LEGO® Friends review: water fun with sets 42623, 42625 and 42630

There are three sets left to review from our batch of June 2024 LEGO® Friends sets, and 42623 Beach Water Scooter, 42625 Beach Smoothie Stand, and 42630 Heartlake City Water Park all depict fun in the water. Just as I started building these, the summer sun finally appeared here in the Netherlands, after weeks of rain. So it’s the perfect occasion to have a cooldown, be it at the pool or on the beach.

Products in this article were gifted by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.

All sets released 1 June 2024

• 42623 Beach Water Scooter | US$9.99/ £8.99/ 9.99€/ AU$14.99 | 84 parts
  Set 42623 on LEGO.com
• 42625 Beach Smoothie Stand | US$19.99/ £17.99/ 19.99€/ AU$29.99 | 213 parts
  Set 42625 on LEGO.com
• 42630 Heartlake City Water Park | US$79.99/ £69.99/ 79.99€/ AU$129.99 | 825 parts
  Set 42630 on LEGO.com

The biggest set we’ll be looking at today is 42630 Heartlake City Water Park. Water parks and swimming pools in general are not new to Heartlake City; we seem to get one every few years, so I’m curious to find out if this new edition will bring something new.

The beach is a familiar site as well, and at first glance 42623 Beach Water Scooter and 42625 Beach Smoothie Stand appear to be a fine addition to the collection. Of course, we are mostly interested in the fresh new elements these sets bring us.

I'm conscious set 42626 Adventure Camp Water Sports would also fit in with the theme of this article, but I already included it in the Adventure Camp reviews.

New elements

These sets lack any new molds, but there are enough other nice finds to show you.

Recolors

Starting with elements in a new color:

• Support 2 x 4 x 5 Stanchion Inclined in Dark Turquoise (6478819 | 4476) are welcomed by spaceship builders and LEGO® Rock Raiders fans. We find 2 in set 42623 Beach Water Scooter.
• The tube slide in set 42630 Heartlake City Water Park is made out of 2 recolors; 4x Tube, Slide Curved 45deg in Trans-Bright Green (6395364/6514306 | 49737)...
• ...and 2x Tube, Slide Straight in Trans-Bright Green (6474960/6514304 | 49736). These molds were first introduced in a 2020 water park set: 41430 Summer Fun Water Park, which was reviewed by Tom Loftus
• Plate Special 2 x 8 with Door Rail in Blue (6491114 | 30586), found in set 42630 Heartlake City Water Park
• Plate 2 x 14 in Medium Nougat (6369501 | 91988), found 3x in set 42625 Beach Smoothie Stand

• Fence Lattice 1 x 4 x 2 in Vibrant Coral/ Coral (6487499 | 3185), found 2x in set 42630 Heartlake City Water Park. I love it when a classic element receives recolors; this was first released in 1967
• Pane Latticed Window 1 x 2 x 2 in Medium Lavender (6487376 | 38320), found 3x + 1 spare in set 42625 Beach Smoothie Stand
• Minifig Head Plain [Vented Stud - 2 Holes] in Medium Nougat (6454735 | 28621/3274), found in 42625 Beach Smoothie Stand, makes its first appearance in plain in a set, but element 6454735 has been available on LEGO Pick a Brick for a while now.
• Plate Round Corner 5 x 5 with 4 x 4 Round Cutout in Lavender (6488200 | 80015), found 4x in 42630 Heartlake City Water Park
• Plate Special 2 x 3 with Rocks in Reddish Orange (6469092 | 27261), found 7x in 42625 Beach Smoothie Stand

Decorated elements

We get 4 new printed elements, not counting the mini-doll parts.

• Tile Round 2 x 2 with Hole with Red Life Preserver print in White (6476635), also found in 42626 Adventure Camp Water Sports from the same LEGO Friends wave
• Tile 1 x 2 with Granola Bar print in Dark Green/ Green (6476620), also found in 42626 Adventure Camp Water Sports and 42631 Adventure Camp Tree House, which I reviewed along with other Adventure Camp sets

We get two cute new sea creatures:

• Animal, Turtle with Bright Green Shell, Dark Green Spots print in Yellowish Green (6476618) is also a recolor for this mold
• Animal, Dolphin, Jumping with Dark Turquoise Eyes, Spots print in Light Bluish Gray (6476634)

All other decorations are handled by sticker sheets, except for 42623 Beach Water Scooter which relies on prints alone. 

