Build your own Fire Mech
LEGO NINJAGO Movie Fire Mech 70615
Staff pick
It's hard to find this LEGO kit, so grab it up fast. The LEGO NINJAGO Movie Fire Mech Building Kit comes with 944 pieces of fun. You'll get all the bricks to construct your own Fire Mech, which comes complete with a cockpit that opens and closes and posable arms and legs. Two fire blasters are included in the box, plus a pair of shoulder disc shooters, and six mini-figures. The LEGO NINJAGO Fire Mech is a super detailed large assembly project that's challenging for builders of all ages.
$67 at Amazon $82 at Walmart
You'll love this to the moon and back
LEGO Creator Expert NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Lander 10266
The LEGO Creator Expert NASA Apollo 11 Lunar Lander is all-new this year. Developed with NASA to mark the 50th anniversary of man's first walk on the moon, this highly detailed kit is also a collector's item to put out on display. There are 1,087 bricks to stick together. This bundle is best for those older than 16 years old, but can be a fun project for the whole family. You'll get two astronaut mini-figures, both outfitted with NASA decorations and gold helmets.
$100 at Amazon $100 at Walmart
A classic
LEGO Classic Creative Brick Box 10696
The LEGO Classic Medium Creative Brick Box hits the sweet spot between being challenging enough for young ones and also able to hold their attention without frustration or tears. The bricks are a little bigger, so they're easier to hold and manipulate in tiny hands, and the colors are a bit brighter and bolder. This kit comes with 484 bricks, windows, toy eyes, tires, and a baseplate.
$27 at Amazon $27 at Walmart $35 at Best Buy
It's Marvel-ous!
LEGO Marvel Avengers Epeeder Bike Attack 76142
Kids will line up to get the LEGO Marvel Avengers Speeder Bike Attack 76142, even though it's more of a plaything than an actual extended building project. This set includes Black Panther and Thor buildable superheroes, an evil AIM Agent, plus all the many things they need to stay accessorized to fight evil. You'll get three figurines, the Black Panther bike, battle tools, and two canisters. The only thing missing is your child's imagination.
$16 at Amazon $16 at Walmart $16 at Target
Step into The Upside Down
LEGO Stranger Things The Upside Down 75810
Build the Stranger Things upside-down world from the popular Netflix series with this gigantic 2,287 piece LEGO set. Fans of Stranger Things will dig the eight included characters (and yes, there's a Demogorgon in there). When completed, the Byers' house measures over one foot tall and is held aloft by two trees. It's a bang to put together and a sight to behold when finished.
$200 at Amazon $200 at Walmart $200 at Target
For beginners
LEGO Disney Pixar's Toy Story 4 RV Vacation 10769
New and young builders can get their feet wet with LEGO's Disney Pixar's Toy Story 4 RV Vacation Kit. It comes with a recreational vehicle on wheels. The RV has a neat removable roof and packed inside are a bed, bathroom, and four Toy Story 4 figurines. Perfect for kids four and up, this 178 piece kit is a solid introduction to LEGO that will provide hours of entertainment for growing minds.
$30 at Amazon $30 at Walmart $30 at Target
A collectible
LEGO Ideas Ship in a Bottle 21313
The LEGO Ideas Ship in a Bottle is an expert building kit and a cool collectible for kids and adults. You'll snap together 962 bricks to create a ship complete with a captain's quarters. This nautical collectible comes with a a clear bottle for the ship and a sturdy display stand so you can show off your work when finished. The Ship in a Bottle is a great project for a team of two or even more adults.
$70 at Amazon $100 at Walmart $56 at Target
Relive Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens
LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon 75105
Taken right out of Star Wars: Episode VII, the LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon building kit will blow you away. It comes with Hans Solo, Chewbacca, Rey, Finn, Tasu Leech, Kanjiklub, and BB-8. There are 1,329 bricks total that, when put together, form an 18-inch long spacecraft. Build it, tear apart and build it again, or put it on display. It's hours of fun.
$300 at Amazon $300 at Newegg
Expecto Patronum!
LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Great Hall 75954
The LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Great Hall includes house banners, a potions room, a movable spiral staircase, and magical items. You'll collect 10 fantasy figures too, including Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Professor McGonagal, Hagrid, and more. Let the fantasy adventures begin!
$100 at Amazon $100 at Walmart $100 at Target
Thor, Tony Stark, and more
LEGO Marvel Agengers Iron Man Hall of Armor 76125
You can build Tony Star's Iron Man Hall of Armor with this kit. You'll be treated to 524 pieces, including a rotating podium, detachable modules that can be stacked and combined in hundreds of formations, and a posable Igor Suit mech and mobile robot toy. There five figurines in all and hours of excitement to be had for kids seven and older.
$48 at Amazon $48 at Walmart $60 at Best Buy
Best for adult car enthusiasts
LEGO Technic Bugatti Chiron 42083
The LEGO Technic Bugatti Chiron Race Car Building Kit is a sight to behold. This adult collectible, developed with Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S., is a recreation of the real car. The 3,599 pieces snap together at a 1:8 scale and feature an eight-speed gearbox, W16 engine, suspension, spoked rims, and more. And it all comes in deluxe packaging and includes a collector's booklet. VROOM!
$340 at Amazon $350 at Target $350 at LEGO
It is so challenging to whittle down a list of the best LEGO kits because they're pretty much all amazing. Still, the one that knocks it out of the park for my family is the LEGO NINJAGO Movie Fire Mech 70615. It's a large scale project that'll take a few days to complete and fosters creative thinking in kids and adults.
Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
