So, I like otters (which you may have suspected) but I did also spend many years of my young life dedicated to the very best of all the toys – LEGO.
I was super excited a year or so ago when I reclaimed a few large boxes of the stuff from my parents’ house. The idea was that I’d play LEGO all over again with my kids. Great plan, until I discovered that – now I’m an adult (of sorts) – I take LEGO far too seriously. I found myself wanting to catalogue the pieces we had to avoid wasted time rummaging through boxes, and surely we should be planning out any potential larger models in some type of CAD software? So, yeah, I’m still working on how to adult LEGO… and I think I’ve somewhat disenfranchised my 6-year-old.
Parenting fail aside, we’re talking about all this because the proper LEGO fans recently got their first look at the upcoming LEGO Ideas set 21366: Floating Sea Otters — and just like asking Steve how he’s planning on settling his bar tab, reactions have been all over the place. Rumoured to hit shelves in March 2026 with about 1,234 pieces and a display focus rather than play features, this nature‑inspired build is part of the LEGO Ideas lineup. Here it is…
It’s basically a majestic sea otter floating serenely on a stylized water base, complete with seaweed, splash effects, and even a tiny baby otter nestled on its parent’s belly. That heart‑warming detail wasn’t in the original fan submission but has become one of the most discussed tweaks in the new LEGO version. Want to see the original version? OK…
Of course, you can’t please everyone, and Reddit has been flooded with opinions on this one. Some builders love the realistic, subdued direction LEGO took, saying the design feels more natural. Others think the official model lost the quirky charm of the original fan idea and can look a bit confusing at first.
Personally, I’m torn. I mean, otters… yes, obvious win. But you can make so many things with LEGO, and otters just don’t lend themselves to bricks. Also, I don’t see why anyone would ever choose a sea otter over a superior otter (e.g., Asian short-clawed❤️), but oh well, if it floats (it probably actually doesn’t so don’t take it in the bath) and makes people smile, then I’m all for it.
Anyway, I’m off to write a letter to LEGO to explain that I’ve made my 6-year old dislike LEGO but maybe, just maybe, if they sent me a free sea otter model then that might just make everything OK again. Fingers crossed…
