Easily some of the most amazing work with LEGO figures on the Web, Alex Eylar’s portfolio of LEGO character poses, designs and builds is absolutely magnificent. Eylar creates everything from famous movie scenes to entire sets inspired by television, video games and everything else in between.

If you want to see more of his brilliant work, take a look at his Flickr account here. However, you should also check out some of our favorite pics of his work with movie scenes below.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

The Addams Family

American Beauty

The Big Lebowski

The Big Lebowski

Billy Elliot

Black Swan

127 Hours

Chinatown

A Clockwork Orange

Die Hard

The Exorcist

The Fighter

The Godfather

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Inception

Inglourious Basterds

The Invisible Man

James Bond Opening

The King’s Speech

Looper

Modern Times

Monsters Inc.

Psycho

Pulp Fiction

Raging Bull

Reservoir Dogs

The Shining

The Silence of the Lambs

2001: A Space Odyssey

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Sucker Punch

True Grit

34 Famous Movie Scenes Captured by LEGOs

LEGOs are nothing new. Most of us grew up playing with them. Many of us still have plastic storage bins full of them in our basements, or have passed down those treasured collections to our own children. They’re literally the best selling toy in the world!

But while LEGO used to be primarily thought of as a toy for kids, in more recent years they have really started designing and marketing towards adults (in many cases, adults with a lot of disposable income!). From nostalgic movie and TV tie-ins, to displayable builds that double as home decor, to conversation starters for your office, here are 12+ LEGO sets that truly will bring a smile to anyone “ages 4 to 99”.

Best LEGO Set for the Whole Family

The new LEGO Art Project: Create Together Set (21226) comes with 9 “canvas” plates and over 4,000 little pieces to design them with. The panels can then be connected together to form a collaborative piece of art to hang on your wall. The box comes with ideas, but it’s also great for DIYers who prefer to just make something up! 

Not that the $120 price tag is “cheap”, but when you factor in the family activity time and the fact that you end up with a unique piece of decor to display, it’s definitely easier to swallow. Release date is 12/4.

MSRP: $120 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

Check Price on LEGO

Best Holiday LEGO Set

When I first laid eyes on the new LEGO Ideas Home Alone (21330), I practically grabbed my face in my hands and screamed like Kevin McCallister after a dab of aftershave. The attention to detail in this set is unreal. Each room in the house is booby trapped with all the best pranks from the movie–the iron to Marv’s face, the torch that lights Harry’s head on fire, Kevin’s fake Christmas party. It’s all there.

What makes it extra special and extra perfect for the holidays, is that the pieces (all 3,955 of them) come split into 24 bags (like an advent calendar) and the building instructions follow the movie’s plot line. You could build one bag a night and get almost a whole month’s worth of fun out of it.

It’s already temporarily out of stock at LEGO; set an alert on Ben’s so you don’t miss out when/if it comes back!

• MSRP: $250 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $250

Check Price on LEGO

Best LEGO Set for the Batman Fan

There’s always at least one or two new Batman sets each year no matter what, but thanks to the upcoming “The Batman” movie (the one with the Twilight dude, out March 2022), we have even more to choose from.

The coolest is definitely the LEGO Technic The Batman Batmobile (42127). I know I know, there’s already been like 5,000 LEGO Batmobiles released, but I’m pretty sure this is the first one to join the Technic line. It has light-up bricks (one for the engine at the back, one for the front grille), an opening hood, realistic steering, etc. An awesome gift for someone who loves Batman (sorry, “The” Batman) and cars!

In the sub-$100 range, this LEGO The Batman Batcave: The Riddler Face-off (76183) ($80) also looks really fun. And if you’re just not feeling yet another Batman reboot, this LEGO Batman Classic TV Series Batman Cowl (76238) ($60) and this LEGO Batman Classic TV Series Batmobile (76188) ($30) are also both new this year.

