Review: 42681 Axolotl Adventure Boat
Posted by MeganL,
Other than 42691 Garden Restaurant, the Friends set that received the most attention was the smallest of the wave, 42681 Axolotl Adventure Boat. This marks another first for Friends - the first axolotl! They do look cute, with some suggesting that (gasp!) they may be cuter than the sloths. That can't be, but there's just one way to find out.
Summary
42681 Axolotl Adventure Boat, 95 pieces.
£8.99 / $9.99 / €9.99 | 9.5p / 10.5c / 10.5c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
A pocket money set with very cute axolotls
- Very cute axolotls
- Nice habitat build with selection of clear parts
- Did I mention the axolotls?
- None
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Inside the box there are two numbered bags, two instruction books, and one 6x6 quarter circle plate. In what is a pleasant surprise, there are no stickers!
Minidolls and animals
Leo and his little sister Alba are the ones going on the axolotl adventure. Leo has a rather busy looking shirt with a number of patterns on it, but the star of the show is Alba's dress that has an axolotl on it!
Leo's shirt has some nice back printing, but Alba's axolotl is still cute.
Speaking of axolotls, they are adorable! They have names, too - the pink one is Bubbles and the blue one is Opal. They both look very cheery.
Because it had to happen - who's cuter?
(Sloths to axolotls: It takes more than being cute to make a cameo in every review.)
The completed model
Leo and Alba are in search of the axolotl habitat, so of course it makes sense that they would take a boat that is shaped like an axolotl! The face is printed on this boat, which has enough space for Leo to steer and Alba to perch in the back. Fortunately, life jackets are included in this adventure.
The charming part of the boat is that the tail waves back and forth as the boat moves. The paddle is stowed neatly on one side, and there's no fear of the Friends getting dehydrated with a water bottle close by.
There's a nice little habitat build for the axolotl that has several clear pieces, including a new (to me, at least) clear yellow flower.
There are a few trans clear jumpers where the axolotls can hang out. They're very adorable.
However, axolotls aren't the only creatures that can hang out in the habitat.
(Note: habitat dwelling sloths not included in this set.)
Overall thoughts
For $10, there's a lot of play value here - two Friends characters, a boat that carries them both, and a nice little habitat. For those who are looking for some clear pieces, this would make a nice parts pack.
But who are we kidding - this set is all about the axolotls! Bubbles and Opal are cute, and with them having names it suggests that we'll see them again.
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18 comments on this article
The axolotls are cuter. But sloths are way more chill. Very nice set for a decent price.
As someone who very clearly doesn’t belong to the typical demographic for the friends theme, this is one of those 1-3 friends sets a year I could see myself buying, quirky cute animals and a nice selection of transparent pieces, what’s not to like?
My 10 year old son would love this.
This is fantastic value for £9 on the parts front, will definitely look out for this one. Could we see more reviews of the £9 /$10 sets? Those are always the ones I’m more likely to pick up anyways and I expect that goes for most people nowadays.
The many new/ recolored parts alone make this worth a buy and the axolotls are definitely cute, yes. When this goes on discount for around 6 Euro even the most Friends-hating person should probably buy it.
This is fun and cute! An easy pickup.
Think I'll get these cute axolotzintzintli right away tomorrow!
(That's, according to Wiktionary, the diminutive plural in classic Nahuatl.)
Cuter than sloths? Impossible!
Fantastic! The only dilemma is whether I should buy one or more sets.
Axoslothl. I think The People have been quite clear on that, when this set was first announced way back in the distant past of 2025. God, it seems like so long ago. Do you remember our weird clothes? And the HAIR, what were we thinking?
Found this set a few days ago at Mijer. It's way too soon but definitely makes my top 10 of 2026
The axolotls will become my sloths.
Ladies, gentlemen, and other, the showdown you've all been waiting for!!! Personally I think the axolotls are cuter, but the sloths have tradition on their side; you should alternate between the two.
@Brickmasterboy said:
"As someone who very clearly doesn’t belong to the typical demographic for the friends theme, this is one of those 1-3 friends sets a year I could see myself buying, quirky cute animals and a nice selection of transparent pieces, what’s not to like?"
I'm not in the target demographic, but that hasn't stopped me from buying almost a hundred Friends sets, a collection that will soon include this one.
axoboatl adventure
It's fun, it's cute, is colorful, it's cheap and there are axolotls? That's a no brainer !
@Father_Nathan said:
"Fantastic! The only dilemma is whether I should buy one or more sets."
Varios!!!!
Tú ser una persona inteligente dentro del foro lego
I hope this will be the beginning of a long rivalry of cute cameos in @MeganL's reviews.
Why do the axolotl have names, but the sloths don't?