Complicated to build but worth it in the end. Huge play value.
The Adventure Camp Tree House is the largest set in this wave of Friends issues in terms of both price and size. It combines elements from previous Adventure Camp sets, featuring activities such as canoeing, campfires, cabins, and encounters with wildlife. The set offers a variety of activities, making it feel worth the price. It includes log swings, high ropes, wall climbing, monkey bars with a safety net, telescopes, music, and slides, providing plenty of fun options for the intended age target, which is 8+ going by the box art. I think that adults building along with their children would also get some fun out of this set.

There is a great deal of play value in the set, with many interactive elements in the finished model, such as the zip line and slide. The three levels give lots of scope for the imagination, and there are plenty of familiar features for those experienced in camping and the outdoors, such as the fire pit, where younger builders can take real-life experiences into this imaginary Lego world. Perhaps this could work in reverse too, with younger builders becoming more enthusiastic about the outdoors based on their experiences with this set.

The set comes complete with three instruction manuals. This may seem like a lot to take in, and at over 1100 pieces, the build is extended. However, splitting the build into major assemblies allows a young builder to not become bored as the process can be split over more than one session. Additionally, this improves the detail on each build step with a lower part count per step, so less can go wrong and everything is clearer. Having said that, the steps do become more complicated as the build progresses, owing in part to the previous experience gained and the sheer number of small parts involved. As is usual for LEGO, who are masters of the art, the instructions are exceptionally clear, and the third manual ends with a four-page parts breakdown and the URL of the LEGO service in case there is a problem with a missing or broken part. The instructions are also available online, in case you lose any of them in the future or want to look at the set in more detail prior to buying. I think that the age target is quite good, given that it’s a large build with a lot of very small parts. There is probably less room for building something else out of this kit, and that’s probably best explored by adding on additional kits in the range to give more standard rather than specialist parts.

Given the subject, the parts have a great deal of range and colour in the set, with some novel components. Everything comes in numbered bags, as is the Lego standard, and these match the callouts in the instructions at the required points to open each one. This is standard stuff for Lego in my experience having built hundreds of their kits, and there are no real surprises with this one. There are a few LEGO Technic parts involved here and there, but these are the exception. There are too many standout features of this kit to call out in great detail, but clearly, the designers have gone to town to include as many elements as possible to fuel the imagination.

The set is rich in flora and fauna, with mushrooms, beavers, squirrels, owls, and plenty of trees. You get an Adventure Camp map on a 4×4 tile, showcasing other sets, along with small signs and markings that add detail and realism. It also comes with five mini-dolls that all have their own names and back stories. These are Leo, Aliya, Jamila, Olly, and camp counsellor Jonathan. Leo and Olly have alternate faces to show different reactions. The completed set has an obstacle course with a zip line, climbing wall, and log bridge, allowing kids to test the LEGO Friends characters. Accessories include a campfire, foraging guide and basket, water bottles, granola bars, life jackets, sleeping bags, walkie-talkies, a telescope, and a radio. Aliya collects camp badges in her book, with badges for bug observation and climbing.

Construction starts with the figures, canoe, and landing dock. By halfway through the first book, you have one of the bases built and ready for some extra layers to appear. There are a small number of Technic bricks that are introduced to allow the sections to lock together. There is not a lot of depth to some of the rooms that you build, with one of the bedrooms only three studs deep, making the bed very short compared to the height of the Friends figures. Manual 2 follows the same course, starting with Friends figures and building out another base and treehouse tower. Manual 3 repeats this by now familiar scheme to end up with the complete set built. There is an app that you can download that helps you through the build process and is useful for the more difficult parts.

This is a long and, in parts, complicated build for an eight-year-old to achieve, and some adult supervision and encouragement are definitely required to make this a success. I wish that LEGO hadn’t stopped putting the parts count on their products somewhere, but it’s 1128. At just under 115 for the set, this puts the price per part at about 10.2 pence. This is reasonable for a large kit and reflects the many smaller parts in the set. The finished diorama takes up a fair bit of space on display, being about the length and depth of a large ruler and half again in height.

The price is a great deal to take in, especially with this being a summer release to take advantage of the theme, but a little too far away from the festive period to be a go-to gift. It’s definitely the flagship Friends set for the year and is almost positioned as three kits in one, with the sectioned build process. If you went for one of the smaller sets in the new range, such as the cabins set at a parts count of 437, the price per brick comes in at just over 9p, but this tree house set definitely has the largest play value of the lot.