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Playing with Lego bricks has been a fun pastime for multiple generations with many people building things, crashing Lego cars, and using their imagination to build all sorts of creations.
Of course there are many Lego sets for all age groups. They are all lots of fun for older kids as well as young builders to put together but what ages will actually have fun building a new Lego themed set?
Virtually all Lego sets have recommended ages on them but that is just a general guideline. That doesn’t really tell you which Lego building sets are the best for a specific age range.
So will older children enjoy playing with Legos as much as young children will?
Legos are fun to play with no matter if you are a preteen or an adult. But how young is too young when it comes to Legos?
Most children who will enjoy getting Legos as a gift are those between the ages of 5 and 14. If a child is older than 14 they still might be interested in building more complex Lego sets but they also might have other interests like sports or electronics that they would prefer to get a gift based around.
Many children who are at least 5 or 6 years old would enjoy playing with Legos despite the recommended age on a lot of sets being 8+. For kids that are 5-7 you will likely have to help them with the more intricate building details if the set is designed for an older child.
If your kids are wanting to build a set themselves then the Lego Duplo sets are a great way for them to get started in the world of Legos.The larger pieces make it much easier for younger kids to put them together while still helping them to develop their fine motor skills.
There are Lego sets that are created for all ages so you can see the recommended age of that set on the front of the Lego box but again, that is just a recommendation and younger children can have fun with them too with a little help from a sibling or adult.
What my wife and I have personally done is transition from Duplos to Legos for our kids around the age of 5. Our 5 year old has his own Legos that he plays with in his room and although building the sets and following the directions exactly can be a challenge for him he still has loads of fun using his imagination and building whatever he wants with his Legos.
Of course he still uses his Lego® Duplo® bricks to build the towns etc. that he plays with the Lego minifigures in but transitioning to the smaller pieces that Lego sets offer has helped him get better at Legos while also learning how to follow directions and be more patient.
Of course we don’t buy him the most challenging build that Walmart has to offer but if the set is something we feel like he can work on independently and get mostly together on his own then we will go ahead and spring for it.
Then if he needs a little help building the sets exactly how they were designed, one of us will help him find all the pieces and put it together so he can play with that set.
We also have a three year old that loves playing with Duplos but she is honestly too small to take apart the smaller Legos. So although her siblings both have Legos (our 5 and 9 year olds) she has a bunch of Duplos that she plays with and builds whatever she thinks up in many different ways.
Truthfully, that is the best part about playing with Duplos and Legos as they encourage imaginative play for kids no matter which age group they fall into. Being able to use Legos or Duplos for free play is often as much (if not more) fun for kids anyway.
Duplos are a great choice for any child under the age of 5 or 6 (depending on their maturity) while anyone that age or older will have a blast playing with Legos (although my 5 and 9 year olds regularly play with Duplos as well). Duplo sets won’t be a complex build that will require many hours to complete but they will allow kids to get a small taste of Legos at an early age.
In regards to being too old to play with Legos there really isn’t a maximum age limit. I’m in my 30s and still enjoy sitting down with my kids (at the table not the floor lol) and helping them build a new set or just have fun making cars, houses, or other random things.
Heck, I enjoy just sitting down and building cars with my kids and then crashing them into each other to see who’s Lego creation survives the longest. And truthfully, I hope that is something that I never get too old for.
Older builders can also enjoy putting together more complex sets like those large Star Wars or Harry Potter Lego sets. Although you don’t have to be in your 30s to enjoy putting together such a complex Lego set, it will certainly help since you will have more money to buy those large pricier sets.
Are Legos Good For A Five Year Old?
If you are looking to buy a gift for a child that is five years old you might be wondering what the best Lego sets would be for a child of that age. Are Legos even a good option for a 5 year old since they have so many small pieces?
4-5 year olds are likely to enjoy playing with both Legos and Duplos so both are a great choice for a child of that age. They also make some Lego sets that are designed for younger children so those can be a great place to start with a five year old.
As I mentioned earlier in this article, my five year old son has his own Lego® sets that he plays with despite many of the sets saying they are for children that are 8+. However, there are quite a few sets that are not quite as hard to put together that are designed for kids that are 5+.
Just because a set says that it is good for a five year old doesn’t mean that they won’t need help following the instructions and finishing some of the finer details though. Lego blocks are designed to be relatively intricate (even those that are for younger children) with many unique pieces so if you don’t have time to help them build the set it would probably be better to stick with Duplos (since many of those sets are just a few blocks that can easily be figured out).
Duplo sets will have far fewer pieces (when compared to Legos) and will often have sets that appeal to younger children like those that feature Sesame Street, a monster truck, a police station, or racing cars.
These Duplo sets can be found at any toy store or major retailer that sells Legos and are likely the best thing for a five year old who has never been introduced to Legos or Duplos before.
Some of my fondest memories as a child was building Lego cars and crashing them into each other with my siblings to see which one would survive the longest so even if your five year old isn’t building the perfect Lego sets they are still likely to have tons of fun playing with them.
Are All Lego Sets Good For Kids?
There are countless Lego sets that have been released over the years and at any given time you are likely to find hundreds of different sets for sale on websites like eBay or Amazon. With so many sets on the market it begs the question of whether all Lego sets are good for kids of all ages to build/play with or whether some are reserved for older teens/adults.
Although all Lego sets can be played with and built by children it often isn’t the best idea to let younger children play with some of the more intricate and expensive sets that Lego offers. Lego even has some sets that are designed to be used only by those who are 18 or older.
These sets being for older teens/adults has nothing to do with whether a younger child could put them together and everything to do with whether they would actually have fun and the patience to do it.
