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LEGO Elves

LEGO Elves
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Written by Tim Barnes-Clay

A new exciting LEGO set that’s the second installment to the ‘Elves Fantasy’ storyline, now introducing magical Dragons to the world of ‘Elvendale’ – will it capture the imagination?

First Impressions

The new ‘Elves Fantasy’ LEGO installment consists of six new sets that follows the story of ordinary girl Emily Jones who has ventured into a magical land called ‘Elvendale’, meeting elves Azari, Farran, Naida and Aira. The new installment introduces the evil witch Ragana who has captured the Queen Dragon Elandra and one of her eggs. Emily and the Elves must unite to keep the remaining eggs safe and bond with the Earth, Wind, Fire and Water dragons that hatch out of them. It’s a storylined based toy that will really spark your children’s imagination!

‘The Secret Market Place’ is the largest in the installment and follows Farran Leafshade the Earth elf, and Aira Whistleblower the wind elf, as they find the Secret Market Place which is run entirely by animals. Thorne the earth dragon is introduced along with the fun opportunity to feed him – something to bring out your child’s nurturing side! They can get the characters visiting Owlyver the post owl at the post office or help Farran use his magic powers to reveal the Book of Dragons hiding place. There are lots of characters to inspire long and involved games that your children will want to return to. (Giving you the time to grab a coffee, dads!)

Features

The set includes Farran Leafshade and Aira Windwhistler mini-dolls, plus Flamy, Owlyver and Thorne the Earth Dragon. It also features two levels with stairs, a lever for activating the hammer in the goldsmith, opening drawer and a turning function to move the tree and reveal the sacred Book of Dragons.

These moving functions make the set a lasting toy to enjoy once built and there are plenty of different sections to keep a child occupied for hours. The building age advised for this particular set is 8-12 years, due to the many pieces, their small size, and the time needed to assemble it. The guidelines are specific and well-suited to who they apply to, meaning parental involvement is at the bare minimum unless you want to be, offering a great opportunity for parents to either get on the never-ending laundry or have some quality bonding time!

With the new Elves Fantasy LEGO collection, has come the launch of a new App and redeveloped website which bring to life the sets. The website is complete with animated videos of the storyline, an in depth look at the characters and interactive activities. Whilst the App offers multi-player games and puzzles, available to download on Google Play and the App Store. This is a great addition to the sets, allowing the story to capture a child’s imagination in a different form of play, and a great option for parents on the go.

Other sets sold separately which complete the entire second installment are ‘Emily Jones & the Baby Wind Dragon’ (RRP £8.99), ‘The Water Dragon Adventure’ (RRP £17.99), ‘Elvendale School of Dragons’ (RRP £17.99), ‘The Starlight Inn’ (RRP £24.99). The building age for each set varies, starting at 7 years of age up to the age of 12.

First Hand Child to Parent Review

Harriet (aged 8 years) – Loved the fantasy theme and the mini figures especially Farran Leafshade with the tattoo detail. She found the instructions easy to follow and only required a little input from me when she couldn’t find a specific piece. The set kept her busy for most of the day and – once built – she’s been using her imagination continue to play with the dragon, houses and figures.

Georgia (aged 11 years) – Enjoyed building the LEGO at the start but after a few hours gave up and lost interest in it. She found the instructions easy to follow but did not feel the Elves theme was appropriate to her age.

Nicola (parent) – It was a great set. The instruction booklet was well presented and easy to follow. I felt that the Elves theme would perhaps be more suited to 7 – 10 year olds. However, it was really good that they could build it together and kept them occupied for a long time.

FQ Verdict

The second instalment to the ‘Elves Fantasy’ LEGO collection is well thought-out and incredibly imaginative, appealing to the minds of young children. It isn’t necessarily gender specific. The building guide is simple and descriptive, focusing on images to engage children without help from their parents. However, the time needed to build each piece is extensive so be prepared to spend a while doing so, once built it continues to be a fantastic toy. In terms of appeal, the fantasy scenarios best capture the imaginations of seven to ten year olds. We think this a perfect addition to a young child’s toy collection who is looking for something magical, creative and different.