LEGO® Friends review & MOC: 41760 Igloo Holiday Adventure

You know summer is officially over when The LEGO Group starts releasing winter-themed sets! Today I take a look at the smaller of two September 2023 LEGO® Friends sets: 41760 Igloo Holiday Adventure. For a set of modest size, it offers us a healthy number of recolours, rare parts and even two fascinating new moulds!

Products in this article were provided by LEGO®; the author's opinions are their own.
LEGO® Friends 41760 Igloo Holiday Adventure
US$49.99/ £44.99/ 49.99€/ AU$84.99
491 parts
1 September 2023
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New moulds

The two new moulds are worth taking a closer look at are:

2x Plate Round 1 x 1 with Vertical Bar in White (6437184 | 3661) - also appears singly in 71039-10 Beast, from the Marvel Series 2 Collectible Minifigures
2x Equipment Dog Harness in Bright Yellow/Yellow (6451152 | 4309) - unique to this set

LEGO part 3661: Plate 1X1, W/ Vert. 3.2 Shaft

When the New Elementary team first spotted this "mug plate" in the set's promotional images, there was a flurry of interest in getting our hands on some to play with. There are only two in this review set, but fellow contributor Elspeth De Montes sourced several, and lots of us chipped in with suggestions to show the geometry and connections of the element. Thanks to Elspeth for the images which follow.

The 1x1 Round Plate with Handle has quite a few connections!

Two 3.18mm bar options at right angles
1.5mm hole at the bottom end of the handle
1x1 Round stud with a 3.18mm through hole

There are many ways to achieve 180 degree stud reversal with two of the elements. The most compact is inserting the bar from one piece into the open stud hole of the other, from below. But beware - if you do this and push it in tightly, it's a difficult task to get them apart again! We had to resort to pushing them back through the hollow studs from both directions with another bar element.

A slightly thicker stud reversal can take place by clipping the handle into a bar holder on the side of a plate, or for more stability, stacking some 1x2 rounded end plates in the sandwich as well.

The 1x1 Round Plate sits 2 plates above the end of the handle, making the element 3 plates high. The distance between the bar and the 3.18mm hole in the stud is within the LEGO System grid.

I'm sure you can think of many more connection combinations!

LEGO part 4309: Harness, No. 2

Meanwhile, the humble Dog Harness is perhaps less versatile than the mug plate, but I'm sure creative builders will be able to think of things to do with it which don't just prevent huskies from running away!

The harness is made from rubbery flexible plastic, spans across the length of six modules, is a little under 2 modules wide, and 1 plate high at each end but thinner in the middle. Each end has a hole for a 3.18mm bar connection.

The plastic is pliable enough to completely bend back on itself and could be persuaded to sit with both bar holes flat, but I didn't want to force it for this images. I can see it being used for greebling in MOC builds, particularly if it ever comes in more neutral colours.

Recolours

The following are unique to this release, shown in the lefthand side above:

2x Plate Round Corner 5x5 with 4x4 Round Cutout in Bright Orange/Orange (6457109 | 80015)
2x Plate Round Corner 3x3 with 2x2 Round Cutout in Orange (6457108 | 68568)
2x Food Ice Cream Scoops in Bright Reddish Violet/Magenta (6459341 | 6254)
2x Tile 2x2 Curved, Macaroni in Medium Nougat (6375826 | 27925)
2x Tile Round 1x2 in White (6448745 | 1126)
4x Minifig Footwear Snowshoe [Short Front End] in Dark Pink (6455624 | 11187)

The four elements on the right are also included in 41756 Holiday Ski Slope and Café:

2x Cone 2x2x2 with Completely Open Stud in Aqua/Light Aqua (6447700 | 3942c)
2x Plant, Leaves, Round 2x2x 2/3 with + Axle Hole and 4 Leaf Extensions in Light Aqua (6447701 | 15469)
2x Plant, Leaves, Round 2x2x 2/3 with + Axle Hole and 4 Leaf Extensions in Sand Green (6447702 | 15469)
2x Equipment Stein/Cup with Reddish Brown Drink Pattern (6454153 | 68495) - giving us yummy hot chocolate in reddish brown

Rare elements

These elements have been seen in just one other set:

1x Rock/Ice/Flames, 1x4 with 2 Studs on the Edges in Transparent Blue with Opalescence/Satin Trans-Light Blue (6338003 | 70880) - in 43189 Elsa and the Nokk Storybook Adventures
1x 15706 Plate Special 4 Stud 45° Angle Plate in Medium Stone Grey/Light Bluish Gray (6442144 | 15706) - included in 76961 Visitor Center: T. rex & Raptor Attack
4x Slope Curved 2x1 No Studs [1/2 Bow] in Satin Trans-Light Blue (6449385 | 3593) - also in 76414 Expecto Patronum
1x Slope 45° 2x1 with 2/3 Inverted Cutout and no stud in Sand Blue (6248952 | 28192) - in 71786 Zane's Ice Dragon Creature
1x Hair 2 Ponytails in Orange (6426239 | 35701) - seen in 41724 Paisley's House
1x Tile Special 2x2 with 2 Quarter Round Cutouts in Flame Yellowish Orange/Bright Light Orange (6433937 | 3396) - included in 76409 Gryffindor House Banner
4x Brick Special 1x1x1 2/3 with Studs on 1 Side in Bright Bluish Green/Dark Turquoise (6439825 | 32952) - appears in 41759 Heartlake City Bus
3x Panel Curved, Quarter, with Bars at Each End in Trans-Clear (6444502 | 87375) - also in 41757 Botanical Garden

The following elements have been included in two other sets:

1x Cable, Flexible 21L with 2 Connectors and Bars in Black (6440995 | 2630) - appears in 60380 Downtown and 71795 Temple of the Dragon Energy Cores
1x Door Frame 4x4x6 Corner in Light Aqua (6355734 | 28327) - found in 71799 NINJAGO City Markets and 43197 The Ice Castle
1x Tile 2x2 Corner in Medium Nougat (6349274 | 14719) - in 60365 Apartment Building and Downtown
4x Brick Round 1x1x1 1/3 Quarter Dome in White (6442360 | 1871) - also in 43226 Disney Duos and 76918 McLaren Solus GT & McLaren F1 LM
1x Animal/Creature Accessory, Horse Hitching [Studded] in Medium Azure (6433304 | 49134) - included in 60379 Deep-Sea Explorer Submarine and 43216 Princess Enchanted Journey

The elements at the top right of the image appear in three other sets:

1x Plate Round Corners 2x6 Double in Vibrant Coral/Coral (6386989 | 18980)
1x Plant, Leaves 4x3 in Sand Green (6328339 | 2423)
1x Container Box 2x2x2 - Top Opening in Light Royal Blue/Bright Light Blue (6383137 | 61780)

Printed pieces

Most of the set's decorated elements are achieved using stickers, but these two cute huskies are exclusive prints as well as being recolours of an existing mould which was first seen at the beginning of 2023 in tan or black-and-white:

1x Animal, Dog Big with White Eyebrows, Nose, Black Eyes print in Light Bluish Gray (6435117 | 103366)
1x Animal, Dog Big with White Spot on Head, Black Eyes print in Light Bluish Gray (6435163 | 103409)

Mini-dolls

The set comes with three LEGO Friends characters: two minidolls and a microdoll. The following are their noteworthy components:

Aliya

Both new prints, which are unique here

1x Mini-doll Torso Girl with Orange Jacket, Tan Color, Dark Pink Sweater, Medium Brown Hands in Medium Brown (6465886)
1x Mini-doll Hips and Short Skirt with White Legs, Dark Blue Boots, Gold Laces (6459420)

Ella

Hair - dealt with in rare parts above
1x Mini-doll Head with Brown Eyebrows, Bright Light Blue Eyes, Looking Up, Open Mouth print in Light Nougat (6416675 | 101274) - in 1 other set, Paisley's House
1x Micro-doll Body Pants Dark Turquoise with Lime Jacket, Zippers, Light Nougat Hands print (6435006) - unique here

Paisley

1x Mini-doll Torso Girl with Magenta Jacket, Fur Collar, Bright Light Yellow Sweater, Light Nougat Arms and Hands (6458419) - new, unique here
1x Mini-doll Hips and Wide Pants with Dark Blue Shoes print in Light Aqua (6416494 | 101159) - in 3 other sets

It's good to see the mini-doll torsos getting some printing on the rear as well as the front, although the nice fluffy collar on Paisley's jacket is usually hidden under her long flowing hair.

