Miss S's first set: Lego Friends 41696 Pony Washing Stable.
I dismissed the Lego Friends theme initially. Pink, girly, not my cup of tea. And like some Lego fans, I didn't care for the minidolls. (My husband likes them, though.)
What began to change my mind about Friends? It was reading a review of Autumn's House on Jay's Brick Blog. I like reading Jay's reviews, and he takes Friends seriously.
Interest piqued, I looked for Friends sets that would be age-appropriate for Miss S, who was only 3.5 then. I ended up buying 3 Friends sets in a day! (Luckily, all discounted.) One to play right away, and two for the future.
When I came to my senses from this shopping spree, horrified, I wondered if these were really for Miss S or for me.
I made a new rule: no more Friends sets until Miss S has graduated from preschool. (I broke that rule a year later, sort of. Didn't buy her another Friends set but I got one for myself, hee hee.)
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First she stared at it with a dazed expression. Then she smiled and hugged the box! I cut the packets open and emptied the pieces into a Tupperware box.
Miss S was afraid to build the set (too complicated?) but willing to help me locate large pieces shown in the manual. Even that seemed a little difficult for her, though.
In the end, I built the set -- though I did try to involve her and so the process took 10 minutes.
Very simple build for an adult, but I found myself enjoying the process.
There are only 80 pieces, including the minidolls. Despite its small size, there are many objects to play with or shift around.
Miss S had zero interest in the minidolls. Only wanted to brush the pony's hair, feed it, or hold the ribbons and sunglasses. We spent 15 minutes roleplaying with the pony and accessories.
When she began to look bored, I asked, "Shall we stop now?"She said, "Yes. Let's make it again [another time]!"
Miss S doesn't seem like the builder type. She prefers social play or vigorous physical activity. For example, after putting the pony stable away she wanted to play camping. We turned off the bedroom lights and comforted her toy cat who's afraid of the dark.
Now, she's almost 5. She enjoys playing with the set more, deciding where pieces fit (not according to the manual). Still prefers playing with the pony over the minidolls. Doesn't care much for Daniel; says his hairpiece is "scary."
It'll be awhile before she can build this set on her own. But I guess it's okay if she doesn't care about the manual. Regardless, the bigger sets I bought her will have to wait. (Meanwhile, Mama has enjoyed them in secret.)
41696 Pony Washing Stable was our first Lego Friends set, and I was unexpectedly delighted by the build. It got me looking at more sets, which is how I ended up with 41392 Nature Glamping and 41703 Friendship Treehouse.
I've already posted pictures of Nature Glamping (but swapped out the minidolls for Star Wars ladies). So next up is the Friendship Treehouse!