Are you impatiently and curiously waiting to see what 2012 will bring in the world of LEGO? In this series of posts I give you a glimpse of some of the upcoming 2012 LEGO sets.
You might first want to check out 2012 LEGO Sets – See What’s Coming! That post will give you an overall picture of the 2012 LEGO sets. From there you can link to the particular themes you are interested in.
In this post I will list all of the sets in the LEGO Friends theme. Please note that I have written about the 2012 LEGO Friends line in detail before, however I was asked by LEGO to take down the pictures. This time the images don’t have a confidentiality stamp, so they should be able to stay up. You can see my original post here: 2012 LEGO sets: LEGO Friends
Through the years LEGO has been making some effort to appeal to little girls with lines like LEGO Scala, LEGO Belville, and LEGO Paradisa. In 2012 they are trying a new angle yet again with redesigned figures and a new story-line. This new LEGO for girls theme is called “Friends”, and is following the story of five girls in their daily lives. The girls have different likes and hobbies; there is an animal-lover, a smart-girl, a beautician, a singer and a social-girl.
So, let’s look at the 2012 LEGO Friends sets. Please note that the quoted prices are estimates based on the pre-order sale prices that were listed (and later taken down) from the Barnes & Noble website. (Read: Barnes & Noble Pre-Order Sale). Also, you can click on any of the pictures for a larger view.
#3061 LEGO Friends City Park Cafe – estimated price: $30
#3065 LEGO Friends Olivia’s Tree House – estimated price: $20
#3183 LEGO Friends Stephanie’s Cool Convertible – est. price: $15
#3187 LEGO Friends Butterfly Beauty Shop – estimated price: $25
#3188 LEGO Friends Heartlake Vet – estimated price: $40
#3315 LEGO Friends Olivia’s House – estimated price: $70
#3930 LEGO Friends Stephanie’s Outdoor Bakery – est. price: $6
#3931 LEGO Friends Emma’s Splash Pool – estimated price: $7
#3932 LEGO Friends Andrea’s Stage – estimated price: $10
#3933 LEGO Friends Olivia’s Inventor’s Workshop – est. price: $10
#3934 LEGO Friends Mia’s Puppy House – estimated price: $10
#3935 LEGO Friends Stephanie’s Pet Patrol – estimated price: $10
#3936 LEGO Friends Emma’s Design Studio – estimated price: $10
#3942 LEGO Friends Heartlake Dog Show – estimated price: $20
If you would like to see the girls up close and personal go to: LEGO Friends More Pictures. So this is all the 2012 LEGO Friends sets revealed so far! What do you girls think? Did LEGO get it right this time? (Okay, guys can comment too.) 😉
UPDATE: Although the debate continues, LEGO Friends is now avilable! See here: LEGO Friends Available Now! 😛
I hate the figures, why won’t LEGO make Minifigs like the rest of their sets?!
Other than that, I know my nieces will love them. 🙂
i hate them to
Not sure what my girls will think of the figs, but we love the sets.
The science girls lab, awesome.
Designer Emma(c: etc.
We will see, I personally love the new colors, I have a few in 2×4 allready.
Seeing these sets will be nicelly priced, I paid waaaaaaaay to much, LOL!
I hate the figures too. They are too much like Playmobil.
I love those girls! I know they are not regular lego but they are so cute! Any more closeups? 😀
Yes, please! Can we have more info about the 5 girls? I know I love them already, and my daughter said; ohhhhhhh! This is the first Lego I ever really liked! 😀
I wished that it would be normal lego, but than more girl themes and colors, so that my son and daughter can put the sets together to build a larg Leg0 World and play together. This looks nice, but I’m a bit disappointed.
Vera, it seems several people share your opinion on this; it is a disappointment that the new figs won’t mix well with regular minifigures. But then again; people said the same thing about Fabuland, and now they are loved and are highly prized collectors’ items. 😉
Yes, but Fabuland was inspired.
I agree with you! Why couldn’t they just make girl themed Legos like they do the boys stuff? Where is the intricate building? My 6 year old daughter would like to follow the instructions and build something more detailed like her brother does. Not buy an entire kit so we can have a dog house! That is the part that frustrates me!