• MSRP: $100 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

Check Price on LEGO

Best LEGO Set for the Kid Who Wants a Pet

Kid asking Santa for a hamster? No fear, LEGO is here to spare you (and probably the hamster) with these new LEGO Brickheadz Animals. In addition to the hamsters, they have a variety of cats, cockatiels, goldfish, budgies and German shepherds ready to be “adopted” for the low price of $15.

Your kids might be able to break ‘em, but they won’t be able to kill ‘em!

The LEGO Creator Fish Tank (31122) ($30) is also super cool, but it’s been out of stock for a few months now (will likely come back at some point).

• MSRP: $15 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

Check Price on LEGO

Best LEGO Set for the Music Lover

Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Buddy Holly. These are all musicians who played a Fender Strat, and now you can “play” with one too! The LEGO Ideas Fender Stratocaster (21329) set allows you to build a super detailed 1970s Fender Stratocaster (in either black or red) and a 65 Princeton Reverb amplifier.

The guitar measures about 14” long, making it the perfect size to display on a recording studio desk or just on the shelf next to your sweet vinyl collection.

• MSRP: $100 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

Check Price on LEGO

Best LEGO Set for the Writer (or Antique Collector)

I first saw the LEGO Ideas Typewriter (21327) and was like “oh wow, that looks really neat!” Then I read that it actually functions like an actual typewriter (meaning the keys work, you can feed actual paper into it!!) and I started wondering how I might come up with an extra $200 and write it off as a home office expense (kidding, kidding). 

This 2079-piece set has gone in and out of stock since being released, so if you want it get it now, before it becomes an ancient relic of the past.

Check Price on LEGO

Best TV Show LEGO Set

The new LEGO Ideas Seinfeld (21328) is another one that’s made to be displayed. Jerry Seinfeld’s apartment is packed with easter eggs fans will love and recognize (giant pretzels, muffin tops, and yes, a Festivus pole).

Other TV show sets new this year include the LEGO Creator Expert Friends Apartment (10292) ($150) and the LEGO Creator Expert Queer Eye The Fab 5 Loft (10291) ($100).

MSRP: $80 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

Check Price on LEGO

Best Marvel LEGO Set

Well, there are a bunch of new Eternals sets that we’ll see clearanced out by next month (the movie is getting panned), and, uh, not much else. You can make a pretty good argument that Marvel makes better movies, but DC has better LEGOs!

Working with what we’ve got, the LEGO Marvel Spider-Man at the Sanctum Workshop (76185) is gonna be popular thanks to the third Tom Holland-led Spider-Man movie coming out next month. Already backordered at LEGO and sold out at Amazon, but Target currently has it in stock

• MSRP: $40 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: NA

Check Price on LEGO

Best Special Edition LEGO Set for Extreme Potter Heads

If you’re at all into Harry Potter, you’ll find the LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Icons Collectors’ Edition (76391) undeniably cool. But in order to justify dropping $250 on it, you need to be really into Harry Potter. Basically, this set should be reserved for the fans that like to share “which Hogwarts house do you belong to based on your astronomical sign” quizzes on social media, and have cursive spells and quidditch snitches tattooed on their wrists. 

That level of Harry Potter fan will no doubt want this giant displayable set that includes Harry’s wand and glasses, Ron’s chocolate frog, Hermione’s potion tray, Tom Riddle’s diary, the Golden Snitch, a customizable school scarf, and Hedwig the owl (holding a an invitation to Hogwarts). 

• MSRP: $250 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

Check Price on LEGO

Best Star Wars LEGO Set

When the holiday rush gets to be too much, relax and unwind with this charming LEGO Star Wars Darth Vader Meditation Chamber (75296). Based on this special scene from The Empire Strikes Back, the chamber opens, closes and rotates. To make it an even more dramatic display piece, people sell lighting kits for it.

And because it feels like a crime to not include a Baby Yoda something here, the LEGO Star Wars The Mandalorian The Child (75318) ($80) is pretty darn cute.

