Have you ever looked for a LEGO set on the shelf but did not see one you liked? Or thought of an idea for one that does not exist, but you think would be a popular and fun addition to the LEGO community? LEGO Ideas is a way for creative fans to submit their ideas that could potentially become a LEGO set people can purchase on shelves.
Anyone can submit an idea to LEGO Ideas under guidelines such as needing to be “made from at least 200 original LEGO pieces, and no more than 5,000.” Once submitted, the set has to get a certain amount of votes within a timeframe in order to move on to the next voting stage such as initially needing 100 votes in 60 days, then 1,000 votes in a year, and so on, until the set achieves the 10,000 vote milestone.
During this journey, if the set fails to get enough votes at any checkpoint, the idea is scrapped. If all goes well and the set reaches the final 10,000 supporters, the set goes into the review phase to turn into a real life LEGO set. Upon the finalization and approval of the set, the creator officially becomes a LEGO Ideas Fan Designer and even receives “1% of the total NET sales of the product that has been sold” which is a bonus to having their idea made into an official set for everyone to buy and enjoy.
One such example of this is the most recently released LEGO Ideas set, the Floating Sea Otter, featuring a mother sea otter and her baby. The set was originally proposed in early 2024, and after meeting the last milestone (10,000 votes) in June 2024, the set officially became under review to be the next LEGO Ideas set produced. Almost a year later, in March 2025, the set was officially approved to appear on shelves.
With the set itself, it is retailing for $120 and includes 1,234 pieces. Due to the number of pieces, the set is more expensive and is also recommended for 18+ due to its complexity. When building the set, there is an option to either have the mother sea otter holding a clam or an otter pup, while its flippers, mouth and paws can be moved.
“I think otters are so cute. I also think [the] LEGO [set] is really pretty. It is those really bright colors, [and] I think it would be a great addition to my collection,” sophomore and LEGO enthusiast Liana Reyes said.
A slight controversy with the set is that some preferred the original design over the finalized, LEGO approved build. In the original design, the otter is more cartoonish while the set on shelves is more realistic and refined, with more details included such as the clam and kelp surrounding the otter.
“I actually like the finalized version a little better. I feel like it looks a little less scary. The eyes in the first one are a little haunting, [and] the nose is a little scary, [a] little animatronic. I think that one to me just feels more realistic, and I like the colors a little bit more. It feels more bright, and obviously, I love the little baby,” Reyes said.
Anyone interested in browsing the different ideas fans have submitted to LEGO Ideas and need votes on can easily support these ideas by making a LEGO account. For those who believe they have the next great LEGO set idea that has not been made, there is no harm in submitting your idea that could maybe one day become a reality.
