I am building the sets in the January 2025 wave of LEGO® Friends sets, and for this blog post I’ve selected the ones that primarily focus on animals. It’s a cuteness overload!
The LEGO Friends theme is responsible for the introduction of many new animals, whose more curvy, realistic features stand out from the more blocky classic versions found in themes like LEGO® City. This latest wave brings us many new cute creatures to go ‘aaaaaaaah’ over; both brand new molds and existing molds with new prints. Most of these can be found in the 4 sets that we will be taking a look at today, going from the smallest to the largest.
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.
Page contents
- 42640 Guinea Pig Playground
- 42641 Surfing Dogs and Scooter Adventure
- 42650 Pet Accessories Shop
- 42651 Horse and Pet Vet Clinic
42640 Guinea Pig Playground
- US$ 9.99 on LEGO.com US
- CA$ 12.99 on LEGO.com Canada
- GB£ 8.99 on LEGO.com UK
- AU$ 14.99 on LEGO.com Australia
- NZ$ 17.99 on LEGO.com New Zealand
- DE€ 9,99 on LEGO.com Deutschland
- NL€ 9,99 on LEGO.com Nederland
- FR€ 9,99 on LEGO.com France
- PLN 42.99 on LEGO.com Polska
- NOK 119,90 on LEGO.com Norge
- DKK 89.95 on LEGO.com Danmark
The smallest set contains 86 parts, and introduces the smallest creatures.
New molds
Guinea Pig (6907)
These 2 cuties are guinea pigs, coming in black (6519645) and white (6481601). The creatures are a brick high and span just over a module wide, easily fitting on a 2 x 2 jumper plate with room to spare.
The guinea pigs can play around with a ball of yarn which can be found in several sets from the January 2025 wave of LEGO Friends sets, here in bright light yellow (6522800 | 6900). The mold shares some DNA with the LEGO® BIONICLE® ball joint, featuring a similar axle connection underneath.
Recolors
The set comes with 3 recolors, more than I expected from such a small set.
- 7x Brick Arch 1 x 4 x 2 in Coral (6519696 | 6182). This element can also be found in the polybag 30697 Nova's Doghouse Build.
- 1x Ladder Holder 6 x 2 for Ladder 14 x 2.5 in Lavender (6523664 | 87913). This seems to be a weird part to receive a recolor.
- 1x Tile 3 x 3 Curved, Macaroni in Lavender (6519730 | 79393)
Mini-dolls
All decorated elements come in the form of the guinea pigs and the mini-dolls, with no sticker sheet in sight.
- Aliya comes with a new printed torso in Medium Brown (6521882) and new legs in Medium Azure (6481595).
- Matilde was introduced in 2023, and brings a new printed head in Light Nougat (6481596), a new torso in Light Nougat (6521914) and new legs in Red (6521916).
Other element of interest
Tile 2 x 2 Curved, Macaroni in Lavender (6522797 | 27925) has previously appeared in a single LEGO® DOTS set in 2022, and appears now in 4 sets in the January 2025 wave of LEGO Friends sets.
The finished model
The playground features a spinning disc and a climb tower. Underneath the tower is a sleeping area, and in the top they can take a nibble on some seeds or lettuce. Cleverly, the ladder holder is used as a slide, making the guinea pig look like a lemming (although that appears to be a myth).
I appreciate two guinea pigs coming in a relatively small and cheap set, making it easier to obtain them. The remaining parts can be parted out for other projects.
42641 Surfing Dogs and Scooter Adventure
- US$ 14.99 on LEGO.com US
- CA$ 17.99 on LEGO.com Canada
- GB£ 12.99 on LEGO.com UK
- AU$ 19.99 on LEGO.com Australia
- NZ$ 24.99 on LEGO.com New Zealand
- DE€ 14,99 on LEGO.com Deutschland
- NL€ 14,99 on LEGO.com Nederland
- FR€ 14,99 on LEGO.com France
- PLN 64.99 on LEGO.com Polska
- NOK 199,90 on LEGO.com Norge
- DKK 129.95 on LEGO.com Danmark
For the next set we take to the beach, bringing along 2 cute doggies.
New mold: Corgi (109845)
The stars of the set are the newly molded corgis, coming in white with a black (6517951) and dark orange (6517953) dual mold. The dogs are 3 modules long, with the tail sticking out almost another whole module, and they stand 2 bricks high. Their necks feature a small pin hole for accessories on one side.
