The 9 Best Lego Classic Sets

Kids who want a bit of everything get it in the Lego Large Creative Brick Box. Its 790 bricks come in a wide spread of colors, with wheels, windows, doors, eyes and an orange brick separator mixed in. The sturdy yellow tub keeps it all together after play and stacks on a shelf. A short idea booklet gets kids started, and more builds are free online. There are no minifigures, and a big build in one color can run short.

For a child who builds cars all day, the Lego Creative Vehicles set packs 900 pieces and 52 wheels. Ideas cover a police car, an ice cream truck, a front loader and more, and kids can swap parts to change each one. It's a strong deal on bricks for the money, too. A large share of the pieces are white, gray and black, so builds can look plain, and the cardboard box won't last as storage.

The Lego Medium Creative Brick Box is a good first big box for kids moving up from Duplo. Its 484 pieces include neon see-through bricks, wheels in several sizes, propellers, doors and eyes, plus a green baseplate. A printed booklet walks through five models, from simple to harder, and the bricks live in a stackable plastic tub. There's no clear window glass, and the brick separator can be hard for small hands.

Sorted into bright rainbow stacks, the Lego Creative Colorful Bricks set leans on pinks, oranges, yellows and greens. Its 820 pieces come with ideas for 14 models, such as a cat, a penguin, a game controller and a guitar, through printed instructions or Lego's free instructions app. The cheerful colors suit kids who build animals and decorations more than vehicles. It hasn't been out long, so there's little long-term owner feedback yet.

Small hands and car trips suit the Lego Creative Suitcase, a yellow carry case with a handle and a sorting tray inside. It holds about 200 pieces, enough for a first collection of houses, animals and little cars, and the case keeps them tidy afterward. Lego rates it for kids 4 and older. The piece count is modest, so keen builders outgrow it quickly and will want a bigger box before long.

Dinosaur fans get a head start with the Lego Creative Dinosaurs box, which has ideas for a T. rex, a triceratops, a brontosaurus and a flying pterosaur. Its 450 pieces include eye and mouth parts that give each model a face, plus palm trees and a smoking volcano. When the ideas run out, the bricks work for anything else. Many parts come in dinosaur greens and browns, which limits other builds.

Animal lovers can build a dog, a cat, a hamster, a rabbit and a bird with the Lego Creative Pets set, then change their colors and faces. Its 450 pieces include extras like a food bowl, a bone, a carrot and a perch, so pretend play keeps going after the build. It's meant for kids 5 and older. The pets come out blocky, and the mix holds little for cars or houses.

Light shines through much of the Lego Magical Transparent Box, a mix of clear, pink, blue and yellow pieces for building a unicorn, a ghost, a mermaid, a heart and a star. A parts count by New Elementary found about 228 of its 340 pieces are see-through, so the glassy look covers less of the box than the name suggests. Lego lists it as retiring soon, so stock can dry up.

For a party favor or a stocking stuffer, the Lego Creative Food Friends box is small and cheap. Its 150 pieces build a smiling avocado, taco, ice pop and cupcake, then come apart to make new snacks. The box is marked 4+, so younger builders can join in. Kids finish it in an afternoon, and it's too small to start a real collection on its own.