Seasonal

Hedgehog Picnic Date

A tiny hedgehog on a picnic blanket that somehow gets you right in the chest

Brick Rated Score

3.9/5

Set 40711 · 2024

Pieces166

Minifigsn/a

Year2024

Set number40711

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The verdict

This is one of those small seasonal builds that has no business being this charming for 166 pieces, and yet here we are.

The hedgehog itself is the star, with its little brick-built spines and that softly tilted head that makes it look like it is actually enjoying its sandwich. I would not go out of my way to pay scalper prices for it, since it was built to be a gift-with-purchase rather than a shelf-price set, but if you can get your hands on it for close to what it is worth, it earns its spot on a windowsill next to LEGO's other pocket-sized animal builds.

Best for: Botanical Collection fans who collect the small seasonal animal builds and want a cute, low-commitment display piece

The full review

What it is

I will admit I went into this one expecting another cute-but-forgettable seasonal filler, and the hedgehog talked me out of that opinion within the first few minutes of building. It is a small scene, a hedgehog settled onto a picnic blanket with a mushroom for a seat, and the whole thing reads as a single warm little moment rather than a pile of parts. The way the spines are layered across its back catches the light in a way photos genuinely undersell, and the head angle gives it more expression than a lot of sets twice its size manage.

The catch

I do want to be honest about what this set is and is not. It was released as a gift-with-purchase promotion tied to LEGO's Botanical Collection rather than sold on its own at a set retail price, so if you missed the promotion window, you are now shopping the secondary market and prices there swing depending on demand. At 166 pieces it also builds quickly, closer to a coffee-break project than an evening one, and there is no minifigure riding along, so if you wanted a character to go with the scene, this is not that.

Who it's for

Get this one if you already love the small seasonal animal builds LEGO has been putting out, the birds, the squirrel, and now the hedgehog, and you want this one to complete the shelf. Skip it if you are chasing part count for your money or need a minifigure in the mix. This is a mood piece, and on that measure it really delivers.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

Building this one feels less like assembling a model and more like arranging a tiny diorama. The picnic blanket goes down first as a flat tiled base, then the mushroom stool and food pieces get tucked into place before the hedgehog itself takes shape as a separate sub-build that you nestle onto the scene at the end. It is a gentle, unhurried process with none of the repetitive stretches that plague bigger sets, every handful of pieces changes what you are looking at.

The hedgehog's body is where the piece choices earn their keep, with rounded slopes and small curved elements layered to fake the look of fur and spines rather than relying on one big printed piece. It is a clever bit of part usage for something this size, and it is the kind of detail that makes these small seasonal builds worth a second look even though the piece count will never impress anyone on a spreadsheet.

Fun facts

01Hedgehog Picnic Date was distributed as a gift-with-purchase set tied to LEGO's Botanical Collection promotions rather than sold at a standalone retail price
02It joins a small run of pocket-sized animal builds LEGO has released as seasonal promotional gifts, including birds and a squirrel design in the same general style
03At 166 pieces it is designed to be a quick, low-pressure build rather than a display centerpiece, which is typical for LEGO's promotional GWP sets