• MSRP: $70 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

Check Price on LEGO

Best Historically Large Historical LEGO Set That You’ll Never Actually Buy

Imagine for a moment…you decide to shell out $630 on a 9990-piece LEGO set–the biggest set they’ve ever made. It arrives. You spend hours and hours putting it together, page by page, brick by brick, until your fingers are cramping and you can barely see straight anymore. Finally, you finish. You marvel at its beauty and place it ever so carefully on a bookshelf. Then, one day as you’re busy cooking dinner, one of your kids notices it and says, “Cool! The Titanic! Let’s CRASH IT!”

Moral of the story: this one is probably not for kids.

The LEGO Creator Expert Titanic (10294) measures over 53” long (that’s over 4 feet!) and the cross section reveals interior details like the dining room, grand staircase, and lots of passenger cabins.

It’s temporarily out of stock at LEGO despite just coming out this week, so I guess someone’s actually buying it after all!

• MSRP: $630 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

Check Price on LEGO

Best LEGO Stocking Stuffers

In addition to the mostly $100+ sets in this guide, LEGO does make a ton of great options under $25. Some of the best this year:

• LEGO Star Wars Brickheadz The Mandalorian & the Child (75317) for $20
• LEGO DOTS Creative Cupcake Making Party Kit (41926) for $25
• LEGO Harry Potter Brickheadz Harry, Hermione, Ron & Hagrid (40495) for $25
• LEGO Marvel Spider-Man vs. Mysterio’s Drone Attack (76184) for $20
• LEGO Brick Sketches The Joker (40428) for $17
• LEGO DC Batman: Batman & Selina Kyle Motorcycle Pursuit (76179) for $15
• LEGO Star Wars AT-AT vs. Tauntaun Microfighters (75298) for $20
• LEGO Disney Mickey and Friends Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse’s Space Rocket (10774) for $20
• LEGO Technic Monster Jam Grave Digger (42118) for $20
• LEGO Iconic Empire State Magnet Build (854030) for $10

Check Price on LEGO

Check Ben’s for the latest LEGO deals

2021 Gift Guide: Best LEGO Sets for all ages

Clocking in just shy of 4,000 pieces, this $250 LEGO set is a replica of the McAllister home from the 1990 Christmas classic Home Alone and will be available in time for the holidays this year (likely to sell out quickly).

In addition to the rebuild of the McAllister home, you will get five minifigs; Kevin, his mom Kate, Old Man Marley and the two robbers, Harry & Marv. The LEGO set recreates all of Kevin’s classic booby traps like the tarantula, iron smacking Marv in the face, Harry’s burnt hair and many more.

In addition, it includes the backyard treehouse which Kevin used to escape the robbers as well as Harry & Marv’s van. The set is split into 24 bags which allows you to build in the order of the film’s plotline. The home includes all 4 floors of the home, including the attic and basement. It also comes with batteries in order to run the areas with lights, like the furnace.

Here’s the link to check out the set at Lego.com. It has a release date of November 1st and will likely sell out quickly as resellers will put it on eBay. You can check out pictures of the set below:

Shut Up and Take My Money: LEGO Home Alone House

Releasing on August 1st, 2021 from the LEGO Ideas collection, the LEGO Seinfeld set (21238) is a recreation of Jerry Seinfeld’s apartment in the classic 90’s sitcom. Clocking in at 1326 pieces, the apartment design includes the living room, bookshelf, kitchen area and hallway leading to the back bedroom.

The set also comes with Jerry’s stand-up stage, typically used to start an episode as well as minifigs for Jerry, Elaine, George, Kramer and Newman. Other fun additions include Frank Costanza’s Festivus pole, George’s fishing rod to catch a marble rye, Elaine’s goldfish from the lost car episode, and pretzels for Kramer’s ill-fated acting career.

The set includes stage lighting as well, to give the set the appearance of a sitcom set rather than a real apartment. There are Easter eggs hidden all over the apartment as well like a muffin top, the Commando 8 air conditioner, a Prognosis Negative videotape and a painting of Uncle Leo.

