Attention, Mini Star Wars Fans: LEGO Just Released Its Most Interactive Sets Yet (Just In Time For May 4th!)
How will your young Jedis be celebrating this Star Wars Day? With LEGO’s new SMART Play ™ sets that respond to their every move...
There was once a time when a box of toys could quietly win a kid's attention for an afternoon. No login required. No dopamine loop. Just a child on the floor, having at it, and giving you some much needed peace in the process. Granted, that time was the early 00s. Nowadays? You’re up against entire industries designed to keep their attention with screens at every turn and thumb-scrolling content that never end. As a parent, it can feel like it's a constant battle between you and their phones.
However, throughout it all, there's one brand that’s managed to hold its ground - LEGO. It's the one thing you can't compare to anything else out there - you can't even describe it as anything other than what it is. So, where does a toy like LEGO fit in a world engineered for distraction? It gets smarter.
LEGO® SMART Play™ is the brand’s latest way to keep kids engaged and off the computer, while still feeling like its in the 21st century. SMART Play is a screen-free interactive system that keeps the sacred ritual of build blocks intact, but adds something shiny and new - responsiveness. Sets include SMART Tags and SMART Minifigures which all activate the SMART Brick, which will react depending on how they’re moved, placed, turned. Think different noises, reactions and therefore, storylines. Naturally, something as futuristic and tech savvy as this is the perfect play partner for something like Star Wars.
Young Jedis will love how the LEGO Star Wars SMART Play sets bring the energy and excitement of the films to life, right in their living room. With the help of the entire SMART Play system - included with every all-in-one set - characters don’t sit idle in your handles - they trigger missions, reactions and, of course, plenty of light sabre noises. For parents, it’s a rare win: screen-free, without feeling like you're forcing them to be stuck in the past. For mini Star Wars fans, it feels like they possess the power of the force itself.
With May the 4th upon us (aka LEGO Star Wars Day) it feels like a serendipitous time to explore LEGO's new galaxy - scroll on to discover all the LEGO SMART Play Stars Wars sets you can get your hands on from this month.
SMART Play: Luke's Red Five X-Wing
Lego
£79.99
If your kid (or let's face it, you) has ever been obsessed with that first Death Star run, this is the one. The SMART Play element makes it feel like you’re actually doing something, not just swooshing it around. The way it reacts when you move it gives it a bit more purpose - like you’re lining something up, not just flying in circles. This set comes with the whole shebang, including the SMART Brick you need to unlock the features in this set and any other.
SMART Play: Luke's Landspeeder
Lego
£34.99
This one’s super easy to get the hang of. Zooming around with Luke's Landspeeder, the SMART bits just make it feel a bit more responsive to enhance and encourage creative play rather than taking over their imagination.
SMART Play: Millennium Falcon
Lego
£89.99
Come on, this has to be the one everyone wants. As well as creating the iconic Millennium Falcon, this set comes 4 SMART Minifigures and 4 SMART tags which tell you what object to model and how to play back.
SMART Play: AT-ST Attack on Endor
Lego
£44.99
Relive the Battle of Endor with iconic Star Wars™ vehicles. The walking movement works really well with SMART Play - it reacts as you reposition it, so it feels more like part of a scene than just a model.
SMART Play: Yoda's Hut and Jedi Training
Lego
£59.99
You can't head into battle without a bit of knowledge. This set creates the moment Luke goes off to train with Yoda on Dagobah, where he learns to lift objects and learn the ways of the Force - that'll come in handy with your other sets later!
SMART Play: Darth Vader's TIE Fighter
Lego
£59.99
This one just feels cool straight away. It’s fast, it’s simple to get into, and the SMART features make it feel a bit more intense - like you’re actually chasing something rather than just flying it about. If they’re into the darker side of Star Wars, this will land.
SMART Play: Throne Room Duel & A-Wing
Lego
£139.99
This one’s great if they like a bit of drama. The duel feels more alive because the set actually responds as you play it out, so it’s not the same thing over and over. At £139.99, it is one of the pricier sets but you can see where it goes. You’re getting a full iconic father-son-battle scene, multiple characters, and all the SMART Play elements working properly together, from lightsaber sounds to reactions as things move.
SMART Play: Mos Eisley Cantina
Lego
£69.99
There's plenty of interactions going down in this galaxy's busiest hang out spot. Because there are so many moving parts, the SMART Play really comes into its own here. It reacts depending on who you place where and what they’re doing, so the scene keeps changing.