Recolor
- 1x Sports Surfboard Standard in Lavender (6516594 | 90397)
Mini-dolls
Sage is a new character, and brings a new head in Nougat (6481602) and a new torso also in Nougat (6522122), while wearing Hair with Helmet Reddish Orange recolored in Tan (6522369 | 02137).
Paisley comes with a new torso in Light Nougat (6522132) and legs in Nougat (6522140).
There are no other newly decorated elements in the set, but there is a small sticker sheet.
Other elements of interest
- 1x Vehicle Body, Scooter in Dark Turquoise (6523800 | 15396) has appeared in 2 sets prior
- 2x Tile Round 1 x 2 Half Circle in Bright Light Orange (6513772 | 1748) was also used in 2 previous sets
The finished model
The set is split into 3 small builds. The first is a patch of beach with lounge chairs, a tree and some snacks and toys. Then we build the scooter with a sidecar, and we finish with a sail cart to terrorize the other beachgoers. Both vehicles feature a spot for the corgis to come along.
This is a nice little set. Nothing special, but good enough for the age range and size. Aside from the corgis, the set is light on interesting elements, though.
42650 Pet Accessories Shop
- US$ 39.99 on LEGO.com US
- CA$ 49.99 on LEGO.com Canada
- GB£ 34.99 on LEGO.com UK
- AU$ 59.99 on LEGO.com Australia
- NZ$ 74.99 on LEGO.com New Zealand
- DE€ 39,99 on LEGO.com Deutschland
- NL€ 39,99 on LEGO.com Nederland
- FR€ 39,99 on LEGO.com France
- PLN 174.99 on LEGO.com Polska
- NOK 549,90 on LEGO.com Norge
- DKK 349.95 on LEGO.com Danmark
Pets require food, grooming, and of course hats, so a new Pet Accessories Shop has opened up in Heartlake City.
New molds
Tiny Hats (6913 & 6914)
- 1x + spare Tiny Chef's Hat with Small Pin in White (6509784 | 6914)
- 1x + spare Tiny Cap with Small Pin in Lime (6509777 | 6913)
The small pin allows the hats to be attached to the small hole found in most animals and wigs, while the hat itself is first on top of a stud. The pin does require the stud to be hollow.
Yarn (6900)
The ball of yarn seen earlier in set 42640 appears here in Dark Pink (6509764 | 6900).
Recolors
- 3x Tile Round 2 x 4 in Reddish Brown (6433737 | 66857)
- 2x Brick Arch 1 x 4 x 3 in Bright Light Yellow (6518261 | 80543) can also be found in 42655 Restaurant and Cooking School. See my review for set 42655.
- 3x Brick Arch 1 x 3 x 2 Curved Top in Bright Light Yellow (6518258 | 6005)
Decorated elements
There is just a single newly printed element, excluding the mini-dolls. This cute bunny in white (6481605) also appears in 42669 Beekeepers' House and Flower Garden.
The other decorations are handled by this sticker sheet.
Mini-dolls
Matilde is identical to her appearance in 42640, Nova sports a new torso in Nougat (6523460), and Leo has a new torso in Medium Nougat (6524991).
Other elements of interest
There are some elements in the set that are not new but still worth mentioning:
- 3x Slope 65° 2 x 1 x 2 in Bright Light Yellow (6441825 | 60481) has only appeared in a single set, in 2023
- 4 x Brick Curved 2 x 2 x 1 1/3 with Curved Top - Corner in Tan (6486890 | 67810) has only been used in 2 sets, from 2024
- 2x Slope Curved 2 x 2 Inverted in Tan (6485743 | 1750) has been seen once before
- 1x + spare Headwear Accessory Bow with Heart, Long Ribbon and Pin in Red (6499709 | 11618) was introduced last year
The finished model
The set depicts a small store selling pet accessories, with a washing station on the top floor.
The store itself feels a bit simple and empty. More interesting in the top floor, with a small elevator allowing the pets to travel upwards.
There we find the washing station with 3 stages: soap, rinse and dry. The knob in front lets you slide the pets along the 3 stages.
The front has a large brick-built dog as the sign. The eyebrows are linked together by gears and can be moved around by the lime green connector at the back – a fun trick that introduces some LEGO Technic to the builders. The eyes are not connected to the gears, but can spin freely.
Here are all functions in action:
The pet shop has me mixed. The ground floor feels a bit empty and simplistic to me, featuring just a few identical shelves. The top floor is more fun and provides the best playability. The sign in front is also a fun feature, pushing me over the line towards a positive conclusion.