Tvet, this is a really good point! After reading your comment I just realized how much these sets are heavy on accessories, but not building. Of course as an AFOL I just love this, but yeah the buildling-experience is lacking here. Although it is a lot better then in previous girl-oriented sets. According to LEGO these sets were a result of 4 years of extensive research with all kinds of experts shadowing little girls in their play. I’m really curious to see if they were right, or if our basic common sense is right. 😉
The research they did was focused on what will sell the most and make the most money, not what is good for children’s development.
I agree with Tvet. Maybe the next wave of research could include all the little girls that bought set after set of legos because they enjoy a challenge and a sense of accomplishment when they’re building.
L.O., good idea! Some results are already trickling in about LEGO Friends as both adults and children are exploring this new line and sharing their opinions. I will probably do an update post on this topic. Stay tuned. 😉
I’m not too upset about the complexity of these. Similar sized Lego sets with regular minifigs, like Pirate, Castle or Harry Potter, have comparable levels of simplicity.
The tree house, especially, looks like a nice level of complexity, utilizing half-arches for the branches, SNOT bricks (studs not on top) for the fence, and hinges for the detail piece near the top and for the ladder. There is even a little black skeleton leg being used as a stand for a telescope. These things feels very reminiscent of some of Lego’s regular sets and the way pieces are used.
Granted, the biggest set (Olivia’s House) uses a lot of larger pieces for the house walls, rather than regular bricks… but the brick-built barbecue, lawn-mower, and all the furniture in the house is quite nice. I love the way the blender is built.
Brickset shows some really nice details for these sets.
well I am just starting to part with my hasrd earned money to buy Lego FOR ME NO KIDS lol
I guess the hairdresser , was one for 40 years so what the hey !!
LOL! Good for ya! 😀
Finally some female figs with some ahem……chest! 😀
One of the biggest paradox of lego is busty minifigs with a nice cleavage are in fact flat chested. This comment will probably be deleted, but eh, i had to share my excitement. 😀
Oh,a nd yeah, more pictures please!
I am guessing Tito is male? lol Well they should look like women and men right? mini men and women, wow we are off topic? Well we can get poly clay and “inhance” them lol
I guess I have to say that some of these printed pieces look nice, like that yardstick. 🙂
Also noticed all the purple parts which will be great for building … purple stuff… 🙂
UPDATE: I just added a new post about the girls with close-up pictures of each them with their names and hobbies. Check it out here: 2012 LEGO Friends Sets – More Pictures!
UPDATE: I just uploaded a new post with comparison and compatibility pictures of the Friends figures with regular minifigs. I know many of you have been waiting for this: LEGO Friends vs. Regular Minifigs Comparison 😉
I thought the sets looked really cool but I couldn’t entice my daughter. She said – “Nah, the bodies don’t look like real legos.” Guess we won’t be buying…
Kim, of course your daughter is the boss on this, if she doesn’t like them, no use of forcing the sets on her. However if you guys end up liking the sets, you can always sell the Friends figures on BrickLink and just use regular minifigures to populate the sets. 😉
Since my four year old daughter asked specifically for “girl LEGOS” for Christmas, I know there’s a market for the Friends line. But I’ve gotta agree that having the characters be standard minifig size would be better. Still, I’m very excited that there will be more pink on the Lego aisle.
Adair, keep us posted how your little one likes them! 😉
My two year old said the same thing. We were getting legos for my 5-yr old son and she said, “but Daddy, I want the girl legos.” She plays with la-la-loopsy and many other toy sets that look similar to these, so hopefully she will bite.
I’m not crazy about their looks. But ok, I guess my daughter will like them.
But the biggest problem is the lack of ambience and imagination.
I can describe with the difference between an normal lego pirate set and Pirates Of The Caribbean Queen Anne’s Revenge. None of the new Lego friends sets have that extra thing that makes me buy it.
When you ask if us “girls” like them, are you speaking to the adults reading this blog, or is this a blog read by children?
Amy, the main readership of theBrickBlogger is adult LEGO-fans, however we do have a lot of young readers especially in certain categories like Star Wars and Ninjago. By girls I simply meant girls/gals/fafols/ffols/ladies/goddesses. 😉
UPDATE: Check out Bloomberg Businessweek’s front-page and editorial; all about LEGO Friends! It will shed some light on how the LEGO Friends figures were born: LEGO Friends: LEGO’s Billion Dollar Girl 🙂
I find it highly disturbing that at least 3 of the sets (Splash Pool, Outdoor Bakery, and Stage) have “water glasses” that look suspiciously like glasses that someone would drink an alcoholic beverage in. In fact, I find it outright disturbing that being a “singer” is considered something that goes along with one of these glasses. I find it equally upsetting that the Splash Pool looks like a Desperate Housewife lounging in her pool with a daquiri. Plain water cups without stems would have sufficed for water glasses just fine. For shame.
In Texas we call those “Iced Tea” glasses, and that’s what they are used for–iced tea! (and not the Long Island kind). I don’t see the problem myself.
Yeah, looks like some people just assume glasses like that are for alcoholic beverages. In my family we use them for pudings! 😀
The part that frustrates me is that it is like Lego doesn’t think girls can construct things too. Girls are actually more capable at a young age but their toys don’t encourage them. So they “learn” to go other directions. I used to LOVE to sit with my brother’s Lego sets and put things together. But sets then were generic. Now they are very boyish with Ninjas and Star Wars and Pirates. I am fine going with a “girl” line but give us the same building capabilities. How about a plane to fly these girls that is more intricate instead of a dog house that the entire kit has is more toys then blocks. I see very few of these cute sets that are really promoting building something! I had higher hopes when they told me a year ago that something was in the works. Other then the different figures, I am seeing the same issues I saw in the previous girl lines!
Agreed. Why a fashion designer and not an architect or painter/artist? At least an architect would encourage the underlying goal of Lego – building.
Karen, an artist would have been really nice! 🙂
Tvet, I do remember reading somewhere that according to LEGO’s research girls prefer role-playing, not building. But then I have also seen several parents sharing here how their little girls prefer the modular building sets! So I don’t know… one thing any teacher will tell you is that little girls are a LOT more complicated and complex than boys. 😀
One very important thing to realize when looking at those kind of research conclusions, is that they’re talking about averages over lots of boys and girls. It’s likely that on average, girls tend to play one way while boys play a different way. But that doesn’t mean that the play styles of boys and girls are completely disjunct. There’s likely to be a sizable overlap, and if that’s the case, then it makes more sense to integrate the “girl” line into the regular line.
In other words: more female minifigs, and more “girly” colours and themes in regular Lego sets, so boys and girls can mix and match what they like, instead of girls being forced to choose between going all-out girl or play with the “boy” stuff.
Why not send Lego company a request for
#1 How about a Brucie to go with hairdresser
#2 How about Race Car Tilly
#3. Rock on Roco to be in the band
#4 Eric the designer of FAB -U-less clothes
Sorry I cut cut off well you get the idea? Bring some macho in.
UPDATE: New post on LEGO Friends! Share your thoughts & opinions!: Dear LEGO…
I hate these. I would never buy them for my daughter. I refuse any pink toys that are a dumbed-down version of primary color toys. There are already many, many options for play sets with stereotypical roles for females. What Lego has is unique. There’s no reason for Lego to forfeit unique, wonderfully creative toys for stereotypical toys that are just like 15 other toys that I could already pass by. When my children are ready for Lego, they will get non-gendered sets that encourage their imaginations. If my daughter ends up *building* a hair salon and giving the mini-figure an icy beverage in a spa of her design, at least it’s a product of her imagination.
The thing that is killingme about all the negative commentary about the Lego Friends line is the assumption that you would *only* buy Lego Friends kits and nothing else for your daughters. When I was a kid I had an enormous bin of blocks (and yay Lego for adding lavender to the color palette available — it used to drive me mad that the only ‘girl’ color in the lego bin was disgusting neon pink) and a few sets to supplement the standard blocks. And the new line is fully integrated with the old sets, so you could, for example, make a whole back yard and forest and cabin to plop your dog house in front of.
That’s my problem with kids’ toys in general these days: everything comes in a ‘kit’ or ‘package’ and god forbid you mix and match with other kits or even just grab a cup and make your own kit from the pick-a-brick tubs at the lego store.
Thank you, this is exactly how I feel (and how I posted on another page). This line isn’t designed to replace regular sets as the only things girls would play with, but to add to the fanbase the girls who otherwise wouldn’t touch Legos previously. Get those girls into these sets, then give them generic blocks to let them add on as they see fit. Then they build whatever they want their girls to do, whether it’s a nursery, a mall, a skyscraper, or a nuclear power plant. You have to get their interest before you can get them to build.
come on if LEGO friends have different figures then they will do them for boys too and from looking at it on the TV they will look better than the square shaped people and my daughter will love them and I will get her every single set so if its not clear I would like them to be sold
The reason that “research shows” girls would prefer these is because it is what little girls are taught from all the “girly” marketing. Little boys will not find these sets equal to theirs nor will little girls feel these are equal to boys. Legos did themselves an injustice by switching these figurines. A Lego set that can be appreciated by boys and girls is what is needed. So if they want to market to the “other 50%” they could market to both boys and girls and not separate. Disappointed.
