LEGO DREAMZzz tried and tested

We’ve also recruited Parent Testers and their children, who had a chance to get hands on with the sets, testing out those customisable builds and rating their play potential.

Explore the entire LEGO DREAMZzz range

5 of the best LEGO DREAMZzz sets at a glance

Best for simplicity: DREAMZzz Dream Village, £25.99
Best for robot fans: DREAMZzz Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot, £18.99
Best for older builders: DREAMZzz Nightmare Shark Ship, £119.99
Best for LEGO vehicle fans: DREAMZzz Crocodile Car, £57.99
Best for multiple play opportunities: DREAMZzz Fantastical Tree House, £94.99

1. DREAMZzz Dream Village, £25.99

- Best for simplicity

Age: 7+ | Pieces: 434

If you’re looking for a reasonably priced set with multiple different build options, then the DREAMZzz Dream Village set is a great option. It comes with a range of minifigures and buildings that can be built in two ways depending on what your child chooses.

Parent tester Regz, whose 7 year-old Sherine built the set, said, “When she finished building it, she was still playing it, mixing and matching the buildings into one. She has mentioned too that this building can be attached to the fantastical tree or a van. All her imaginations are coming out every time playing it.”

The Dream Village is one of the simpler sets in the DREAMZzz theme, with 434 pieces and straightforward instructions. Regz noted that Sherine was able to build the set on her own in under 2 hours.

The standout feature of the DREAMZzz sets on the whole is the multiple build options, something that Regz’s daughter also noted during testing. “She knew that these 3 buildings can be combined as one perfectly and will look totally different. Sherine is into a fantasy dream world so all the characters in LEGO dreams for her are amazing!”

Overall, the Dream Village is a great entry level set for children who are fans of the show and want to explore the variety of play options the theme offers. Regz said, “Yes, I would definitely recommend this to every parent for their child. It helps to enhance focus, and promote creativity.”

Available from: LEGO.com

2. Dreamzz Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot, £18.99

– Best for robot fans

Age: 7+ | Pieces: 237

Thought this might be the one of the smaller sets in the LEGO DREAMZzz theme, the Mateo and Z-Blob the Robot set still offers fantastic play opportunities. Thanks to the multiple build options that are a core part of the DREAMZzz theme, this very much felt like 2 sets in one.

Parent Tester Colette, whose 7 year-old daughter Chloe built the set, noted the fast and easy build time. “Chloe completed it in an hour. She didn’t need any help but her older brother and sister enjoyed finding bits for her,” she said.

Despite the small size and quick build time, the set has a range of play options, something that Collette noted. “Chloe thoroughly enjoyed building the set,” she said, “Once completed she played with it for a couple of hours alongside previous LEGO sets that she owns.”

As this is one of the cheaper sets in the LEGO DREAMZzz theme and it still comes with the multiple build options, it makes for fantastic value in terms of overall playtime. Colette noted, “It is a large box and took quite a long time to complete. Chloe loved the way that you could fire the gun on Z-Blob’s shoulder. It is a great set for ages 7-10 and all genders.”

Available from: LEGO.com

3. DREAMZzz Nightmare Shark Ship, £119.99

- Best for older builders

Age: 10+ | Pieces: 1389

At 1389 pieces, the Nightmare Shark Ship is one of the biggest and most impressive sets in the LEGO DREAMZzz range. We noted during our testing just how unique and colourful the set was compared to other LEGO sets and it has a really dark and moody feel. Both build options offer different experiences and, while it is aimed at older children due to its complexity and “nightmare” theme,, there are a plethora of play opportunities.

Parent Tester Stephanie, whose 11 year-old son Harrison built the set, said, “My son thought this LEGO set looked ‘really cool’ and that he had never seen a design like this before. The images on the packaging really sparked my son's imagination and he couldn’t wait to start building this set!”

Despite the 15 bags and intimidating instruction booklet, building the Nightmare Shark Ship is fairly straightforward thanks to the step-by-step guide. “My son completed this LEGO set in approximately three hours,” Stephanie noted, “The instruction manual was presented in a way that was very easy to follow and understand so he was able to complete this build without any help. For each step in the instructions there was a corresponding bag of LEGO that was clearly numbered and there were clear illustrations throughout showing how each piece connects.”