As with all current LEGO sets, the LEGO Seinfeld set includes step-by-step instructions for builders, ideal for anyone new to LEGOs. The model measures 5.5 in. high, 13 in. wide and 7 in. deep, which works for most shelf space.

The set will officially go on sale on August 1 for $79.99, but LEGO VIP customers can get early access to the set on July 21, 2021. You can see full details about the set here: LINK (and more images of the set below)

Shut Up and Take My Money: LEGO Seinfeld

Created by Finnish photographer Vesa Lehtimäki, this collection of photographs combines the worlds of Star Wars and Indiana Jones with LEGO characters as well as a ton of creative staging. In order to create many of the scenes on Hoth from The Empire Strikes Back, Lehtimäki uses tons of baking powder to recreate snow as well as some interesting lighting choices to capture the images.

Regarding camera hardware, Lehtimäki uses a Canon EOS 5D Mark II (Check price on Ben’s) to take the shot and Adobe Photoshop CS4 to perfect the image. Scenes depicted within his work mostly deal with the day-to-day life of people on Hoth, but he’s also included some interesting Indiana Jones mash-ups related to Return of the Jedi.

To see his entire collection, you can view his Flickr account here. But first, check out our 20 favorite shots below: (click to enlarge)

Indy Mashups

20 Amazing Movie Quality Star Wars Stills Using LEGOs

Building Lego toys is fun, whether you’re building from the manual or creating something entirely new, a.k.a. a Lego MOC (My Own Creation).

A select few expert builders from around the world are even hired by Lego and become what are known as Lego Master Model Builders. They usually have architectural or engineering degrees and can also work at Lego theme parks in addition to the Lego headquarters in Denmark.

MOC designs can be submitted to the Kickstarter-like website Lego Ideas (formerly known as LEGO CUUSOO). Once the submission reaches 10,000 supporters, it’s reviewed for several months by a team of Lego set designers, program managers and marketing reps. If it’s approved, the former MOC can be launched as an official set!

We’ve seen many CUUSOO/Ideas projects like the Back to the Future DeLorean,  Ghostbusters Ecto-1, Wall-E and Doctor Who and Companions make it into production. Here are 10 of our favorite Lego Ideas sets that either didn’t get approved or may just one day be flying off store shelves on Black Friday.

1. Lego Back to the Future Jules Verne Train

Created by Masashi Togami, this LEGO set based on Doc Brown’s flying locomotive time machine from Back to the Future III, reached 10,000 supporters, but it was ultimately not approved into production during the second 2014 review.

This cool-looking train can even be built with moving parts thanks to Lego Power Functions (YouTube video).

Status: Not approved.

2) Lego Ghostbusters Stay Puft Marshmallow Man

Now that the Ghostbusters Firehouse and Ecto-1 are available to consumers, the StayPuft Marshmallow Man, designed by LEGO super creator Brent Waller (who also did Ecto-1), is a natural fit.

Consisting of over 1,800 pieces, it stands 13 inches tall with articulated head, arms, legs, feet and hands, which makes the deceptively evil Stay Puft an unusual but awesome addition to the Lego family.

Status: In review (early 2016).

3) Lego Lord of the Rings Lothlorien

The home of the Elves has been faithfully recreated in this 1,400-piece set which also includes essential minifigs like Celebor, Galadriel, Legolas, Boromir, Aragorn and Frodo.

Like the Lego Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Lothlorien makes for an unusual-looking but very imaginative and elegant set worthy of the Lego name.

Status: In review (early 2016).

4) Lego Disney 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Nautilus

Alex Jones built this set as a faithful recreation of Harper Goff’s design from the classic Disney movie based on Jules Verne’s beloved sci-fi novel.

Although it doesn’t dovetail with other Lego themes, the Nautilus looks like a fun and challenging build, particularly the large scale version pictured here (4.5 ft. and 3000 pieces).

Status: 10,000 supporters.