42651 Horse and Pet Vet Clinic
- US$ 49.99 on LEGO.com US
- CA$ 64.99 on LEGO.com Canada
- GB£ 44.99 on LEGO.com UK
- AU$ 79.99 on LEGO.com Australia
- NZ$ 34.99 on LEGO.com New Zealand
- DE€ 49,99 on LEGO.com Deutschland
- NL€ 49,99 on LEGO.com Nederland
- FR€ 49,99 on LEGO.com France
- PLN 219.99 on LEGO.com Polska
- NOK 699,90 on LEGO.com Norge
- DKK 449.95 on LEGO.com Danmark
The final set in this series is the largest, and depicts a veterinarian's. This type of set seems to be atypically common in Heartlake City, as this is the sixth specific building for vets, not counting all the other animal rescue sets like ambulances, trailers, and helicopters.
New mold - Sunflower (6901)
Not counting mini-doll elements, the only new mold in this set is the Sunflower, appearing here and in multiple other January sets in yellow (6509767 | 6901). For all details on this new botanical addition, check out Eero’s review of 10342 Pretty Pink Flower Bouquet.
Recolors
- 4x Tile 1 x 3 in Lavender (6526744 | 63864)
- 1x Door 1 x 5 x 3 with 3 Studs and Handle in Lavender (6526745 | 93096)
- 4x Tile 3 x 3 Curved, Macaroni in Lavender (6519730 | 79393)
Decorated elements
All new decorated elements, excluding the mini-dolls, are animals:
- Animal, Dog Pup Reddish Brown Fur Over Eyes print in Tan (6520115)
- Animal, Dog, Small Sitting Dark Brown Fur Over Eyes, Bright Pink Collar print in Dark Orange (6520265)
- Animal, Dog Pup with Medium Nougat Fur, Tongue print in Dark Orange (6520116)
- 1x + spare Tile Round 1 x 1 with Ladybug print in Trans-Clear (6481607)
The other decorations are handled by this sticker sheet, including some beautiful illustrations of animals.
Mini-dolls
Olly and Autumn are visiting the new vet Eniko.
Olly comes with a newly printed torso in warm tan (6529231), and brings a new mold for legs showing shorts in dark blue (6529232).
Autumn wears a recolored helmet in bright light blue (6527907), and her torso in light nougat (100811c01pr0006) and legs in sand green (6481629) have a new print.
Eniko is the first character to feature naevus spots on her face, printed on a nougat head (6520259). Her hair is a recolor in dark brown (6534763), and her torso features a new print in nougat (6529206).
Other elements of interest
The set comes with a number of elements which are not new, but still worth mentioning:
- 1 x Animal, Horse with Raised Leg, Black Mane and Tail, White Nose print in Medium Stone Grey/ Light Bluish Gray (6482605) has been seen fighting Maleficent last year.
- 4x Plate Special 4 x 6 with Studs on 3 Edges in Medium Azure (6526743 | 6180) was used in a couple of sets in 2015
- 2x Tile 2 x 2 Curved, Macaroni in Lavender (6325954 | 27925) was used in a single LEGO® DOTS set in 2022
- 1 x Tile Round 2 x 4 in Yellow (6518940 | 66857) was introduced last year by 77072 Peely Bone; see our parts review of 77072 by Zach
- 1 x Slope 30° 1 x 2 x 2/3 with Medium Azure Scale / Speedometer, Red Dial print in White
- (6465581 | 105811) was used in single set last year
- 2 x Plate Special 2 x 2 with Horizontal T-Bar Underneath in Tan (6518050 | 5066) has also been used only once prior
- And the same goes for 2 x Slope Curved 2 x 2 x 2/3 Inverted in Tan (6517736 | 32803)
The finished model
The clinic features an examination room on the ground floor and a living area above.
There are some nice small details, like a corner underneath the stairs for the animals to recover from their operation, an insect hotel, and two side builds of a sign with sunflowers and a basket for the doggies to cuddle up.
Next to the clinic we find a stable for the larger animals. Watch your step, Autumn!
The vet clinic is a lovely building with a great color scheme, mixing orange, medium azure and lavender. The set provides some welcome recolors in lavender, and I’m happy to see the medium azure Plate 4 x 6 with Reduced Studs brought back.
Come back soon for my remaining LEGO Friends reviews!
READ MORE: Review of the new and interesting parts in 71048 LEGO® Minifigures Series 27
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