Yah why make the figures like that you could get mistaken for play mobile I hate the Lego friends figs other than that the sets are good
My girls love the Lego Creator sets with the homes. We do wish Lego would market more items like these Creator sets geared toward both girls and boys. Lego has so many sets geared toward boy type themes and so little for girls. Lego Friends might be great for the younger girl, but those approaching their teens may find the Friends sets too young!
Leigh, that is a really good point. I never understood why the Creator sets don’t include more minifigures for a whole family! I know older girls would like that! In my experience girls like realistic sets with realistic colors and the Creator house series would be perfect for that! 🙂
Admin, I was starting to think I was overboard with Lego already . The New Years day I met with a friend I had not seen in months we started talking and then found out we each got Lego for ourselves! Then today in the drug store the sales girl and I mentioned we got Lego for ourselves , lol Age group here is me 69, friend 37, sales girl 22 don you just love it …
VIE, yes, once you start inquiring you will find that a lot of people are LEGO fans, either openly or covertly. 😉
UPDATE: LEGO Friends are now available! See here: LEGO Friends Available Now! Enjoy! 😉
There have been lots of comments about the shape of the girls figures, I don’t have a problem with them but I have always had a problem with the printed, overly large busts that are on the original figures. I find that more offensive.
If you’re worried about the lack of ‘building’ available, you can download instructions of a set (or design your own – using lego software that is free off the web – MLCAD and LDVIEW) and then go to a site called Bricklink where you can make up the set in the colours that you want. I have just finished purchasing purple and lime bricks to replace black and red bricks on a 4wd (I bought an instruction book to get the set inventory so I could make up whatever colours I liked). Simple as that. You can also purchase individual figures, sets, instruction books, gear and whatever size, shape and coloured brick you could ever want from Bricklink.
Happy shopping, designing, and building and remember it’s suppose to be fun.
Sasysox, good points! Sometimes we forget that nobody is holding a gun to our heads to build official LEGO sets! We can build whatever colors or combinations we want! Thanks for sharing! 😉
i love lego firends
i dont get people that hate them i mean how can u hate fake lego figures what did they do to u
wel mabe tha want to stop lego frinds
Lego frinds are so cool finily some girl lego my fav is Olivias house
Yes, Olivia’s house is pretty neat! I think you will love the pony sets coming out this summer! 😀
I didn’t like the figures at first either- in fact, I had planned to buy the sets and sell the girls figures to help pay for them, but after seeing them in person, I like them much better than I did originally. First off, for some reason in photos they look huge, but they are pretty much the same size as a normal minifig and much more compatible than they look. They can sit in the same size cars and fit the same size and scale of buildings. Also, their hands can hold the same items and utensils so these items become interchangeable (something that was never really possible before with the girls sets and figures) and even their hair is interchangeable. If you don’t like the hair the Friends figures come with (or your daughter looses a hair unit), you can put the regular (stiffer) minifigure hair on their head and it fits just the same.
I think one of the huge problems with previous girls lines is that the figures were totally out of scale so were not easily interchangeable with traditional Lego. (That and the fact that they lacked the more detailed building skills).
If the “prettier” more doll like structure to the Friends figures makes them more appealing to young girls, then I think that the thing they need to add to the line is more intricate and advanced buildings such as say a modular building to go with the regular modular buildings but in fun, bright “girl” colors- such as maybe an ice cream shop in pink and blue!
PS- Something such as a blue and pink ice cream shop (or a colorful flower shop) that fits with the modular line would not only offer very advanced building opportunities for girls, but would also provide a set that would be great for family building (something my son and I love about the modular building line- he got me into Lego as an adult with those buildings 🙂 ). They would also have great universal appeal- for both kids and adult Lego fans, both boys and girls and give another building that all of the modular town/ city collectors would be able to add to their Lego town!
Taylor, thanks for sharing! I would so buy a modular ice-cream shop! 😀
do you think 13 year olds can still buy this product?
