Review: 41383 Olivia's Hamster Playground

Hamster-ing it up at the hamster playground with Olivia. Will Rumble successfully jump over the hoop, cones, and Harry?

This set was provided by the AFOL Engagement of The LEGO Group for the purpose of sharing set details with fans. Opinions provided here solely reflect those of our reviewer. Photographs are property of FriendsBricks and are not directed by TLG in any fashion.



The box features Olivia and the hamsters at the park. Molly is autocrossing through the cones. Harry is leaping through a hoop. Rumble is motorcycling it in the hamster wheel. The Friends in the heart image in the upper right corner is an indication it is core Friends theme.



The back of the box shows the play features: how to make the hamster wheel spin, use the hoop holder and the jump ramp. Excuse the NOT FOR SALE sticker. Since this is non-North America box packaging, it is not legal for sale here.




Two sides of the box have safety warning messages in multiple languages. How many languages can you identify?



The other sides of the box have the usual countries of origin and URLs for LEGO service and LEGO life. There is a 1:1 scale of Rumble the hamster. Here are more safety warnings, no shortage of safety warnings with this set. We have a symbol of 2 gears for Olivia.



Inside the box, we have a large and a small bag of parts, a sticker sheet, and an instruction booklet. How quickly can you spot the hamsters in the bags?



The instruction booklet now has a QR code that you can scan and get the digital instructions app on your smart device. I prefer to build with printed instructions.



The back of the booklet has finally been updated with the 2018 re-imagined version of Emma. Her eyes used to be green like the camera. You can still provide feedback for a chance to win a LEGO prize. That hasn't changed.



Let's see what's inside. There are pictorial instructions on how to get the app. Those stackable Friends heart boxes are nice.



Here is the parts list with their part numbers.



We have one sticker sheet with 5 stickers to apply for this small set. There isn't much stickering to do.

Let's look at the parts in the large bag.

The 4x4x2 dark azure fence pieces are new for 2019 and currently only with this set.

The dark pink 6x6 round plate is found in one other set, Unikitty Party Time.

Olivia's dark pink shorts is used in one other set, Olivia's Mission Vehicle, from last year.

Here are the parts in the small bag.

The hoop is found in 2 other sets. 

The bright yellow 1x1 round quarter tiles and 1x1 plate with stud on side are available in 2 other sets too.

Let's get to building. The hamsters want to play more than they want to help build. Since this is a small set, we'll get to playing quickly.



But first, these are the extra pieces.



Here is the completed set. We see a sign indicating there will be a hamster show. Rumble is doing the car autocross.  I don't think you're supposed to hit the cones in autocross racing. Harry is preparing for the hoop of the loop jump. Molly is spinning her motorcycle wheels on the hamster wheel. Who will to jump the ramp?



Let's take a look at the minidoll. Olivia has a dark pink sleeve-less top and matching shorts. She is wearing a necklace with a gear. The re-imagined Olivia has eyeglasses (good Maker eye protection).



Here are the hamsters: Harry, Molly, and Rumble. The white printing on Harry and Rumble looks a bit spotty in the extreme closeup.  The white printing does look fine under normal viewing conditions.



Here is the rear side of the hamster wheel. It has a gear like Olivia's necklace. Turning the gear will make it spin. Interestingly it uses the Technic "dog bone" piece to hold it up. Clever. Remove the gear and you can easily connect a LEGO Power Functions M-motor directly to drive the hamster wheel.



Rumble is going to jump the ramp. Here is the other side of the motorcycle after it has been removed from the hamster wheel. It feels incomplete on that side.


Summary:

This is a cute little set. Like 40264 Heartlake City Accessory set, it is a quick way to add 3 cute little animals to your collection or MOC (My Own Creation). The main play feature is the hamster wheel. It is cleverly done. The motorcycle could use some modifications so that both sides looks complete when it is off the hamster wheel. Overall, I think this set will fit in nicely with buskering in the park/street or with a Heartlake City circus or Andrea's talent show.




I wanted to a hamster wheel to drive my creation, now there is one. Yay!

Thanks for reading!

Note: All exclusive parts mentioned in the colours noted were applicable at the time this review was posted. Parts may be available in other colours and sets after the post of this review. Brickset and BrickLink were used to verify this information.