Although the LEGO 4+ sets (formerly called LEGO Juniors) are meant for children who are just transitioning from DUPLO to regular size LEGO, I always pay attention to the sets as they come with some really nice printed elements that could be repurposed in other projects.
One of my favorite new releases is the #41440 LEGO Friends Heartlake City Bakery. The set comes with 99 pieces and two mini-dolls for the price of $19.99. The main feature is a small bakery on a 6×16 plate, and there is also a separate arched seating area. The front section of the bakery is a single large 2x16x6 wall element that incorporates the front door and two display windows. Such large pieces are used in some of the LEGO 4+ sets to make it easier and quicker for younger children to build complex features. The rest of the bakery is build from standard size bricks, slopes and other elements.
Speaking of slopes, I was surprised to find a couple of new slope pieces that I was not familiar with. The slightly rounded 2×4 slopes over the picture windows is a rare piece that only appeared in three other sets, and this is the first time it appears in magenta.
I mentioned that my main interest in the LEGO 4+ sets is the printed elements. In this set, we get three brand new printed elements. A 2×4 white tile with pie, croissant and pretzel menu pattern, a 2×4 white oval tile with a layered cake pattern (used as the sign over the front door), and a 2×2 white round tile with spiral decorations (used as cake topping). All three of these printed pieces are unique to this set. Two other printed parts are the new cash register design with medium-azure print on a white 2×2 slope (this piece appears in three other sets), and a standard 1×2 tile green tile representing a 100 dollar bill.
All of these printed pieces are fantastic, but there are other nice parts as well. The brown 2×2 drippy frosting piece that you can layer over a standard 2×2 round brick to make a cake, the pie, the swirly ice cream pieces (in white and brown), the pretzel, the croissant, and the medium-azure scooter are all super useful accessories.
As far as the characters, Stephanie gets a new outfit for this set, and Olivia’s light-yellow dress only appears in one other set. And there is also a dark-orange puppy that appeared in only one other set in this particular color.
As you can see, this set is absolutely packed with unique elements and accessories, which is the exact reason I like LEGO 4+ sets so much. It’s rare to find so many exclusive and rare pieces in small sets like this. I was originally interested in this set because of the printed tiles, but I found so many other treasures in it as well.
And what am I using those printed tiles for? For the bakery in the #10255 LEGO Creator Assembly Square, of course! The bakery has a nicely detailed exterior and interior, but I never liked that it only has a simple pretzel for its sign. So, I replaced it with the printed oval sign from the #41440 LEGO Friends Heartlake City Bakery, and I placed the printed 2×4 menu sign inside the bakery to add a bit of visual interest. And there is place for the delicious cake with chocolate frosting as well. Yum!
If you are looking for a unique little set with lots of nice pieces, check out the #41440 LEGO Friends Heartlake City Bakery. You won’t be disappointed. You can find it at the LEGO Friends section of the Online LEGO Shop.
What do you think? Do you have any of the LEGO Juniors/LEGO 4+ sets? How do you like them? And what do you think of the little bakery we talked about today? Feel free to share your thoughts and own reviews in the comment section below!
And you might also like to check out the following related posts:
