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August 2017 – new LEGO sets & promotions

by Thita (admin) on August 1, 2017

Summer is almost over! Nooo! For LEGO fans, however, there is always something to look forward to, no matter what’s the season. In fact, as you will see below, August is going to be one of the best months, because of all the new LEGO sets and exciting promotions. So let’s take a look. 🙂

➡ FREE EXCLUSIVE LEGO CAVEMAN & CAVEWOMAN SET: Starting on August 10th, all the way to the end of the month, you will get the #5004936 LEGO Caveman & Cavewoman set with purchases of $50 or more. This is a very nice little set with two re-colored minifigs from the LEGO Collectible Minifigures Series, and a small cardboard cave. The offer is valid on all purchases at official LEGO stores and the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ FREE BUILD TO LEARN PACK: From August 20th to the end of the month you will get a free LEGO Build to Learn Pack with purchases of $25 or more. Based on the picture from the LEGO Store Calendar (see above), this appears to be a small educational set with some loose bricks and building ideas. This offer is also valid on all purchases at official LEGO stores and the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ LEGO CREATOR LONDON BUS AVAILABLE: The #10258 LEGO Creator London Bus is now available for everyone, not just LEGO VIP members. The charming double-decker London Bus features a wealth of authentic details, including a bright-red color scheme, panoramic windshield, specially made standard-tread tires, destination sign, and an open rear boarding deck with a hand pole, ticket bin, fire extinguisher and a half-spiral staircase that leads to the upper sightseeing deck. Functions include an opening hood with engine, detailed driver’s cab with a sliding door, and a removable roof and upper deck for access to the detailed interior with worn look seating and additional authentic details, including a forgotten umbrella, newspaper, empty beverage can and discarded chewing gum. Reversible transit advertising posters are also provided as printed labels with a 1950s or present-day London promotion. See links at the end of this post for a detailed review, and you can find the set under the LEGO Creator section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ LEGO NINJAGO CITY VIP EARLY ACCESS: LEGO VIP members will get early access to the #70620 LEGO Ninjago Movie Ninjago City set starting on August 16th (regular release will be on September 1st). This is one of the most talked about and anticipated sets in The LEGO Ninjago Movie line (see links at the end of this post for more info). If you are a LEGO VIP member, I highly recommend that you pick it up during the early access period, because it will likely go on back-order. You can find it under the LEGO Ninjago section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ LEGO BOOST CREATIVE TOOLBOX AVAILABLE: The new robotic kit, #17101 LEGO BOOST Creative Toolbox is now available! We have talked about LEGO BOOST previously (see links at the end of this post), but the bottom line is that it is a simpler, friendlier version of the LEGO MINDSTORMS robotics system to teach children robotics and coding. I can’t wait to see what LEGO fans are going to do with it! Please note that the system requires iOS 10.3 or above, or Android 5.0 or above (you can go to the LEGO BOOST page to make sure your device is compatible). If you live near a LEGO store, you can sign up for LEGO BOOST workshops to learn how the system works (take your tablet or smart phone!). The workshops are held August 1st-6th and 14th-20th. The set is available under the LEGO BOOST section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ LEGO ARCHITECTURE NEW SET: LEGO Architecture is getting one new set this month, the #21036 LEGO Architecture Arc de Triomphe. The set faithfully reproduces Paris’ iconic masterpiece, with statue-adorned pillars, sculptural reliefs and subtle coloring that adds warmth while emphasizing the model’s bold lines, curves and contours. It also includes a golden plate to represent the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a LEGO interpretation of the eternal flame and a decorative “Arc de Triomphe” nameplate. This LEGO brick model has been designed to deliver a pleasantly challenging and rewarding building experience for all with an interest in architecture, travel, history and design, and makes a perfect display piece for the home or office. It is under the LEGO Architecture section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ LEGO SUPER HERO GIRLS NEW SETS: LEGO Super Hero Girls is getting four new sets; the #41236 LEGO Super Hero Girls Harley Quinn Dorm, the #41237 LEGO Super Hero Girls Batgirl Secret Bunker, the #41238 LEGO Super Hero Girls Lena Luthor Kryptomite Factory, and #41239 LEGO Super Hero Girls Eclipso Dark Palace. You can find them all under the LEGO Super Hero Girls section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ LEGO CITY JUNGLE NEW SET: The only new set added to the LEGO City line is the #60156 LEGO City Jungle Buggy. It is the smallest in the LEGO City Jungle collection, and I’m not sure why LEGO released it a month after the other sets. Nonetheless, it’s a nice introduction to this very interesting theme. You can find it, along with all the other LEGO City Jungle sets, under the LEGO City section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ LEGO DC SUPER HEROES NEW SETS: There are three new sets for DC Super Heroes fans; the #76085 LEGO Super Heroes Battle of Atlantis, the #76086 LEGO Super Heroes Knightcrawler Tunnel Attack, and the #76087 LEGO Super Heroes Flying Fox: Batmobile Airlift Attack. They are listed under the LEGO DC Super Heroes section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ LEGO DISNEY NEW SETS: There are a couple of cute LEGO Disney Princess sets as well; the #41145 LEGO Disney Ariel and the Magical Spell, and #41146 LEGO Disney Cinderella’s Enchanted Evening. You can find them both under the LEGO Disney section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ LEGO FRIENDS NEW SETS: LEGO Friends is getting six very exciting new sets, most of them related to winter sports! Please note that these sets were released earlier in Europe, so for our overseas friends this will be old news. The sets are as follows: #41319 LEGO Friends Snow Resort Hot Chocolate Van, #41320 LEGO Friends Heartlake Frozen Yogurt Shop, #41321 LEGO Friends Snow Resort Off-Roader, #41322 LEGO Friends Snow Resort Ice Rink, #41323 LEGO Friends Snow Resort Chalet, and #41324 LEGO Friends Snow Resort Ski Lift. If you are thinking about getting these for Christmas, I recommend you pick them up now, because everyone is going to think the same way, and the set will likely go on backorder by the holiday season. You can find them all under the LEGO Friends section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ LEGO IDEAS OLD FISHING STORE & SATURN V: The #21310 LEGO Ideas Old Fishing Store won’t be available until September 1st, but I wanted to mention it anyway, so you can prepare for it. It will likely sell out just as fast as the #21309 LEGO Ideas NASA Apollo Saturn V, so make sure you don’t miss out. Speaking of the Saturn V, it is still out of stock, which has been causing quite a bit of concern. There has been an update at the LEGO Ideas blog, with the following information: “Having just launched the Apollo Saturn V set recently, we will continue to produce the set according to our scheduled plans and we would like to re-assure everyone that it has not been retired. While the set is temporarily out of stock through our online shop, with limited quantities available in LEGO stores, our production teams are working hard to produce more sets in order to make sure that everyone will be able to purchase their copy. This does take time however and we therefore ask for your patience. The product page at the Online LEGO Shop is continually updated to reflect current availability, but if you have questions regarding your order, you’re very welcome to contact our Customer Service.” You can find both sets listed under the LEGO Ideas section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ LEGO JUNIORS NEW SETS: LEGO Juniors is meant for younger children who are transitioning over from LEGO DUPLO to regular LEGO, however it is also of great interest to older LEGO fans because of the nice designs and beautiful prints. Three new sets are added to the collection this month; the #10738 LEGO Juniors Show White’s Forest Cottage, the #10739 LEGO Juniors Shark Attack, and #10745 LEGO Juniors Florida 500 Final Race. See the LEGO Juniors section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES NEW SETS: There is something for Marvel Super Heroes fans too! The couple of new sets are the #76084 LEGO Super Heroes The Ultimate Battle for Asgard, and the #76088 LEGO Super Heroes Thor vs. Hulk: Arena Crash. You can find them both under the LEGO Marvel Super Heroes section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ LEGO MINECRAFT NEW SETS: LEGO Minecraft is getting two new sets; the #21135 LEGO Minecraft The Crafting Box 2.0, and the #21136 LEGO Minecraft The Ocean Monument. I particularly like The Crafting Box, because it gives the most opportunities for creative building. Also, don’t forget about the massive #21137 LEGO Minecraft The Mountain Cave, which was released recently. You can find them all under the LEGO Minecraft section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ LEGO NEXO KNIGHTS NEW SETS: LEGO Nexo Knights is getting a whole new wave, with six sets; the #70361 LEGO Nexo Knights Macy’s Bot Drop Dragon, the #70353 LEGO Nexo Knights The Heligoyle, the #70354 LEGO Nexo Knights Axl’s Rumble Maker, the #70355 LEGO Nexo Knights Aaron’s Rock Climber, the #70356 LEGO Nexo Knights The Stone Colossus of Ultimate Destruction, and the #70357 LEGO Nexo Knights Knighton Castle (love these names!). You can find them all under the LEGO Nexo Knights section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVE NEW SETS: The first wave of sets related to The LEGO Ninjago Movie are now officially available! The sets are as follows: #70606 LEGO Ninjago Spinjitsu Training, #70607 LEGO Ninjago City Chase, #70608 LEGO Ninjago Master Falls, #70609 LEGO Ninjago Manta Ray Bomber, #70611 LEGO Ninjago Water Strider, #70612 LEGO Ninjago Green Ninja Mech Dragon, #70614 LEGO Ninjago Lightning Jet, #70615 LEGO Ninjago Fire Mech, #70617 LEGO Ninjago Temple of The Ultimate Ultimate Weapon, the #70618 LEGO Ninjago Destiny’s Bounty, and The LEGO Ninjago Movie Collectible Minifigures series. And, of course, we already mentioned that the #70620 LEGO Ninjago City will be available for LEGO VIP members mid-month. You can find all the new sets under the LEGO Ninjago section of the Online LEGO Shop.

➡ LEGO TECHNIC NEW SETS: There are some really good LEGO Technic sets released this month, including the #42062 LEGO Technic Container Yard, the #42064 LEGO Technic Ocean Explorer, the #42065 LEGO Technic RC Tracked Racer, the #42066 LEGO Technic Air Race Jet, the #42068 LEGO Technic Airport Rescue Vehicle, the #42069 LEGO Technic Extreme Adventure, and the #42070 LEGO Technic 6×6 All Terrain Tow Truck. If you are up for some serious building challenge, these sets will definitely keep you occupied! You can find them all under the LEGO Technic section of the Online LEGO Shop.

And that wraps up all the new sets and promotions that are happening this month. That’s a lot to look through, isn’t it? And this is after all the new sets that were released earlier this summer, so there is plenty to choose from! If you are planning to buy any of the new sets, make sure you also check the Sales & Deals section of the Online LEGO Shop, because LEGO has been running some pretty serious clearance sales in the last few days, including some large LEGO Star Wars, LEGO Super Heroes, LEGO Nexo Knights, LEGO Minecraft, LEGO City, LEGO Friends, and more. See the Sales & Deals section of the Online LEGO Shop.

What do you think? Are you excited about all the new LEGO sets this month? Do you have any favorite sets you are planning to add to your collection? Did you get some of them already? Feel free to share your thoughts and own review in the comment section below! 😉

And you might also like to check out the following related posts:

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LEGO Education Panama Canal available!

by Thita (admin) on July 31, 2017

in Other LEGO Sets & Themes

Last year, we discussed a very unique and rare LEGO Education set that was released to commemorate the widening of the Panama Canal (see original announcement here: LEGO Education Panama Canal). At that time, the #2000451 LEGO Education Panama Canal was only available in Panama, so it was very difficult to get hold of a copy. The only viable option was eBay, where resellers were asking for around twice as much as the original price. However, now the set is available directly from the Panama STEM Education website, with free shipping to the US (also available to other countries with standard shipping charges). So let’s take a second look at this unusual LEGO set. 🙂

The #2000451 LEGO Education Panama Canal was originally intended for educators to demonstrate to students how a series of locks allow ships to go through the famous canal, while compensating for the height difference between sea level and the level of Gatun Lake. You can see all the action features of the set in the video below.

