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A popular trend in the toy aisles these days is to create television shows that also feature fun new toys that are released simultaneously. The LEGO Group is not a novice when it comes to this undertaking, given their top notch success noted recently with their Legends of CHIMA and Ninjago construction sets. 

The latest construction toy line that kids have been asking me about like crazy to get their hands-on are LEGO Mixels.

These cute little characters are featured in an animated television show on the Cartoon Network. However, they can be purchased in small packages for around $5 each, making them a great incentive for kids, an impulse buy or a birthday party gift addition. All of the sets within each tribe can be combined to form the MAX. Sets from one tribe can also be mixed with another.

Series 1 Mixels are creatures from 3 tribes, the Infernites, Cragsters, and Electroids. They live in a world where they like to mix and combine their features. Nixels are colorless creatures that disassemble the mixed up Mixels. 

The Infernites are the red tribe and include the characters Flain, Vulk, and Zorch. Flain is a leader and known as the smart one, but if he thinks to hard his brain catches on fire. Zorch is the fastest Infernite. Vulk is a one-eyed monster with scorching hands that can melt rock. 

The Cragsters include the characters Krader, Seismo, and Shuff. Krader has a wrecking ball fist that can smash walls.

Seismo has stomping feet that can bring on an earthquake or an avalanche. Shuff has a body made of a demolition ball, and while he is helpful he's also clumsy accidentally smashing things he shouldn't. 

The Electroids are the yellow tribe and include Teslo, Zaptor, and Volectro. Teslo is the lookout character who is afraid of heights, but that has an electrical tail. Zaptor, can release massive blasts of energy and is a living lightning rod known as a "super-charged adrenaline junkie!" Volectro is an electroid with super static hair that is a result of to many electrical shocks. 

I've watched multiple children put together Flain. The directions were pretty self-explanatory, especially for children that you know have had prior exposure to LEGOs. Though it looks like each set is small, there are generally 12 different steps and about 60 pieces. In general, it took most children about 15-20 minutes to put all the pieces of one character together, so it's certainly great for kids to use to pass some time.

Mixels will expand the line to include multiple series of characters which I'm sure will continue to be a high on the collectible toy priority list for fans. In addition there are online games, activities and downloads available on the LEGO Mixels website.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.