5) Lego Physics

The Lego Physics set combines Lego dominoes and a marble run for a very unique Lego experience that opens up new avenues for the kinds of official sets we might see in the future (much as Lego Birds did). A science-related theme to get kids interested in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) sounds like a slam dunk.

My hunch is, of all the Lego Ideas projects in the second 2015 Lego review, this one is the most likely to make it onto store shelves.

Status: In Review (early 2016).

6) Toyota Landcruiser 40 Series (BJ42)

Submitted in summer 2015, this super-detailed recreation of the classic off-roader has amassed the requisite 10,000 supporters in four short months.

It’s built with around 1,700 pieces and seems like a shoo-in for the LEGO Creator series.

Status: 10,000 Supporters

7) Lego Pirates of the Caribbean Flying Dutchman

This dazzling set based on Davy Jones’s cursed ship from the movie series is an incredible effort that harkens back to the kind of detail you would see from old-school ships in a bottle.

Sadly, this project did not the pass the third 2014 Lego review. It may not be for mass market consumption but this set represents the pinnacle of what Lego bricks and ingenuity can do.

Status: Not approved.

8) Lego Jurassic Park Visitor Center

Submitted in June 2015, this 2,623-piece set is gaining steam on Lego Ideas with an impressive recreation of the iconic visitor center from the first Jurassic Park movie. Like many popular Lego sets, the various rooms are hinged or detachable.

In addition to minfigures of the main characters, you get a molded Velociraptor and two brick-built skeletons of the T-Rex and Sauropod.

Status: 7,400+ supporters (10k deadline: June 2017)

9) Lego Modular Buildings Train Station

The Lego Modular Buildings Collection has been a big hit with AFOLs (Adult Fans of Lego), and this 3,000-piece set submitted in 2015 would be a cool addition to that theme, as well as Lego’s long history of train sets.

While there are no trains included, the platform height is sized for standard Lego trains. Also, the roof and upper back wall detach for interior play.

Status: 7,600+ supporters (10k deadline: April 2017)

10) Lego Vintage Tram

Created by Lego super MOC Kevin Szeto (Lego Ideas Wall-E) and submitted in October 2015, this 600+ piece Vintage Tram would be an awesome mode of transport in any self-respecting Lego City.

The 10-inch Lego tram is modeled after vintage Portuguese trams. It rides on regular Lego City tracks and can fit up to 8 minifig passengers via a removable top—plus the driver.

Status: 3,600+ supporters (10k deadline: April 2017)

Check Out Part One: The 17 Awesomest Official Lego Sets

Everything is Awesome II: 10 More Fantastic Unofficial Lego Sets

Launching in early August, LEGO has created a new building set that recreates the design of Nintendo’s original gaming console, the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System.

Clocking in at 2,646 LEGO pieces, the set includes a lifesize console with opening door, a Super Mario Bros cartridge that fits inside the LEGO console, and a NES gamepad with working buttons. Similar to the original NES, the cartridge slot pushes down into the machine to lock the game into place.

In addition, the build includes a retro, 1980’s style, mini-television on a small stand. The television has dials on the right side for changing the channel, switching between UHF & VHF, along with knobs for brightness and contrast control. There’s even an antenna on top.

After completing the build, you can turn the crank on the side of the television to move a vertical, treadmill-style rotating band that simulates Mario’s first level within the game.

Interestingly, the new set is also compatible with Mario figurine in the Adventures of Mario Starter Kit (also shipping in early August). If you plug that Bluetooth-enabled Mario figurine on top of the television, it will produce sound effects, visuals and music from the classic video game.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a LEGO set without a steep price tag to entry. The LEGO Super Mario Nintendo Entertainment Center will cost $229.99 when it launches on August 1. In addition, the LEGO Adventures of Mario Starter Kit will cost $59.99. The LEGO NES is rated for builders age 18 and up while the Starter kit is rated for ages 6 and older.

