Lego Star Wars Smart Play Throne Room Duel and A-Wing
, are machined to incredibly tight tolerances, and—unless your dog chews one up—retain what Lego refers to as their “clutch power” for decades. Their relevance in terms of cultural pastiche isn’t fading on me either. They’re as irresistible to me today as they were as a kid.
If you and your loved ones are also obsessed with Lego sets, we have some great gift ideas. For more recommendations, don’t forget to check out our other
Updated October 2026: I added the Lego Ideas Peanuts: Snoopy’s Doghouse, a Lego Batman game, Star Wars Advent Calendar 2026, Star Trek light kit, and Lego Architecture Paris: City of Love.
One of the reasons that Lego sets are so popular is the company’s innumerable
. No matter what you’re into, Lego has signed a deal to make a Lego set about it. (And then, in an ouroboros of advertising, the company will then
the franchise.) Anyway, this is a long and roundabout way of saying that my son and I are obsessed with the
. I even got to watch the Lego cars hit the track at a
. Ever since then, we’ve been watching the races and Netflix’s
. It’s the perfect collaboration because Lego bricks and Formula 1 engineers are on the same page when it comes to precise engineering and tight tolerances. Also, once you’re done building, the cars work as toys as well as sets.
, the Star Wars Throne Room Duel and A-Wing set is a great way to dip your toe in the water. This fun build enables you to reenact the climax of
, with Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker duking it out as Emperor Palpatine looks on and a space battle rages outside. Smart Bricks add lightsaber noises, lasers, explosions, heavy breathing, and even a rendition of “The Imperial March.” They also light up, but you’ll have to remember to charge them.
. These gorgeous tree and flower sets work well as holiday centerpieces once you’re finished building—you can leave them right out on the table, instead of hiding them away in your Lego basement once you’re done. My 11-year-old built this lovely rose bouquet, which has articulated heads so you can arrange them in the case. For the winter holidays, we also recommend the
A superbly loving parody that throws the best of Batman’s movie outings into the blender with a pinch of slapstick comedy and plenty of charm. Gotham is packed with collectibles, puzzles to solve, and an endless supply of thugs to bash. Melee combat is fun, as you counter and dodge to build combos, and there’s plenty of gadgetry to try out. This is the most fun I’ve had with a Lego game in years, and it’s perfect for split-screen
. If you’re not a Batman fan, there are tons of other great Lego games, based on other worlds, like
Who doesn’t love Snoopy? This set is an easy build and includes Snoopy, his doghouse, and Woodstock. There’s also a typewriter (fans will recognize the line, “It was a dark and stormy night”) and a campfire, with alternative legs if you want Snoopy to stand, hunch over to type, or lie back on the top of his doghouse. The Ideas range from Lego is based on fan creations that have been shared and voted on to become real sets. This one is lovely, but it’s definitely a display set, not something you’d actively play with.
and would like to gift him or her something tiny and thoughtful, I suggest this little notepad. It’s very cute, with 224 pieces of paper, and one side looks like a brick. The notes themselves are about 5 inches long, which is big enough for a pretty substantial note! Chronicle Books has a whole line of Lego books, puzzles, and stationery for your Lego-obsessed friend. You could also throw in a pack of these
If you also have an 8- or a 10-year-old, let me recommend a simple life hack—instead of caving to their demands to let them look at your phone while you’re out, just always carry a deck of cards in your bag. It’s crazy how many times my kids have settled down and waited patiently in a doctor’s office or restaurant, as long as they can start a game of Crazy Eights or Go Fish (I do not recommend Speed). These Lego playing cards are beautiful and brightly colored, feel sturdy, and have held up to several rounds of shuffling around a table. The box comes in a pack of two, so your kids can split it.
With the holidays approaching, this is a great alternative to regular advent calendars. You get a Star Wars–related minifigure or build behind each door, including irresistibly cute Mando and Grogu figures in Christmas jumpers, critters like a Bantha and Dewback, and tiny ships like an X-wing and the Razor Crest.
I wish we were a family that kept treasured family heirlooms all wrapped up in tissue paper, ready to be marveled over at the next year’s tree decorating. Unfortunately, every year finds us with some Christmas tree–related disaster or the other. Our new puppy has chewed the stuffed animals that an uncle has sent us; my son has sent a baseball crashing into the ceramic horse head that I got as a kid. We always need new orname