A 15 year old could certainly put together a $400 Lego set (yes some sets are that expensive or more) but whether they would enjoy all of the intricate details and the specific instructions that must be followed for a project like that will vary greatly.
So, although regular Lego sets can be played with by children and adults of all ages that doesn’t mean that all of the Lego sets on the market will work for all ages too.
Check the Lego products box (or listing information if buying online) to see which ages a specific Lego set is designed for. If a set says that it is designed for 18+ then getting that set for your 5 year old will likely be a waste of money and cause both you and your five year old far more frustration than fun.
Are Legos Good For 3&4 Year Olds?
Although Legos are incredibly popular and can be played with by children and adults alike, that doesn’t mean that you should throw your 3 or 4 year old in front of a pile of Legos and expect them to have tons of fun.
Legos are not a very good choice for 3&4 year olds as a child that age will have difficulty building with them and also taking them apart. For children that age you are much better off buying them Duplo sets that are designed for them.
Often people don’t want to buy Duplos as they feel like they won’t be played with once the child gets old enough for Legos so they try to buy Legos for 3&4 year olds as well. However, Lego actually makes Duplos and Legos compatible so even as your children get older they can still combine the two different sizes of building blocks and make one giant car, house, castle, etc.
You can use Duplos as a base for Legos or even put Duplos on top of a Lego build as well!
So you don’t have to feel like you are wasting your money in buying Duplos instead of Legos for your 3&4 year olds as they can continue to play with them alongside any Legos that they get when they get older.
My 3 year old daughter absolutely loves playing with Duplos and is actually sitting on the floor in front of me building with them right now. However, when she tries to play with her brother and sister’s Legos she often gets frustrated (as do they) as she doesnt know how to build things and often ends up breaking apart what they have built rather than making it better.
Which Lego Sets Are Better For Younger Children?
If you have a younger child that has been dead set on getting a Lego set for a long time then they might not be happy with getting Duplos instead. But which Lego sets work the best for these younger kids?
Of course every child will be different in regards to their experience levels and how easily they can put together a more intricate set. However, I am basing these recommended sets on which ones I personally have bought for my younger kids as well as the recommended age range that Lego gives for each set.
1. Lego City Sets
Lego sells many different Lego city sets that can be built by most younger children who are 5-6 years old. Some popular options for different Lego city sets are those that are:
- Lego Tractor
- Lego Fire Station
- Lego Police Car
- Lego Police Station
- Lego Ice Cream Truck
- Lego Crane
There are currently 85 different Lego City sets that can be purchased new and even more that you can get if you buy older ones on places like eBay. So no matter whether your Lego fans are fans of vehicles, animals, or buildings, they are sure to find a Lego set that they love in this section of Lego builds.
2. Lego Technic Sets
Another popular type of Lego sets that your younger child will likely be interested in building are the Lego Technic sets. These Lego builds will have different recommended ages depending on the complexity of the build however.
For example, Lego recommends that the child be 7+ for some of their Technic builds while other builds recommend that the child be 10+.
Some of the best Lego Technic builds that I personally have put together with my kids are:
- Lego Technic Monster Jam Megalodon
- Lego Technic Telehandler (basically a large forklift)
- Lego Technic Motorcycle
- Lego Technic John Deere Tractor
Currently Lego has 40 different Lego Technic sets that you can purchase and build with your children (or they can build themselves). As with the Lego City sets above there are many other Lego Technic sets than just the 40 active ones; however, you will have more difficulty finding those Technic sets that are no longer being actively produced.
3. Lego Friends Sets
The next popular type of Lego sets that are a great choice for younger kids are the Lego Friends sets. These sets have a variety of recommended ages with some of them recommended for 4+ and others for 8+ (and of course every age in between).
These Lego sets all come with multiple “Friends” (minifigures) that have to do with the theme of the sets.
My oldest daughter (who is 9) loves the Lego Friends sets as they have a different feel to them than most of the other Lego sets currently available. Some of her favorite Lego Friends sets are:
- Lego Friends Treehouse
- Lego Friends Beach Glamping
- Lego Friends Baking Competition
Of course there are many other options besides just these three but these are the ones that she personally loves.
Lego currently has 52 different Lego Friends sets that you can purchase that are actively sold. Of course you can find many different older Lego Friends sets as they have produced over 500 of them since their release in 2012.
4. Lego Creator 3in1 Sets
Another popular type of Lego sets that will be able to be built by 5,6, or 7 year olds are the Lego Creator sets. These amazing sets put out by the Lego Group are sure to spark the imaginations of your younger child.
The really cool thing about the Lego creator sets is that you can use the same bricks to build three different Lego models! Talk about the fun never having to end with Lego.
Some of the most popular Lego Creator sets are:
- Lego Creator Tiger
- Lego Creator Race Car Transporter
- Lego Creator Dinosaur (my son’s favorite choice)
- Lego Creator Space Ship
With over 39 active Lego Creator 3 in 1 sets currently available for purchase there are plenty of options to choose from. Whether your little girl or boy is wanting to build an animal, car, spaceship, or a dragon you will be able to find the perfect creator set that won’t break the bank.
Final Thoughts
Whether your child is a Lego creator expert or is just getting started in the world of Duplos and Legos they are sure to find plenty of Lego ideas that they will love.
Legos can be played with at any age but for most kids they will want to use Duplos when they are 4 and below but when they are 5 and 6 they can certainly start to put together some of the more basic Lego sets. Ultimately, the age on the box is only an age recommendation.
Your child might be ready for that set a long time before that age or might not be ready until a couple of years after that recommended age.
No matter whether the Lego set your child loves is a treasure chest, a dinosaur, or based on their favorite TV show, they are sure to find something that they will love in this amazing world of Legos.