You can watch a video of the LEGO build below:

Shut Up and Take My Money: LEGO Nintendo Entertainment System

Shopping for boxes of LEGOs or specific LEGO sets this year? We’ve looked through all the Black Friday ads and broken down where you can get the cheapest sets of LEGOs (price per brick), the best overall percentage discount on LEGO sets, the second best option and a tip for exclusive LEGO sets.

Cheapest Price per Brick LEGO set: $30 (1500 brick set)

If you are looking for an inexpensive way to get a LEGO collection started, you really can’t do better than Walmart’s annual Black Friday sale on bulk LEGO sets. At this price point (50% off), that brings the price per brick down to exactly 2 cents each! (which beats the Black Friday 2019 price per brick).

This particular LEGO Classic set comes with 1500 bricks and also comes with a variety of eyes, wheels, doors, windows and hinges for creative builds. Also, if you are buying for a child between 1.5 and 3 years old, Walmart has a 175-piece LEGO Duplo set on sale for the same price.

Check Price on Walmart

Best Overall Discount on LEGOs: 40% at Target

Target is the leader in LEGO discounts this year, offering a 40% off sale on specific building sets, some of which include LEGO City and Harry Potter sets. Be sure to check for additional discounts in Target Circle and get an additional 5% off your purchase price using RedCard

Check Prices on Target

Best Add-on Bonus on LEGO Purchases: Kohl’s

In addition to getting 30% off select LEGO sets at Kohl’s this year, you will also be able to earn Kohl’s cash on your purchase. For instance, this LEGO City set would get you an additional $15 back in Kohl’s Cash, which can be spent on a future purchase.

Check Prices on Kohl’s

Best Place to Find Exclusive LEGO sets?

Every year, LEGO.com debuts exclusive LEGO sets. This year, LEGO is debuting a 2352-pc ECTO-1 from Ghostbusters fame. The set is targeted at ages 18 and up and comes with 1300 VIP points if you are part of LEGO’s VIP program.

Beyond that, LEGO will have their own 30% off sale for VIP members of their site as well as earning double rewards points for purchases. It’s free to sign up for LEGO VIP and does offer early access to exclusive sets, if that’s your thing.

Check Prices on LEGO.com

Here’s the cheapest LEGOs and LEGO sets on Black Friday 2020

There are a lot of toys out there. And they’re all trying to get your kids’ attention by being the coolest, the greatest, the most extremely ultimate toy that the world has ever seen.

So which toys live up to the hype? Here are some of the best toys of 2017, that should actually get played with long after the holidays are over.

Best Toy for Vehicle Loving Kids (and Their Parents!)

The Anki Overdrive: Fast & Furious Edition Starter Set is a fun upgrade to the super popular app-controlled car racing set from Anki. The Fast & Furious Edition includes “Supercars” inspired the movies, the ability to upgrade with weapons, and a new Power Zone track piece that disables your opponents. This was a collaboration just waiting to happen, and reviews are saying it’s a blast to play with.

If you don’t care about the movie tie-ins, I would expect we’ll see some nice price drops on the regular old Anki Overdrive this season (we saw it as low as $100 last November/December).

• MSRP: $170 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

Check Price on Amazon

Best Toy for Christmas Morning Battles & Beyond

There have been many attempts at inexpensive laser tag sets, but most have failed to take off because of bad reviews. The LASER X Two Player Laser Tag Gaming Set seems to have finally gotten it right! The starter set comes with two blasters and two receiver vests (200′ range), and can be expanded with additional one-player sets ($25 each). The reviews at Target are great, with one writing, “It is a rare toy that mom, dad, 12 year old and 9 year old all play at once and end smiling not fighting.”

• MSRP: $50 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $34

Check Price on Amazon

Best Toy Robot

Past years’ have given us robot dinosaurs, robot dogs, robot balls. This year we have the Meccano MeccaSpider, and it looks about as awesome as it sounds. Designed for kids 10 and older, the MeccaSpider can be programmed in multiple ways after being built, and has some fun features built-in, like an IR sensor that senses movement and can even spray “venom” (water) at whoever comes in its path. 