Above left is the sheet for 42625 Beach Smoothie Stand, limiting itself to signposts and smoothie recipes. The sheet for 42630 Heartlake City Water Park on the right is bigger, but so is the set itself. 

Mini-dolls

We’re treated to two new characters, along with familiar faces.

I’m surprised to find Candi (with an ‘i’ *blink*) paired up with Leo in 42623 Beach Water Scooter. Introduced in the second season of the show, she doesn’t seem to get along with Leo, but maybe they made up inbetween episodes? Or perhaps she is stalking him at his job as a lifeguard.

Candi comes with a new printed torso (6483442), while her head has been used once before in her appearance in 42608 Tiny Accessories Store. Leo also only comes with a new torso (6483445), while his other elements are a reuse.

Nova brings us a new torso (6484613) in 42625 Beach Smoothie Stand with a great print, depicting a fittingly aquatic version of PACMAN. She also brings a secondary head (6416619) winking at Niko, who also comes with a new torso (6487286) sporting a surfer van against a sunset.

The biggest set, 42630 Heartlake City Water Park, comes with 4 characters. Micro-dolls were my gateway into New Elementary, and I’m always happy to add a new version to my collection. This is the third version of Alba, this time with a new Coral body (6480954); a recolor for the mold. 

Aliya comes with a new torso (6490231) and legs (6480958). Leo seems to either have multiple jobs, or the water park is next to the beach, as he has the same lifeguard torso from 42623 Beach Water Scooter, but his legs (6490043) are unique to this set.

And finally, my favorite new character for the June 2024 LEGO Friends wave: Sara. She comes with an abdominal scar and a medical device which looks to be a stoma bag. Aside from the new torso (6490955), her legs (6490188) and head (6480955) also feature a new print. Her hair has been used in a single set prior.

Rare elements

Aside from new elements, there are also some others worth mentioning. Starting with elements that have appeared in a single set prior:

• Brick Arch 1 x 8 x 2 Raised in Blue (6469936 | 40296) was introduced earlier this year
• Panel 1 x 4 x 3 in Transparent Blue with Opalescence/ Satin Trans-Light Blue (6488194 | 35323) was seen once in 2021
• Panel 1 x 6 x 5 in Medium Azure (6445319 | 59349)
• Dish 6 x 6 Inverted (Radar) with Hollow Studs in Coral (6468511 | 44375)
• Brick 1 x 1 x 5 with Solid Stud in Lime (6377003 | 2453)
• Treasure Chest Lid, Flat with 2 Studs in White (6437723 | 80835) also popped up in  42631 Adventure Camp Tree House
• Turntable 4 x 4 Square Base, Locking in Bright Light Blue (6438971 | 61485)
• Bar 1L with Clip in Lavender  (6439052 | 3484) also popped up in 43240 Maleficent’s Dragon Form
• Animal, Hermit Crab, with Bar [PLAIN] in Orange (6481505 | 69945) is on the cusp of being a new element, but 31212 The Milky Way Galaxy received the plain version one month earlier. It has been added in July to LEGO Pick a Brick (but may be out of stock currently)
• Slope 45° 2 x 2 Double in Medium Nougat (6433735 | 3043) was introduced in 10326 Natural History Museum. Read my review of the LEGO Natural History Museum set
• Brick Round 1 x 1 Tube with 90 Degree Elbow in Medium Lavender (6482111 | 25214) was introduced in 21348 Dungeons & Dragons

Elements that have appeared in 2 other sets:

• Slide Curved 180° in Light Aqua (6137761 | 11267) has last been seen in 2017
• Plate Special 2 x 2 with Only 2 studs in Lime (6472552 | 33909)
• Plate Round Corner 6 x 6 in Blue (6093691 | 6003) was introduced in a single set in 1999 before being revived by LEGO Friends earlier this year.
• Plate Round Corner 5 x 5 with 4 x 4 Round Cutout in Light Aqua (6370300 | 80015)
• Bar 7 x 3 with Double Clips (Ladder) [Round Clips] in Lavender (6509838 | 6020)
• Dish 4 x 4 Inverted [Radar] in Medium Azure (6396059 | 3960)

A quick note on that Lavender ladder: my copy of the set came with the original version 6020, seen on the left in the photo. But earlier this year, a new mold version was introduced: 5630, seen on the right. The main difference between the two versions are the clips; the old one has straight sides, while the new version has rounded sides. Chances are that LEGO is currently using up the old stock and will use the new version in later production runs.

The finished models

42623 Beach Water Scooter

There is not much to say about this set. It’s a decent model; handy if you need a quick present for someone. It's great that it comes with two scooters, two figures and two animals. And of course, those teal girders!

Despite the small part count, the designer did manage to add some fun details, like the crab holding a popsicle. 

The waves hitting the beach are a nice touch too – achieved with a mere 5 parts, but it adds to the overall look.

• 42623 Beach Water Scooter | US$9.99/ £8.99/ 9.99€/ AU$14.99 | 84 parts
  Set 42623 on LEGO.com

42625 Beach Smoothie Stand

We can cool off at this smoothie stand. While drinking, the swing provides a breeze. It’s a cute build with an eye-popping color scheme. 

The set comes with a small beach buggy with room for two, but oddly the steering wheel is in the center. 

At the stand we find a trunk filled with ingredients to mix your own favorite smoothie, with 2 recipes provided on the stickered tiles. 

• 42625 Beach Smoothie Stand | US$19.99/ £17.99/ 19.99€/ AU$29.99 | 213 parts
  Set 42625 on LEGO.com

42630 Heartlake City Water Park

It won’t be a surprise to you that the largest set comes with the most play features.

When I came out of my Dark Age, I was solely focused on LEGO® Technic, the theme I entered those dark days with. So I’m happy Technic constructions are finding their way into more and more ‘normal’ sets, and this set is no exception. 

Behind the waterfall we find a launchpad for a little boat, and in the top Technic bricks and beams are used to provide the needed strength while keeping a sleek and open look.

Of course there is a load of water fun to experience, provided by 3 slides, a whirlpool and toys. I like the simple but effective design of the squirt guns (shown above top right), using a transparent blue Barraki eye (58176) as the water tank.

This is a LEGO Friends set, so there is a toilet provided. I hope that squid is decorative, because despite being beautiful, those tentacles also look they could deliver a nasty sting. 

The highlight for me is the boat launcher. It must be scary to slide down towards those closed doors hoping the mechanism doesn't fail. 

Another play function, in the round pool, uses 'splat' gears to create a whirlpool... and can be hair-raising too.

The set forms a nice part pack, with various recolors and elements in varied shades of blue. Despite its looks, there is a surprising amount of standard bricks too, including 17 old-school 2x4s.

• 42630 Heartlake City Water Park | US$79.99/ £69.99/ 79.99€/ AU$129.99 | 825 parts
  Set 42630 on LEGO.com

 

READ MORE: What are the new LEGO® parts in July 2024 sets?

Help New Elementary keep publishing articles like this. Become a Patron!

A huge thank you to all our patrons for your support, especially our 'Vibrant Coral' tier: London AFOLs, Antonio Serra, Beyond the Brick, Huw Millington, Dave Schefcik, David and Breda Fennell, Gerald Lasser, Baixo LMmodels, Sue Ann Barber and Trevor Clark, Markus Rollbühler, Elspeth De Montes, Megan Lum, Andy Price, Chuck Hagenbuch, Jf, Wayne R. Tyler, Daniel Church, Lukas Kurth (StoneWars), Timo Luehnen, Chris Wight, Jonathan Breidert and our newest top-tier patron, Brick Owl! You folks are just the cutest little baby bows.

All text and images are © New Elementary unless otherwise attributed.