Beginner
≈ 1 h 45 minSuggested range1 h – 3 h
Official LEGO® image · © LEGO Group and/or the respective rights holders. Source: LEGO Italy ↗
Seasonal · SET 40640
Nutcracker
A buildable Nutcracker.
- Pieces
- 208
- Release year
- 2023
- Theme
- Seasonal
- Set number
- 40640
- LEGO recommended age
- 8+
- Archived regional retail price · Germany
- 12.99 €
Archived regional retail price in the stated market and currency. It does not establish the Italian launch price; no estimated currency conversion. Brickset ↗ · Reference checked on 22 October 2026
Official English name verified at: LEGO English archive ↗ · Checked on 26 October 2026.
TIME TO BUILD
How long does it take to build Nutcracker?
A starting point for planning your build. Times for each experience level are editorial estimates, not measurements submitted by HowLongToBuild users.
Editorial estimate · first build
Intermediate
≈ 1 h 15 minSuggested range45 min – 2 hExperienced
≈ 45 minSuggested range30 min – 1 h 30 minBased on one person building the set for the first time, following the original instructions and using numbered bags where supplied. Includes normal piece-finding and minor adjustments; excludes long breaks, filming, dismantling and modifications. Sources may use different methods. This range is neither a statistical interval nor a limit: your build may take less or more time.
How we estimate times · sources and method
Editorial assessment: A buildable Nutcracker. The red jacket has gold details. A first build following the instructions, including normal piece finding; an adult may help when needed. Breaks, subsequent play and any alternative models are excluded. For older sets, unnumbered bags or previously mixed pieces may prolong sorting. No verified timed build: indicative values with substantial variation.
Sources do not always specify the builder’s experience. The three experience bands are our editorial assessment, based on the complexity of the set and individual accounts where available.
- LEGO · set-specific instructions ↗
Official name, pieces, age and imagery; no timed building data.
- LEGO · set manual ↗
Document for this set number. The duration is an editorial estimate, not a LEGO timing.
Checked: 26 October 2026 · Method v1.0 · Limited reports; not a statistical average.
BUILT BY THE COMMUNITY
Yours could be the first building time.
0 reviewed solo building times.
No solo building times have been reviewed yet. You can still find editorial estimates under Suggested times.
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Build your own story.
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How much display space does it need?
Assembled-model dimensions are not yet documented for this set. Box dimensions cannot tell you how much display space it needs.
BEYOND THE BRICKS
Did you know?
Inside the set
The model in the photo
The black hat rises above the brown head.
LEGO sourceAccessories and details
The red jacket has gold details.
LEGO sourceBeyond the set
The stories, places and inventions behind your build.
Tchaikovsky's music
The Nutcracker uses Tchaikovsky's score, composed in 1891-1892.
Read the full story
Tchaikovsky composed the score in 1891–1892, using the celesta’s unusual timbre for the Sugar Plum Fairy’s dance. The suite later carried selections into concert halls. Recognising a famous number need not mean having seen the full theatrical sequence from which it came.
Balanchine's version
George Balanchine's celebrated choreography premiered with New York City Ballet on 2 February 1954.
Read the full story
Balanchine’s version premiered with New York City Ballet on 2 February 1954, spending over half its $40,000 budget on the Christmas tree. The original ballet dated to 1892. Music, choreography and scenery can carry separate histories within the same work.
Expanded stories updated on 29 October 2026
Written by HowLongToBuild · Sources are linked with each story · Checked on 26 October 2026. Historical facts and story details refer to the context described.
THE COMMUNITY’S EXPERIENCE
What was it like to build?
Three separate scores from 1 to 10. For difficulty, 1 means very easy and 10 means very difficult.
No approved ratings yet. Scores are never generated by this site or inferred from the recommended age.
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Building tips from the community
Specific steps, useful checks and sticking points. Contributions appear after moderation, in their original language. Do not upload instruction pages or personal contact details.
No approved tips yet.
Sign in to contributeSET THE MOOD
A soundtrack for your build
· Selected for the subject and atmosphere
Vince Guaraldi’s trio offers an intimate, sociable Christmas atmosphere for villages and lived-in scenes, as an alternative to large festive orchestras.
OUR PICK
A Charlie Brown Christmas (Super Deluxe Edition)
Vince Guaraldi Trio
Rhythmic and livelyEditorial suggestions, not official soundtracks for the set. External services may require an account or subscription; editions and availability can vary by country. Suggest another soundtrack →
Report a problem with this set →
YOUR NEXT BUILD
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Sets from the same theme or with similar suggested building times. The ranges shown are for intermediate builders.
Official LEGO® image · © LEGO Group and/or the respective rights holders. Source: LEGO Italy ↗
Official LEGO® image · © LEGO Group and/or the respective rights holders. Source: LEGO Italy ↗
Easter Bunny's Carrot House
232 pieces · 8+
45 min – 2 h 15 min
Suggested time · Intermediate
Same theme, a new build
Official LEGO® image · © LEGO Group and/or the respective rights holders. Source: LEGO Italy ↗