• MSRP: $100 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $67

Check Price on Amazon

Best RC Toy with Ridiculous Over the Top Features

Okay so we’ll get the bad news out of the way: the DC Justice League App-Controlled Ultimate Batmobile RC Vehicle has an MSRP of $250. But if you’re a Batman fan, your kid you’ll want it anyway. It’s got a POV camera in the cockpit, Batman figure with an arm that actually turns the wheel, real smoke that comes out of the exhaust pipe…just watch the video.

Not a lot of reviews out yet (it doesn’t actually come out until 11/1), but it certainly looks cool.

• MSRP: $250 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $187

Check Price on Amazon

Best Building Toy

Obviously the best building toy is going to be a LEGO set, the question is which LEGO set! If you spent all your money on the Batmobile above and can’t swing $800 for the new LEGO Millennium Falcon (the biggest set they’ve ever made), the next best thing this year might be the LEGO Ninjago City Set. Also massive, and filled with incredible details, the 3-level, 4867-piece Ninjago City looks looks like an awesome set, even if you’re not into the Ninjago series. I saw it in-person at the LEGO Store and was pretty blown away.

On the not $300 or $800 end of the LEGO spectrum, the LEGO Ninjago Movie Green Ninja Mech Dragon is big and awesome for $50, and the new LEGO Brick Heads ($9.99 each) look like they were basically made to be stocking stuffers.

• MSRP: $300 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

Check Price on LEGO

Best Toy for Little Superheroes

Every year there is some Batman toy that every little kid has to have, and this year it’s the Fisher-Price Imaginext DC Super Friends Batbot Xtreme. My son (5 years old) has been telling people, “I’m getting that Batbot that’s as big as my sister for Christmas.” And while the comparison is not 100% accurate, this thing is really big (almost 3 feet tall), and looks like it will cause a lot of squeals and excitement come Christmas morning.

I’m a big fan of the Imaginext toys in general–they are well-designed, nearly impossible to break, and the kids actually play with them.

• MSRP: $110 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $64

Check Price on Amazon

Best Learning Toy for Toddlers

Because kids only play with “toddler toys” for maybe a year or so, the pick for this category has to be fairly inexpensive. The LeapFrog Scoop & Learn Ice Cream Cart retails at an affordable $40, and we’ve already seen it closer to $20 on sale. It comes with a cute magnetic ice cream scooper, cash register, and “order cards” for young toddlers to follow. So far the reviews are almost universally positive (4.9/5 stars on Amazon). 

If you want to go a little bigger (or have a really hipster toddler), the Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Servin’ Up Fun Food Truck is another cute food-related playset this year.

• MSRP: $40 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $22

Check Price on Amazon

Best Toy You’ll Drive Yourself Crazy Trying to Find

Last year it was Hatchimals; way back when it was Cabbage Patch Dolls, then Tickle Me Elmo and Furbies. This year the toy that everybody seems to be looking for is WoWee Fingerlings. They’re little “interactive” monkeys that hang onto your finger and do stuff, or something. They also make a unicorn version (that has been out of stock forever). The demand for these things is so great that people are selling fakes all over Amazon and eBay. Definitely only buy these from big box stores (or if it’s Amazon.com as the seller).

If you can find them, they’re only $15 retail, and weirdly kind of adorable.

• MSRP: $15 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: N/A

Check Price on Amazon

Best Star Wars Toy

With the Last Jedi coming out this December, it feels wrong not to include one of the new Star Wars toys on this list. A lot of the 2017 toys have gotten “meh” reviews, but that is definitely not the case for the Star Wars The Black Series Poe Dameron Electronic X-Wing Pilot Helmet. Seriously, read the reviews on Amazon; they love it. One says it’s “200% worth the money.”

It’s got sound effects, polarizing visor, speech projector, and it fits adult heads as well as children’s so you can live out your 8-year-old dreams when your kid goes to bed.

