LEGO Technic sets - which ones are actually fun to build with kids?

Dec 11 min read

My 9 and 12 year old got some birthday money and want Technic sets. I made the mistake of buying the Crane set last year and it was... tedious. Like, 3 hours of repetitive building. They got bored halfway through.

Looking at the Car Designer set or the Excavator. Has anyone built these? Are they more dynamic? Do the kids actually play with them after or just sit on a shelf?

Trying to avoid another boring expensive brick situation here lol

11 comments73 views

Comments(11)

DDanny R.Regular19h ago

Real talk: with a 9 and 12yo, split the budget and get them each their own smaller Technic set instead of one big one. Less waiting around for each other, more fun

AAdam J.Regular10h ago

The Crane set is rough lol. So many repeated steps. I'd look at the Excavator - more variety in the build and it actually DOES something at the end which keeps them engaged

WWill S.Regularjust now

Skip the Crane set next time - those repetitive builds are soul-crushing. The Excavator is WAY better, lots of moving parts and hydraulic stuff that actually does things. My kids built it in like 2.5 hours and immediately started using it to move other stuff around.

CChris R.Regular1d ago

What about mixing in some of the regular LEGO building time between Technic? Like they build something fast with regular bricks, feel successful, then tackle the Technic? Just a thought for keeping momentum.

DDante J.New Dadjust now

Have you considered the Buggy set? My 10 and 12yo built it and actually played with it for like weeks after. The Technic building is way less tedious than the bigger sets

NNick G.Regularjust now

Car Designer is pretty solid for that age range because the actual car is way cooler than the process. They get excited about driving it around after. Not repetitive like the Crane

GGabe R.Regularjust now

The Excavator has motors and that's honestly what makes it not boring. My kids actually use it after building vs the Crane which just sits there

WWill R.Regularjust now

Car Designer is decent but honestly kind of medium? Like it's not boring but my 11yo wasn't obsessed either. The problem with Technic at that age is the instruction books are confusing and there's too much downtime between 'cool parts working.'

FFritz N.Regularjust now

Avoid anything over 2000 pieces with that age gap. The 9yo will lose interest and the 12yo will get frustrated teaching them. Spoke from experience lol

TTerrence M.Regularjust now

The real answer is get a couple of the smaller Technic sets (~$30-40) instead of one big one. My 9 and 12 year old can build those in an hour, feel accomplished, and actually play with them after. Big sets = slow build = bored kids halfway through.

SSean A.Regularjust now

I feel your crane pain. We sat there for what felt like 6 hours watching them build the EXACT SAME AXLE over and over. For a 'fun family activity' it sure killed the fun energy fast.