Several LEGO themes set to challenge age groups in 2024

Looking at the bigger picture of LEGO sets for 2024, it appears that the lines between adult-focused and child-friendly themes are getting blurred.

In a new review of a trio of LEGO Creator 3-in-1 sets, LEGO YouTuber Tiago Catarino points out that many of the sets are geared more towards display, without some of the play features that builders will recognise from past LEGO Creator 3-in-1 sets.

"Maybe Creator 3-in-1 is being squeezed out of building-based products by LEGO Friends and City," wonders Tiago. "So they have to resort to a shift towards display models instead of toys to stay relevant."

While Tiago notes that this speculation is just "guesswork", it is true that there do appear to be fewer interactive features in the LEGO Creator 3-in-1 sets for 2024. Looking at 2017's 30158 Mighty Dinosaurs, for example, every version of the build has fully posable and articulated limbs, no matter whether you want to build the T.Rex, Triceratops, or Pterodactyl. By comparison, one of the sets that Tiago reviewed, 31156 Tropical Ukulele, doesn't include any way to strum the strings realistically. In fact, when the neck is posed in a certain way, the strings hang loosely, discouraging you from using one of the few interactive elements.

Tiago wonders whether the LEGO Group are intentionally moving away from play-focused sets in LEGO Creator 3-in-1 sets to avoid competing with similar themes like LEGO City and Friends, but perhaps the opposite is actually true. LEGO City and Friends are also showing more signs of producing a wider variety of sets not just aimed at young builders.

Look at LEGO Friends and the rebrand that the theme went through at the beginning of 2023, for example. Impressive sets like 41757 Botanical Garden have rightfully grabbed the attention of older builders, with attractive elements like the huge transparent domes allowing people to look past the more child-friendly features like minidolls. Looking at LEGO Friends in 2024, there are more sets that we predict will catch the attention of LEGO fans of all ages.

Similarly, LEGO City's smaller sets might be geared towards younger builders but there's plenty there to appeal to adult fans of LEGO too. Not least among them are the LEGO City space-themed sets queued up for 2024, such as 60434 Space Base and Rocket Launchpad. Yes, there are bright colours, funky aliens, and other elements that might appeal to kids – but there are also some pretty sturdy and technically accurate vehicles and machines that could easily appeal to an older space fan.

Sticking with the idea of space, unified branding that evokes LEGO Classic Space spotted across multiple themes in 2024 also tugs on older builders' nostalgic heartstrings. Many of these instances are in traditionally child-focused themes, such as LEGO City, Friends, and even DUPLO. Could these themes be expanding to appeal to a wider age group?

On the other end of the spectrum, LEGO Technic is teaming up with NASA in 2024 for some unusual sets in the theme that don't actually exist in real life. While Technic sets are usually near-perfect renditions of real-life vehicles and machinery, 42178 Surface Space Loader LT78, 42180 Mars Crew Exploration Rover, and 42181 VTOL Heavy Cargo Spaceship LT81 (all due for release on January 1, 2024) don't have real-life counterparts. Instead, they were created using what's possible in real-world science and a healthy splash of imagination. LEGO Technic has traditionally been a theme most popular among older builders, but this foray into a more creative realm could see it appeal to younger fans of LEGO too.

All that is to say, the lines between what's designed for adults and kids appear to be blurring somewhat. Not every theme that might originally be considered purely for kids is staying that way, and vice versa. Returning to LEGO Creator 3-in-1 sets for 2024, perhaps these display-focused builds may appeal more to adults, as Tiago suggests, but it might not stay that way.

Instead of having rigid rules on what age group each theme should suit, it appears more and more that the LEGO Group is staying more fluid. It's certainly still designing sets with a specific audience in mind, but there's more flexibility with what themes those sets can show up in - and that can only be a good thing for a varied, fulfilling LEGO portfolio.

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