LEGO 31159: Surprising Spider Review

Up for review today is the LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Surprising Spider (31159), which was released on 1/1/25. It's part of LEGO's "Wild Animals" Creator lineup, and like all Creator 3-in-1 sets you can build one of three different models from the same pile of bricks — a spider, a scorpion, or a snake (just not all at once). For around $8.99 and only 153 pieces, this is about as low-risk as LEGO gets, so I went in not expecting much. Spoiler: it surprised me.

It's a very quick build with some repetition (those legs add up), but it has a great color scheme of yellow, red, and black that makes the finished spider pop on a shelf. The standout feature is a little 'string' with a wheel on the spider's back — you wind it to raise and lower a neon-yellow web so it looks like the spider is rappelling down from it. It's a goofy little gimmick and I'm completely here for it.

Here is the box — standard LEGO box.

And the box contents:

What you get in the box

For a set this cheap, the parts count is low at 153 pieces. The finished spider is bigger than you'd expect too — it measures roughly 2 in. (5 cm) tall, 4 in. (11 cm) long, and 6 in. (15 cm) wide once those legs are spread out. LEGO rates it for ages 7+, and that feels about right: there's nothing fiddly enough to frustrate a kid, but the posable joints and the web mechanism give it a little more play value than a basic set.

If you want to grab one, here's the link again: LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Surprising Spider (31159).

The build

Here's where we start:

You build out the central body first, then knock out the legs one at a time. The legs are basically the same sequence repeated, so it gets a little monotonous — but it's also where the set earns its "surprisingly solid" reputation. Once everything clips together the spider holds its shape really well and the legs pose without flopping around.

And here's the finished Surprising Spider in all its yellow-and-red glory:

3-in-1: spider, scorpion, or snake

As with every Creator 3-in-1, you can tear it down and rebuild it into two other models. The catch — same as always — is that you can only build one at a time. Honestly, the spider is far and away the best of the three. The scorpion and snake are fine ways to get more mileage out of the bricks, but neither has the personality (or the web gimmick) of the main build. If you're buying this for the alternate models, temper your expectations; if you're buying it for the spider, you'll be happy.

Is the LEGO Surprising Spider worth it?

For under ten bucks? Easily. It's a quick, satisfying build with a fun mechanic, a bold color scheme, and enough posability to keep a kid entertained. It makes a great little birthday or stocking-stuffer gift, an easy impulse buy at the LEGO wall, or just a cheap palate cleanser between bigger sets. The repetitive legs and the so-so alternate builds are the only real knocks, and at this price they're easy to forgive.

If you want to pick one up, here's the link one more time: LEGO Creator 3-in-1 Surprising Spider (31159).