Zayn, I’m not sure what you mean. Are you asking if it is appropriate for older kids to play with them? If that is your question, then of course! I mean; adults are buying them for themselves! So a 13-year-old who is into LEGO would have fun with them for sure! 😛
stop lego frindes or els i wel take maters in to my on hands
my 7 year old eve loves lego friends she find s it very amusing. i found lego in toysarus she asked me for 3 and we endidd up geting them all my mum says it is a waste of money
Lilly, I’m glad you were able to find something for your daughter she likes. LEGO is not just a toy, but an excellent educational tool; enhancing your daughter’s skills in creativity, coordination, math, engineering and design. Tell your mom that the most succesful people used (or still uses) LEGO to develop their skills. My father is an architect and he regularly uses LEGO for his models. It is not just an ordinary toy. 😉
This is perhaps Lego’s most damaging attempt at marketing towards young girls. Just goes to show that Lego has strayed from their original ideals of equality and creativity yet again. The sexism, hypermasculinity and militarization in Lego sets are embarrassing. If they truly want to level the playing field (pun intended), Lego needs to start making sets that appeal to both boys and girls and drop the separate-but-equal nonsense.
Ben, thanks for sharing your opinion. Here is an article you might be interested to read. Especially the comments: http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/unplugged/controversial-lego-friends-among-worst-toys-2012-180502792.html
Boy Lego sets can be enjoyed by teens and younger and older, and yet Lego friends seem a bit childish to be enjoyed by teens.
Renee, you do make a really good point. Great notice! Traditional LEGO sets can follow a child thru their teens all the way to adulthood. LEGO Friends is only targeting pre-teen girls.
I guess the hope is that those girls will graduate to more traditional LEGO sets as they grow, like LEGO City, LEGO Creator and the Modular LEGO sets. To LEGO’s defense; marketing to teen girls is extremely difficult. Actually one of the most difficult things to do according to many marketers.
LEGO has lots of experience with targeting boys or providing gender-neutral sets that can follow a person thru their life. LEGO Friends is a new endeavor for LEGO, so it makes sense they take one step at a time. I’m pretty sure they continue monitoring the market and see what those girls like once they start to grow out of LEGO Friends. Will they move on to other LEGO themes? Or will they ditch LEGO alltogether only to come back to it later in life? Or never? These questions can only be answered by following today’s generation of girls who start out with Friends. It will be interesting to see what LEGO concludes. 😉
i love Lego (my mum gave me her space Lego from back in the 70’s)
iv gotten my daughters the Lego friends sets when they have been good when we go shopping.
and for Xmas we got Santa to bring some of the bigger city sets
Lego has become a family tradition
just great
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll74/amrainbow/531774_496483463707621_158352251_n_zpscaf627a1.jpg
Yeah, that’s really sweet! 😀
At the end of the day it’s not up to what the adults think it’s up to us as the children as wether or not we would go into a shop and pick up one of the sets then enjoy playing with it. From what I can see a lot of girls do so there’s no problem, the feminists need to just leave it – it’s worked. If you dont believe me about the fact hundreds of thousands of little girls enjoy playing with lego friends just check the lego friends websites gallery board and look at all the pictures (I’m goglehat)
http://friends.lego.com/en-us/gallery/
Well said! 🙂
do you know how to comment on the lego friend’s website?
If you are talking about the official LEGO Friends website, you can’t comment there. It is not a blog or forum. If you have questions about LEGO Friends you can try the LEGO message board or call customer service.
I am 11 years old and I find lego Friends really enteresting because i wrote the names of the lego sets in a journal so when i go to the store i can bring my journal and get the sets that i still need.
I love Lego Friends and I even saw a commercial for it!
This reminds me of 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.
Gabriella, you are looking at an old article. You can check the LEGO Friends sections for the most recent updates. 🙂
Are you at making 2016 sets for Lego friends
and even the blind bags, or just one thing and stopping?
The FRIENDS blocks have little stability when built… Additional support is needed to keep all those tiny blocks together. Please. Also, a TOOL is needed to remove the smallest of blocks from the larger bases- most use a small screwdriver to help remove the pieces because the children’s nails and fingers are too small to accomplish this, and adults” are too large.. However… The sets and girls are cute
Lin, thanks for sharing. LEGO has a brick separator that you can use for removing small pieces. It’s included in most larger sets, or you can purchase it separately.
Top 10 LEGO friends sets 2021
https://youtu.be/N_1o50CVfJM