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LEGO's Tips for LEGO Shopping
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Finding the Right LEGO® Set for the Child on Anyone's Holiday Shopping List
- Helpful tips for shopping (and surviving) the LEGO aisle during the holidays
NEW YORK, TOY WISHES HOLIDAY PREVIEW (October 2, 2007) - Whether shopping for a grandchild, son, daughter or friend, the LEGO Group has a variety of gift ideas that are sure to inspire and engage imaginations of all ages this holiday season. Below are a few helpful hints to navigating the LEGO aisle this holiday season.
Generally Speaking - All LEGO building sets are compatible with one another. No matter what selection you make, recipients can easily incorporate new sets into their existing LEGO collections as they grow.
- Get to know your child's play interests as a guide to choosing the right set. Does she like to build houses or cars? Does he like outer space or medieval knights? Knowing ahead of time will help you narrow your choices once in-store.
- If you're unsure of a child's interests, look for LEGO sets with lots of versatile pieces. Any of the LEGO CREATOR sets provide great bricks to add to any collection, and are designed for building and re-building many models and themes from one kit of parts.
- Look for the model boxes that most retailers have on-shelf. Here you can see what some of the hottest models look like assembled. The size, scale and complexity of the model will help you choose the right set for his or her ability.
- Follow the age markings on the packaging. Many people purchase things for older children as a way to promote their younger child's progress, but age markings are provided for a reason. LEGO designers spend a lot of time determining which models and themes provide the best experiences for the right children to be successful builders. A set marked 8+ is designed to be challenging and rewarding for children 8 and up. Unless a 5 year old is a very advanced builder, this is not the right LEGO set for him, and you'll probably spend a lot of time helping him complete the model.
- Not all construction sets are created equally. Look for the LEGO logo on the box if you want the highest quality materials, clear step-by-step building instructions and the peace of mind that that 75 years of the company's commitment to a child's creative development is found in every set.
- Buy early! LEGO sets are in strong demand this year, so don't wait until the last minute to get that set your child is wishing for!
An Overview of the LEGO System of Play
LEGO DUPLO® (ages 1 � to 5 years)
LEGO DUPLO bricks are four times bigger than traditional LEGO bricks and easily fit together so children can explore their imaginations while they develop motor skills through stacking, sorting and free-form building. Open-ended, versatile play is packed into every LEGO DUPLO bucket, and new LEGO Thomas & Friends™ building sets introduce role play to building. - HOT HOLIDAY PICK: Ultimate LEGO DUPLO Building Set - the award-winning perfect starter kit for the little builders! $24.99, recommended for 18 months to 5 years old.
LEGO System Bricks (ages 4+)
As children's building skills develop, they can transition to traditional LEGO brick building. With Creative Building buckets and tubs ($14.99-$24.99), children get a variety of bricks and specialized pieces with which to build anything they can imagine - from cars to houses to flowers and tress - to help them gain confidence in their ability to build. LEGO CREATOR sets provide a versatile collection of bricks and pieces, along with building instructions to make 3 models from each kit, plus building inspiration for many more. Kits range by theme and models have varying levels of building challenge.- HOT HOLIDAY PICK: LEGO Mosaic - two award-winning kits offer a new way to build - making pictures brick-by-brick - almost like paint by number. $9.99 and $19.99 for ages 4 and up.
- HOT HOLIDAY PICK: LEGO CREATOR Monster Dino - award-winning kit features the new Power Function System provides motors, gears, battery box and remote control to bring a fierce dino to life, walking, turning its head and roaring! $89.99 for ages 9 and up.
- STOCKING STUFFER ALERT: LEGO CREATOR Minis - small building sets in four different themes for kids to collect and build are perfectly sized for stockings. $4.99 for ages 6 and up.
Play Themes (ages 5+)
Play Theme sets add storylines and role play to LEGO building fun. There is a Play Theme for every child's interest: CITY for recreating real-life downtown fun, new MARS MISSION for out of this world fun, new CASTLE for medieval adventures, AQUA RAIDERS for underwater explorers, RACERS for car lovers, EXO-FORCE for futuristic fantasy battle and BIONICLE® for action figure role play and storytelling.- HOT HOLIDAY PICK: LEGO CITY - the entire award-winning line is perfect for young builders to recreate the world around them, offering step-by-step building instructions to recreate structures and vehicles from Fire, Police and Harbor scenes. $4.99-$89.99 for ages 5 and up.
- HOT HOLIDAY PICK: LEGO MARS MISSION MB-01 Command Base - Mining specialists have landed on the red planet and discovered an alien presence. Award-winning set creates the Mars base and a cool rocket, and features a transport tube system with air pump for quick cross-base travel. $89.99 for ages 7 and up.
- STOCKING STUFFER ALERT: BIONICLE Barraki or Toa Mahri - collect and build 6 villains and 6 heroes, then role play the epic adventures of Mahri Nui. $9.99 each for ages 6 and up.
Licensed Play Themes (ages 6+)
For kids who love movie and TV stories and characters, LEGO Group offers several ways to recreate the adveanture and fun of today's hottest properties, like SpongeBob Squarepants™, BATMAN™, HARRY POTTER™, and Star Wars™.- HOT HOLIDAY PICK: LEGO SpongeBob Squarepants Mrs. Puff's Driving School - build a place for Bikini Bottom residents to learn to drive, then send them through the zany obstacle course. $49.99 for ages 7 and up.
- HOT HOLIDAY PICK: LEGO Star Wars MTT™ - for kids and dads alike, this amazing replica of the iconic vehicle is packed with spark building and role play fun. $99.99 for ages 9 and up.
LEGO TECHNIC® (ages 7+)
The gears, rods, pins, beams and bricks found in LEGO TECHNIC sets are designed to provide a more challenging and engaging building experience for skilled builders. TECHNIC building is all about creating authentic models that work just like their real-life counterparts. The TECHNIC system is also found in the LEGO MINDSTORMS® NXT robotics toolset, letting children ages 10 and up design, build and program their very own robots.- HOT HOLIDAY PICK: LEGO TECHNIC Motorized Bulldozer - this set features the new Power Functions System, allowing young engineers to build a real working bulldozer that moves. $149.99 for ages 11 and up.
Consumers are always welcome to contact LEGO Consumer Services 800-422-5346 with any questions they may have. For more information on the latest LEGO offerings, visit http://www.LEGO.com.
About LEGO Systems
LEGO Systems, Inc. is the North American division of The LEGO Group, a privately-held, family-owned company based in Billund, Denmark, one of the world's leading manufacturers of creatively educational play materials for children. The company is committed to the development of children's creative and imaginative abilities, and its employees are guided by the motto adopted in the 1930s by founder Ole Kirk Christiansen: "Only the best is good enough." Visit the virtual LEGO world at http://www.LEGO.com.
  
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