Lego Barbecue Burn Out 60212

 This set includes two of my favourite pieces, the hot dog and the fire axe.  I have no idea why but I love these pieces.  The fact that a pocket money priced kit has 2 mini figures really pleased me as well as it really increases the play value.

I really bought this for the fact the fire engine has a little cherry picker included.  It is a really nice little build and works better than I thought so you can really raise and lower the little cabin so your fireman can get to the fire or rescue kitty from the tree.  No kitty included sadly but you can set the tree "on fire".

The barbecue piece is simply detailed but gives you an overall good look and it is easy to see what it is supposed to be.

Number Of Pieces: 64

Approximate Price Per Piece: £0.12

Build Time: 10 Minutes

 

Lego Police Station 60246

 First things first, lets talk about the Light and Sound Brick that comes with the kit.  I absolutely love this feature and I will readily admit that I kept pressing it and setting it off whilst I was building because it made me extraordinarily happy.  This set also has a light brick that powers the searchlight mounted on top of the building which I thought was a fun touch.

The mechanism for the jail break is really well thought through and I was really excited by it.  So much so I even took that piece upstairs to demonstrate to my adult son.  Yeah, late middle aged on paper only!

The station itself is a modular build that snaps together with technic pins so there is some ability to switch the look up.  Also, the look of it really reminds me of our local Police Centre - all blocky and glass fronted.  Overall, I really like how it looks.

Plenty of mini figures included and not just for your police force but also some bad guys.  This gives the set wonderful playability without having to get any additional bits and pieces - although this is Lego so you can never just stop at one set.  Best one has to be the bulldog though - he is wonderfully snuffly looking.

The build was fun and some different techniques used in different sections.  A few stickers but most are quite large and make up the interior decoration of the station and a few on the vehicles.

Number Of Pieces: 743

Approximate Price Per Piece: £0.12

Build Time: 2.25 Hours

 

Lego Police Patrol Car 60239

 This is a great looking car and I am tempted to get another three or four to make up a proper fleet of vehicles to go with my Police Station.  The jury is still out on that decision though.

The build was really fun and went together nice and quickly but I can see how for a young builder it would present some nice challenges and leave them feeling really proud of themselves for completing it.  They will probably only need help with the stickers (yes, stickers!)

Sturdy when built and should give a lot of play value.  The roof of the car easily lifts off to place your cop mini figure inside and then clips back in to place.  No issues with it accidentally coming off during transportation or zooming it round the table making brum brum noises.  Hey, I may be an adult in year numbers but my child always wins.

Number Of Pieces: 92

Approximate Price Per Piece: £0.11

Build Time: 15 Minutes

 

Lego Police Dog Unit 60241

 This is a great little set and much better than I anticipated.  To be honest I really only got this for the dog figure that it comes with.  The actual vehicle is blocky and gives me that nostalgic Lego feel and I can see how it is great for small hands to play with.  Because it is built with larger moulded pieces it is wonderfully sturdy and all printed pieces so no fiddly stickers.

The inclusion of a little window to rob is a nice touch for gameplay.

Number Of Pieces: 67

Approximate Price Per Piece: £0.13

Build Time: 5 Minutes

 

Lego Newbury Subway 70430

 I don't know what it is with the Hidden Side Theme but the handful of builds I have done have all been really fun and kept me completely engaged.  This is one of the smaller kits but it is still highly detailed and gives a great completed effect.  The subway carriage itself is a particularly nice touch.

The major problem with this set is the sheer number of stickers that it comes with.  I detest adding stickers as my fat fingers really struggle placing them nice and straight.  This didn't stop me from trying to attach them but I have to admit a lot of it looks a mess.

Plenty of places to attach your figures and I like that there is a little plank you fit that is perfect for leaning the bike against which really helps with display.

Number Of Pieces: 348

Approximate Price Per Piece: £0.07

Build Time: 45 Minutes

 

Lego Ghost Train Express 70424

 This is MUCH larger than I anticipated.  I am constantly surprised by the size and detail of the Lego trains, no matter what the overall theme.  Fortunately it just about fits nicely on my shelving display and I didn;t have to do too much juggling to squidge it in there.

The build starts with the station building and it caused a lot of little squees of joy whilst constructing it.  Clicking bits together and suddenly realising it makes a recycling bin or, my personal favourite, a ticket machine gives me an inordinate amount of pleasure.  Yes, I am a child in a late middle aged woman's body or a chubby 10 year old girl according to the other half.

I enjoyed every minute of this build and the 2 hours it took absolutely flew past.  The engine of the train is particularly impressive and the transformation from normal to haunted works really well.  Yes, I did spend about 20 minutes gleefully flapping the wings.  Throw in a couple of possessed options for the train crew and we have a definite winner.

STICKER ALERT!  There are an awful lot of stickers in this set and they are the bane of my life.  Even worse it has the tiny cracked window ones that, in my opinion, don't really work effectively.  I did place them all but I'm not the happiest with how some of them look.

Number Of Pieces: 698

Approximate Price Per Piece: RETIRED PRODUCT

Build Time: 2 Hours

 

Lego Shrimp Shack Attack 70422

 Like all the Hidden Side builds this one gave me an awful lot of pleasure with the build process.  I particularly liked that the there are actual shutters over the Shrimp Shack's windows.  Admittedly they are not roller shutters and just lift up but, hey, shutters are shutters and they make this adult builder incredibly happy.  Couple this with a ton of detail in the little back diner area where the cook lives and you have a winning set.

Quite a nice bit of space on the outside so plenty of spaces to click your mini figures - always important if your display space isn't really minifigure friendly.  Mine definitely isn't and I hate having to stick them down with the blue coloured putty (you know the one).  No need to do that with this one as you can get all the figures either in the included vehicle or on the base itself.

The signage looks great and the large tower that forms the main backbone of the sign is a new moulded piece to me.  Works well too and looks pretty impressive when completed.

Love the little spooky touches and I couldn't resist making some of my figures in to the possessed mini figures.  I just like the yellowy lime green colour of them I suppose.

Number Of Pieces: 578

Approximate Price Per Piece: RETIRED PRODUCT

Build Time: 1.75 Hours