 7-year-old boy or girl unless you’re willing to help them put it together. It’s more suited for older kids. Still, if you’re willing to pitch in, the instructions are easy enough to follow with the help of an adult, even for a younger kiddo.

Best for Indiana Jones fans

Specifications

  • Suited for ages: 18+

  • Number of pieces: 1,545

There are many cool LEGO set that have been released in collaboration with other media franchises, like this set that’s themed around Indiana Jones.

This is a fantastic choice for Indy fans and represents the moment in the first movie when Indiana Jones steals a golden idol from an ancient ruin and has to escape from a rolling boulder trap.

It includes Indy himself, as well as three other mini figures. The set is complex and full of detail from the movies and even includes an interactive, fully-functioning rolling boulder. If you know an adult LEGO fan who loves Indiana Jones, this set is a no-brainer.

From a galaxy far, far away

Specifications

  • Suited for ages: 18+

  • Number of pieces: 854

This is one of the coolest LEGO sets for Star Wars fans who want a unique showpiece for their gaming station, man cave or bookshelf. It’s a reproduction of Captain Rex’s helmet, so if you love The Clone Wars animated series, this replica helmet is a fantastic showpiece.

It’s an accurate replica complete with an antenna, visor and lore-accurate decals. With 854 pieces in total, it measures over eight inches high when fully assembled.

The included display stand and nameplate add the finishing touches, making this LEGO set look truly impressive when fully assembled.

For MCU obsessives

Specifications

  • Suited for ages: 18+

  • Number of pieces: 3,128

It may not be made of Vibranium, but this 3,128-piece set for LEGO is still truly impressive. It’s one of the best LEGOs if you love Marvel, or if you are gifting this to someone who’s a big Captain America or Avengers fan. It’s really a display-worthy piece, measuring more than 18.5 inches in diameter when fully built.

The included display stand makes it easy to show off the fully-completed build. As an added bonus, you’ll also get a Captain America mini figure wielding Thor’s hammer, a reference to one of the most iconic scenes in Avengers: Endgame.

For plant aficionados

Specifications

  • Suited for ages: 18+

  • Number of pieces: 771

This set of LEGO Succulents is a cute little LEGO sets for plant lovers. This is an inexpensive gift even for people who aren’t LEGO fans that’s simple and fun to assemble. It has 771 pieces, and the step-by-step instructions are easy to follow.

In total, this LEGO Succulents set builds nine individual succulents. You can display them all separately, or integrate them with its baseplate to create a cool group display. As part of the LEGO Botanical collection, each succulent is inspired by a real-life plant, too.

Which best LEGO sets get our vote?

Hopefully, this guide has helped you narrow things down in choosing the best LEGO set for yourself or for someone special. We like all the LEGO sets on the list, but if we had to choose three, we’d go with these three.

  • LEGO Large Creative Brick Box: The coolest thing about LEGO is that you can build whatever you want, so this is our pick for the best LEGO set overall. There are no limitations or instructions, so you and your kids can unleash your creativity and build anything you want.

  • LEGO NINJAGO City Gardens: This is a really cool LEGO set for older kids who love Ninjago. It’s pricier and more complicated to put together, so it’s best for a special occasion and for kids who can handle complex builds. But it’s a truly breathtaking set and full of fun Easter eggs that Ninjago fans are going to love.

  • LEGO Indiana Jones Temple of the Golden Idol: The best LEGO kits for adults are fun to play with and function as display pieces, too. This set is no exception, thanks to its high level of detail and interactivity, like a boulder that rolls after Indy when he removes the Golden Idol from its pedestal.


Prices updated on 09/14/2023. We are not responsible for any changes to the prices mentioned above.

Eric-Liston-Headshot
Written by
Eric Liston

Based in Columbus, Ohio, Eric Liston is a freelance writer focusing on consumer product reviews, digital technology — and helping readers find the right items at the right price. When he’s not writing, you’ll find him gaming, cooking or disc golfing.

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