Whilst LEGO has always pride itself on diversity and creativity, the Friends Series shopping centre playset goes the extra mile in being inclusive.
LEGO Friends Heartlake City Shopping Mall Review
This LEGO Friends set is part of the LEGO Friends series which includes hair salon, downtown diner, Autumn’s house, dog rescue centre, and Liann’s room.
Perhaps with a shopping mall, Heartlake City feels more like a town we can identify with. This mall has three floors, five shops, working escalators, seven LEGO Friends characters, a noodle shop, ice cream kiosk and even a ATM!
Different zone to demarcate different play areas, eating styles, hobbies and the myriad of fun goes on! Let’s jump into some of the details.
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Mini Figs with Great Attention to Detail
You notice right away in the minifigs, all different skin tones, hairstyles and even a friend who has a prosthetic leg. This gave my children so much to rave about, for they themselves have a beloved teacher with a prosthetic as well.
Personally, I love how they bothered to add details in the little things – their hair braids, eyelids, and those tiny noses. The details are perfect for children between 5 to 10 who love to role-play.
Find the rooftop sushi garden with a shoyu bottle, chopsticks and stools. There is even a floating garden decorating the escalator wall? Can you see the fountain facade running down the front of the entire playhouse! Best of all, get this, the escalator actually works! Roll your characters up or down this cleverly designed-to-build escalator feature.
Opportunities for Thematic Play
Themed rooms are definitely a hit with the kids. There was one for gamers, complete with consoles, headphones and gaming figurines.
There was also a gardening area for plant lovers with flowers, succulents and the lot. The most popular room with the highest “play frequency” would have to be the sports zone which was equipped with helmets, realistic life vests and the cutest mini kayak with its own paddle grip.
Not forgetting the well-designed rooftop garden, the minifigs could enjoy Ramen, sushi al fresco style surrounding by trees and greenery.
Heading outside, a little ice cream stall stands alone. Once you’ve had enough of fun and play, go outside to play buy-and-sell ice cream with the other characters. Vanilla or strawberry or both on a handy cone.
Modular LEGO Fun with the LEGO Friends Heartlake City Shopping Mall
Talk about diversity and creativity. Mix-and-match the different stations, gaming arenas and escalator placings for a whole different play experience!
We love how modular this LEGO Friends set has been, allowing our boys and girls to evolve their play day to day.
Attention to detail has been a huge win for me in particular. The plastic see-through doors, the individual branches, slings bags, cameras and so much more.
This LEGO Friends Heartlake City Shopping Mall set definitely has the kids entertained for hours on rainy days. What an impressive and inclusive design!
If you enjoyed this LEGO story, we think that you will love this treasure trove of LEGO stories or this story about about a LEGO fire station.