Like the rest of the DREAMZzz range, the dual build options add great value and play potential to the Nightmare Shark Ship. Stephanie mentioned that her son particularly loved this feature. “He loved the fact that there are two different options for constructing this set, making him feel like he had two toys in one! He chose to build this set in ‘ship mode’. He was very impressed with the details and great features that this set had. With every new step of the build he discovered a new feature, including a treasure chest, a moving anchor, and a shark jaw that opens and closes!”

Overall, though the Nightmare Shark Ship is one of the more expensive sets in the DREAMZzz range, the custom build modes, interactive features and colourful design make this a must-build for any LEGO fan. As Stephanie noted, “Even though this is an expensive purchase, I would say that it does represent good value for money because it has two different building options, hours of construction and play time and it looks incredible on a shelf when not being used. It is premium quality and we are very happy with it!”

Available from: LEGO.com

4. Dreamzz Crocodile Car, £57.99

- Best for LEGO vehicle fans

Age: 8+ | Pieces: 494

With a colourful design and fantastical concept, the DREAMZzz Crocodile Car is definitely one of the more unique LEGO sets available. As with the rest of the DREAMZzz sets, the Crocodile Car can be built one of two ways with each offering a different experience for the builder.

In our testing, we noted just how many play options there were with this set. It’s not the biggest in the theme, but it definitely holds its own against the more expensive sets with multiple minifigures and vehicles to spark your child's imagination.

Parent Tester Laura, and her 9 year-old son Sebastian who built the set, noted, “It looked very exciting and not like any set we had seen before. He was keen to start building as the set had 4 characters included and makes two different models.”

Thanks to the clear instructions and straightforward design, the Crocodile Car is a relatively simple build. We particularly liked that the instructions, which also featured some fantastic art, were colour-coded to make finding your preferred build mode as easy as possible.

Laura noted that it took Sebastian around 3.5 hours to build the set. “He was able to clearly follow the instructions and did not need any assistance during the build. The instructions were very clear and each bag has a number so you know where you are up to. This definitely helped make the build easier.”

As with the other sets in the DREAMZzz theme, the Crocodile Car is great value for money with extensive play opportunities beyond the initial build. “At first I did think the set was a little on the expensive side but after seeing my son make it and play with it for hours so far, I actually think it is good value for money.” Laura noted during her testing. “There are two different models you can make from the set and it includes four characters. The option to make two different builds is a big plus for me as it means the set will have a more extensive longevity.”

Available from: LEGO.com

5. DREAMZzz Fantastical Tree House, £94.99

- Best for multiple play opportunities

Age: 9+ | Pieces: 1257

As the second largest of the DREAMZzz sets, the Fantastical Tree House is definitely one of the older children. With over 1000 pieces and a hefty instruction book, the set is more on the complex side. That being said, though, the play potential is fantastic with both build options offering unique and colourful designs and experiences.

One common factor among all the DREAMZzz sets was the quality of the instruction books. Not only are they easy to follow and well designed, they are also colourful and filled with some fantastic artwork.

Parent Tester Bina, whose 9 year-old Aanya built the set, said, “She absolutely loved it and has been engrossed in building and playing for days. In Aanya's words ' it's different to any of the other LEGO sets that I've built before because the instruction book is a bit like a comic with lots of detail not just instructions and I could choose to build the treehouse in party mode or defense mode – which is really cool.”

The Tree House is definitely a more challenging build with the pieces coming in 14 bags. Bina noted that it took Aanya 6 days to build overall. “Aanya was able to do most of it by herself. She struggled with the stacking of the tree a bit and the long brown technic holey sticks and attaching them to the tree aside from that she loved that it challenged her.”

Overall, though, the size of the set and its massive play potential makes this a great buy for LEGO fans looking for a more unique building experience. “Yes the set represents good value and is a much bigger build than some past sets we've bought at a similar price point. I would definitely recommend it to other parents,” Bina continued. “For the first time in a long time Aanya hasn't just built and displayed on her shelf but she has actually played with it once built for hours at a time. Admittedly she added some of her own minifigures to extend her storytelling and role play. All in all a fabulous set.”

Available from: LEGO.com