• MSRP: $80 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $48

Check Price on Amazon

Best Toy That Will Take Up Half Your Living Room

Big toys are kind of annoying, especially if they take up a ton of space but don’t actually get used much. I can pretty much guarantee that the Step2 Disney Pixar Cars 3 Up & Down Roller Coaster Ride-On (or any other roller coaster toy) will be worth the living space it takes up. Perfect for keeping active little kids entertained during the colder months! Kids as young as 1 can enjoy this, but my 5 year old still thinks it’s fun, too. It can even double as a ramp for Hot Wheels cars or other toy vehicles.

Note that Kohls will have a non-Cars version of this for $50 on Black Friday; pretty great price if you can snag one!

• MSRP: $100 / Lowest Price on Ben’s: $67

Check Price on Amazon

2017 Holiday Gift Guide: Toys that Live Up to the Hype

I was doing a good job keeping track of what day we were on for awhile there, but now we’re definitely at the point where the days are blurring together and I have no idea how long we’ve been on the road: just that it feels like it’s been forever!

So Disney was definitely our main California attraction, but it wasn’t the only thing we came here to see. I was actually probably the most excited about the beaches, and they certainly delivered!

The first beach we visited was in Ventura. It’s about a two hour drive from where we were staying with friends (actually a fellow Ben’s editor and his family!). We were there on a Friday, and the beach was surprisingly not crowded at all! We had the best time playing in the water and watching people surf.

Our second beach day was spent in Oceanside. We ended up there because it was close to LEGOLAND and we got a nice Priceline Express deal on a hotel there. I am so glad we stumbled upon it! Such a beautiful beach and adorable little town. I’ve been waiting and hoping to see a beach sunset on this trip and boy did I get one in Oceanside! It was a night I won’t soon forget.

I also got to check another item off my list of must-do California experiences in Oceanside: fish tacos on the beach!

There’s just nothing like being at the ocean. We’re leaving with a van full of sand, and lots of happy memories.

While the beaches were kind of my thing, LEGOLAND was the part of California my 5 year old was most excited about. It was no Disneyland, but it was actually a lot of fun. Definitely geared toward younger kids, which actually worked out well for our family.

If you ever decide to visit LEGOLAND, you can basically always find a couple that gets you a free kids’ ticket with each adult ticket you buy. Just google “BOGO Legoland tickets” and you’ll find a code you can redeem at their discount website. Weirdly, you had to do a separate transaction for each free ticket though; so if you have two kids, you have to buy one adult/kid pair with the coupon, then start over and buy the second adult/kid pair with the same coupon.

Like Disneyland, you can pay extra once you get inside the park to do their version of the FastPass thing (allows you to skip to the front of the line for some rides), but we didn’t bother. The lines are much shorter than Disney and it didn’t seem necessary or worth it. Also like Disneyland, you can bring in snacks and drinks, which I definitely recommend doing!

The kids had a lot of fun on the rides, but I thought the coolest part was the Miniland area. Just tons and tons of awesomely huge and intricate LEGO versions of well-known cities, buildings and landmarks to marvel at.

They also had an entire area dedicated to Star Wars LEGO builds! So you know we spent a lot of time there!

My son really wanted to stay at the attached LEGOLAND hotel, but it was super expensive. We made a deal and told him he could pick out any LEGO set he wanted from the massive lego shop for under $50 and we’d stay somewhere cheaper. He was completely happy with that arrangement, and we definitely still came out ahead money wise. Win/win!

If you ever go, I thought the best rides were LEGO Ninjago: The Ride, The Dragon (a fun kid-friendly dragon rollercoaster), and the Royal Joust Ride. Actually, all of the Castle Hill area was pretty great.

I’m really sad to say goodbye to Cali. We’re already scheming ways to make a kid-free long weekend happen someday—maybe when Star Wars Land opens in a couple years!

For now it’s onto Arizona and the Grand Canyon. Stay tuned!

Ben’s on the Road: California Love