Talking of hair, it might just be my observation, but I have noticed that these hair pieces aren't as strongly attached to the mini-doll heads as they usually are to minifigure heads. Aliya's hair in particular seemed inclined to fall off whenever I picked her up, which became a bit tiresome.

The build

There are two instruction booklets which allows for building with a friend, as they deal with the two distinct parts of the finished model.

The first instruction booklet uses bags 1 and 2 and shows the steps for the location sign, dog sled and frozen waterfall. There is a secret hiding behind the frozen water which I won't spoil, but it was fun to know what lurks in the cave even though you can't see it very well once the falls are fully built. The friends decided they wanted to pose for a quick photo next to the falls while their dogs had a snack.

The second set of instructions takes bags 3 and 4 to build the igloo, which includes a cozy porch and uses three of the quarter curved panels to form the dome oon top.

A few stickers are used to decorate various pieces - I deccided to add all of them apart from the stars which were meant to go on the dome pieces, as I knew I wanted to used them for a MOC where the stickers would not be suitable. Here is a view of what is left.

In the main, I think that the stickers definitely enhance the model - with two exceptions - the long stickers which sit either side of the front door on dark orange tiles. In the box art, the designs are shown in a light tan colour which provides plenty of contrast with the tile underneath - but the reality is very disappointing! You can hardly see there's a sticker there at all. It looks like the design is actually medium nougat on a transparent sticker, which you basically can't see once it's put on the tile. Oh dear.

One advantage of using the large domed panels as a roof is that they can fold outwards to give easy access to the interiror for play. It is surprisingly roomy in there, coming equipped with three comfy beds, a chest of drawers, a table with funky lava lamp and a cosy fireplace. All the things you need to stay warm during a cold winter night of adventure!

The two mug plates are used structurally here to anchor the two sides of the triangular doorway module. You can just see one of them sticking out, attached to a brick with clip on the side, in the right hand side of the first image above. It's an effective way of mounting this assembly off-grid.

A few tablescraps

The microscope in the first picture is actually the accessory design from the Marvel 71039-10 Beast minifigure set. I didn't have exactly the same colours to hand, but my build shows how the plate is used to hold the lenses to the rest of the assembly. Next up is a table lamp - I clearly still haven't quite kicked the furnishings bug which gripped me during our recent Flowerfest in the summer.

I also decided that the mug plates were begging to be used as handles on a large coffee pot, and made a coffee machine to go with it. Looks like one pot is empty already with another almost brewed.

MOC inspired by parts in set 41760

Last December I built a little MOC called Kepler 42D Outpost, inspired by Panel Curved Tapered with Bars at Each End in White (6424040 | 65783) which appeared in my review of Monkie Kid 80043 Yellow Tusk Elephant. Since then I've modified it a bit and expanded it to sit on a MILS-like base.

When I saw the transparent dome pieces in this set, I knew I wanted to add a bio-dome for the Kepler Outpost, where the inhabitants of this far off planet are able to grow some of the plants they know and love from their home world. I added a fourth dome piece in white, which came as part of the observatory canopy in set 60351 Rocket Launch Centre, to close in the dome.

The bio-dome is overlooked by several teetering towers but for the best view, the tiny inhabitants can visit one of the observation pods suspended above the dome with amazing vistas across the alien landscape.

Conclusion

This set is deceptive. At first glance it may not look like much, but a deeper dive shows us that for the intended audience, there is plenty of potential for play with the structures in the set. But there is also a good selection of parts for fans who intend to use it as a parts pack. The new "mug plate" will be particularly popular with AFOLs who are always keen to see new elements with interesting connection possibilities.

The price per part is a little on the high side at 9.2p/10.2c/10.2c but a lot of that can be attributed to the three large dome pieces included in the inventory. I still think it offers good value for money at this price point. Plus, two cute huskies - and who can resist them?

If you're buying 41760 Igloo Holiday Adventure from LEGO.com priced US$49.99/ £44.99/ 49.99€/ AU$84.99, please consider using our affiliate links, we may get a commission: USA LEGO Shop | Australia LEGO Shop | UK LEGO Shop.

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20 September 2023