This set is very easy to put together. It is much easier than other lego city sets meant for 5-12 so it is a good introduction for kids who are transitioning from the larger legos to these types of sets. I got this set for my 9 year old because he wanted a city set to go with his ambulance, police dog unit and other lego city vehicles and people. This gives the child an entire town to play with for a lot less money than the lego city corner and city house combo. The stores are really just fronts with no details or interiors so it allows for easy building but less interior play. It does not come with all of the instructions which is very annoying and makes no sense. Here is a link to get the instructions for the building instructions not included with the set: [the lego education website: legoeducation.us/] Search for the set number which is 9311. Click on "resources" and you will get pdf files for the instructions not included with the set. Also, unlike other city sets, the bags are not divided so that each bag contains one building. So, my son had to open all the bags and sort them by color in order to easily find what he needed. Despite these small problems, it is a nice set that my son will enjoy and play with repeatedly.