LEGO this week launched a superb new product for fans of the Winnie the Pooh books to embrace their nostalgia with a Hundred Acre Wood play set.
The set came to life from the mind of super fan Ben Alder who collaborated on the design through the LEGO Ideas program, and was made possible through a licensing partnership with brand owner Disney.
Beneath a large oak tree, complete with beehives and bees, Pooh’s house takes centre stage in the new play set. The house can be opened up to unveil a host of furniture and unique items, such as the “Pooh-coo” Clock, box of “Pooh sticks,” Tigger’s locket, and of course, plenty of honey pots—both full and empty!
A.A. Milnes classic tales of Christopher Robin’s adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood have shown remarkable endurance, entertaining readers for almost a century, and remaining as relevant today as when they were first written after World War I. The book series has inspired dozens of film and television adaptations, toys, and an uncountable number of branded products.
This latest initiative came about through the LEGO Ideas program, which essentially allows fans outside the company to submit concepts and designs for new playlets. These concepts are voted on by other LEGO fans, and the winning designs are turned into real world products. Fans that submit winning design can work with LEGO master designers to turn the concept into reality, and they also share in the profits from the set.
Based on Alder’s original designs, the set is the perfect project for adult builders to take time to relax and return to the days of youth, recalling the adventures of their favorite bear and his friends.
“I love Winnie the Pooh and remember my parents reading it to me as a child,” said Alder. “I now read the same Winnie the Pooh stories to my children, so it is certainly something dear to my heart. I decided to make the set so that my children could bring to life our bedtime stories but never quite expected the positive reaction it has received.”
The new set also includes five new molded characters, each with their own accessories. Pooh has his red balloon to collect honey from the bees in the branches above, Piglet is wrapped up in his scarf, and Tigger has just moved to the woods with his sack on a stick. Meanwhile, Rabbit has carrots ready for snacking, and Eeyore comes complete with his tail and a removable ribbon.
Other notable inclusions to the set include a campfire and log for Pooh to think about the things that he discovers, his front door complete with the “Mr. Sanders” sign above it, his adorable blue bell to ring the front door, and finally, a signpost to the Hundred Acre Wood to make sure Pooh finds his way home.
“Winnie the Pooh is a 95-year-old story that is loved globally, so seeing Ben’s design sparked a lot of nostalgia for us all,” said Federico Begher, VP of Global Marketing at The LEGO Group. “Plus, his personal story about how he created the set for his family to play out the lovely Winnie the Pooh stories using LEGO bricks felt like a beautiful combination of family, LEGO bricks, and Winnie the Pooh that we wanted to share with others.
“We also had the rare treat of being able to create all new characters for this LEGO Ideas set,” Begher added. “We simply had to see how the line-up of Pooh, Tigger, Rabbit and Piglet would look like in mini figure shape, as well as creating a brand-new Eeyore figure! The stories of the Hundred Acre Wood come to life with this set and there are plenty of intricate details for fans of both Disney and LEGO to discover.”
The LEGO Ideas Winnie the Pooh set is available directly from LEGO Stores and LEGO.com from March 18 for LEGO VIP members, and April 1 for all.