As you can see, this 1,184-piece set is quite massive, and it is built in five sections (plus the ships), so several children can work on it at the same time. The structure is somewhat unfinished looking compared to standard LEGO consumer sets, but the focus here is on demonstrating the moving parts and mechanics of the canal. The little ships, on the other hand, are very well designed micro-models. Production of the set was limited to 40,000 units, which makes it even more unique. (Image below: map of the Panama Canal with gates leading to and leaving Gatun Lake – source Wikipedia)

According to the description at the Panama STEM Education website, the #2000451 LEGO Education Panama Canal simulates a functional model of the Panama Canal and its Third Set of Locks, and has the proper approval by the Authority of the Panama Canal for its manufacture and commercialization. The set also simulates the water levels of the chambers and allows them to rise or fall, and demonstrates the independent double gate system in each of the lock chambers. Five different types of ships that transit through the Panama Canal are also included. Full color instructions. 1,184 pieces. Price: $249.95

I also like the description of how teachers can incorporate the set in various areas of education: 1.) Determine the importance of the evolution of the means of transport and means of communication, with the purpose of improving the quality of life of the people. 2.) Recognize the importance of the means of communication of the Republic of Panama, as a source that facilitates the development of the different activities of its people in accordance with scientific and technological progress. 3.) Highlight Panama’s participation in economic activities and trade relations with the countries of the Americas and other continents. 4.) Establish the geographical position and characteristics of the most outstanding geographical landscape of the country and the importance of its conservation for its social, political, cultural and economic development. 5.) Highlight the most significant historical events in the country and the repercussions for the present life. 6.) Use length, mass and other units of the International System, relating their equivalences and conversions to solve problems of daily life with satisfaction.

Due to the limited release, uniqueness, and historical significance of the set, the #2000451 LEGO Education Panama Canal is obviously of interest to collectors. However, there are some plusses and minuses to consider before handing over your hard-earned dollars. The original price of $250 is quite expensive for a 1,184-piece set (21 cents/piece), especially when considering that all parts are standard. So, it’s mainly the box and the instructions that you are paying extra for. It’s not an unreasonable price for a collectors item, but not the best either. (Please note that I included a $50 off promo code below that will help with the total price, but I don’t know how long it will work, so use it while you can.)

If you are only interested in the design of the set, you should be able to build it from parts from your own collection, however I was not able to find online instructions at this point. Below, I have included a video-review of the set from BrickTsar so you can see the box, the content, the instructions, and the assembled model in more detail.

If you would like to buy the LEGO Education Panama Canal, you can go directly to the Panama STEM Education website to purchase it. If you are in the US, choose Free Priority Mail International Shipping (8-10 days), and you can also use the following promo code to get 20% off the $249.95 price: CMSY6UJXWT (as I mentioned above, I don’t know how long this promo code is going to work). Your total should look like the image below. (The set is also available to other countries with standard shipping charges).

And if you are interested – especially if you are a teacher – you can also take a look at the LEGO Education website to learn more about what they offer. For adults, LEGO has another educational program called LEGO Serious Play (click on link to visit their website) with sets that can be found under the LEGO Serious Play section of the Online LEGO Shop.

What do you think? How do you like the LEGO Education Panama Canal? Would you be interested in buying it? Or are you inspired to build your own? Do you think LEGO should release similar educational sets in their regular product lines? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below! 😉

And you might also like to check out the following related posts:

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August 2017 – new LEGO sets & promotions

LEGO Education Panama Canal available!

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