LEGO Friends has always had an odd relationship with LEGO fans. Many simply wrote it off as a girls theme and the use of Mini-dolls has always been a sticking point when compared to Minifigures. I personally have no issues with either. In fact, there have been plenty of impressive little Friends sets and they have become way more diverse over the years. Despite my appreciation for the theme, I don’t give it enough coverage, but this will change in 2022, as the theme marks its 10th Anniversary. The first of the 2022 LEGO Friends sets I’m looking at today truly showcases the fresh approach of the Friends theme. One which will introduce new characters, more male characters and a broader range of activities for the Heartlake residents to enjoy. So here’s a closer look at the Tree-Planting Vehicle set.
Product Description
Nurture kids’ interest in nature with the LEGO® Friends Tree-Planting Vehicle (41707) toy. Through build and play, boys and girls aged 6+ can learn about how plants grow with this great-value set, which includes 2 mini-dolls, a tree nursery, drivable pickup truck, lots of cute gardening accessories and plenty of wildlife figures to keep the LEGO Friends characters company as they work.
Cultivating creative play
This birthday gift for kids comes packed with features to inspire imaginative play. Kids who are into vehicles will love the pickup truck the characters have converted to run on electric. It features an articulated arm to lift and lower the trees into the pickup. Both mini-doll figures can fit in the cab – kids just remove the roof and pop them in.
- Set Name: Tre-Planting Vehicle
- Set Number: 41707
- Pieces: 336
- RRP: £24.99/$29.99/29.99€
- Mini-dolls: Oliva & Daniel
- Availability: January 1st, 2022
Friends have already showcased new and emerging technologies and nature in previous sets, with this set blending, both – planting trees and electric vehicles. Both of which just so happen to form the basis of the set. It’s split across four bags and includes two instruction booklets, making it a good set to build for two people. Bags 1 & 2 plus the Instructions set 1 cover the plant nursery and the other bags and instructions focus on the truck.
The build begins with the plant nursery or potting shed if you prefer. This is made up of three sections, each of which clip together. The central section features an archway-style hut structure, where various tools are kept to help with the planting. I particularly like the roof section which features two sloped windows, each with the ability to be opened.
To the right of the nursery is a couple of potted trees, these are planted in a couple of yellow barrel elements, which each have sticker details on them. These stand out nicely against the yellow. To the left are another outdoor area and one of my favourite sections of the entire build. As well as featuring a small tree, there’s also a water pump and a new watering can element. All of these sections include neat little touches, these include the Ladybird/bug tile from the LEGO Minifigures range, the bee tile from the Winnie the Pooh set.
The other aspect of the set is an electric truck. This is used to transplant the saplings from the nursery into their new homes. This is done via a very simplistic winch connected to the bed of the truck. This can rotate thanks to being mounted on a Technic pin plate and also bends via a number of click joints. The graphic details on the truck are fun. With a cool little electric vehicle badge on a 1×1 printed tile. Other details are achieved through stickers, on the roof of the truck and the flip-down tailgate. I particularly like the little bee hitching a ride on back on the truck.
There are two Mini-dolls included in the set. The LEGO Group announced earlier this year that they would be removing gender bias from their products. One aspect of this was to expand the cast of characters in the Friends sets beyond the main Heartlake City girls. So this set includes both a male and female Mini-doll. They include Olivia and Daniel. Both are wearing outfits suited to outdoor work.
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