This was my first, but by no means my last, purchase of the new smaller Botanical builds -- and it's gorgeous. Please pardon the dust, it's on my top shelf out of cat range (for now) and I'm too short to see over the top!
The colours of pieces in the central bloom create the showpiece, a gradient look I have not seen on any other builds. It likely has new colours of pieces involved just to make up the delicate shading, and the overall effect is amazing. You don't look at it and say "That's Lego!", in the nicest ways possible.
While the main highlights are the blooms, I personally love the pot and the stripe of gold around it -- a feature echoed in the other builds of this series, which ties them all together in such a perfect way. The base is another quiet piece of art, elevating both the pot and the class of what could easily have been a pot on the ground. It helps prevent tipping, as the base is quite sturdy while remaining elegant, and it is echoed in the other builds of this group as well.
One of the BEST parts of Technic is reproduced here to my absolute joy. The physical instructions have a 1:1 graphic of straight stem pieces, things that can easily get mixed-up otherwise and leave you looking for a piece or disassembling many steps to retrieve your wayward piece that is just 1 dot shorter than the one you were meant to use. This simple feature is AMAZING for kids who are capable of more difficult builds, casual builders and people who might struggle with the concept of how the overall construction comes together (that's me!) but is otherwise an experienced builder.
This simple graphic bumps the accessibility of this build up much higher. My niece is 10 and would have a good time with this build, although parts might be on the more challenging side.
In terms of sturdiness, the flowers are the weakest part as each petal is a claw piece. If you touch it lightly it's fine, and it stands up to arrangement and re-arrangement of the petals (to create larger or smaller blooms), but it is also fairly easy to accidentally dislodge a petal or two. They're also very easy to put back where they belong, but it won't stand up to a younger child's grasp or a full fall to the floor. Then again, it's mostly the flower petals that will come off.
I had no issues with the stems, they're very stable and set into the pot well. There is the small issue of adding loose tiles as "stones" once finished -- something guaranteed to be dumped out at least once -- but they can also be placed firmly into the area meant to house them loose, allowing for you to make patterns in the included 1x1 rounds if desired.
Overall, it's an interesting piece to build using some stabilizing techniques that I am looking forward to trying in my own builds. It took me maybe an hour, but I work slowly and listen to an audiobook as I go. Super relaxing. Several extra pieces included of necessary parts. No stickers. Beautiful build to keep on a shelf or your desk, and it's interesting to look at and adjust the flowering pieces of. Lots of room for creative changes.
The price is honestly fantastic for the quality of experience and finished build.
| Educational objective(s) | Concentration |
|---|---|
| Model Number | 6506048 |
| Number of pieces | 278 |
| Assembly Required | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Material type(s) | Plastic |
| Colour | Multicolor |
| Release date | Aug. 1 2024 |
| Manufacturer recommended age | 18 years and up |
| Item model number | 6506048 |
| Product Dimensions | 19.1 x 26.2 x 6.1 cm; 349.27 g |
| ASIN | B0CV2KSL3V |
