For the Kinder Duplo confectionery product, see Kinder Chocolate. Duplo (trademarked as DUPLO) is a product range of the construction toy Lego, designed for children aged 1½ to 5 years old. Duplo bricks are twice the length, height and width of traditional Lego bricks, making them easier to handle and less likely to be swallowed by younger children. Despite their size, they are still compatible with traditional Lego bricks. Initially launched in 1969, the Duplo range has gone on to include sets with figures, cars, houses and trains. Duplo is manufactured in Nyíregyháza, Hungary. Duplo bricks alongside a smaller red regular-sized Lego brick Duplo and regular-sized Lego compatibility demonstrated Duplo bricks were introduced in 1969, in four colors: red, yellow, blue, and white. The following year, two more sets were added with blue and red wheel plates. In the product catalog for 1971, the sets were described as being for children from 1 to 2 years, but were still sold mixed with Lego bricks, normally designed for ages 3 to 12.
In 1972, the Duplo brick with two rows of two studs was introduced. In 1975, Duplo became its own product brand, with five sets made up exclusively of Duplo bricks. New additions included a round-topped two-by-two stud brick and a small four-wheeled wagon with two rows of six studs. With these new Duplo sets, Lego began targeting children 1½ years old with the intention that when the children became older, their Duplo bricks could be used together with regular Lego bricks. In 1977, the Duplo name was dropped in favor of Lego Preschool. Small figures the size of two-by-two bricks were introduced, made up of a cylindrical head and a tapered, limbless body, similar in design to Fisher-Price's Little People. Another new brick was a half arch. The new sets included figures, doors, and two-by-six brick wagons that could act as a car or train. The name Duplo was brought back in 1979, along with a new reworked logo. Some brick sets were sold inside a plush version of the rabbit from the logo, that zipped closed.
In 1983, other Duplo figures appeared, often called Duplo people. These figures have a moveable head, arms, and legs and look like large Lego minifigures, but cannot be taken apart, making them safer for small children. Also in 1983, set number 2700 was introduced with a model of a steam engine with two train cars. In 1986, a Duplo doll house with sliding doors was introduced. This included a Duplo people mother, father, and smaller child. In 1992, Duplo Toolo was introduced. These used internal screws to stay together. 1993 brought a grey rail train system with a stop and start track. Later, two more train systems arrived. In 2005, Lego started selling Duplo trains themed as Thomas the Tank Engine. The name Duplo was dropped again in favor of Explore in 2002. In the 2004 spring catalog, there was a reminder that Duplo was now called Explore, but that fall the well-known Duplo name was back yet again with a new rabbit logo designed to match the new elephant logo for the Lego Quatro range.
Lego have made Duplo sets licensed with Bob the Builder and Thomas & Friends characters. Those Duplo ranges have been discontinued, but Duplo sets now include farm, zoo, town, castle, and pirate lines. A doll house and princess castle are available as of 2008. Some Duplo sets have cars, trucks, and buildings which cannot be disassembled. Some DUPLO sets do not include building manuals.Ray DollhouseNew Ray ToysToys And KidsNewrayFurniture Brown2 ChairsBrown WoodDollhouse FurnitureDollhousesForwardNew Ray Dollhouse Furniture Brown Wood Look Table with 2 chairs #NewRayColor Sensor3 ReviewsFIND MORE PRODUCTS LIKE THISMINDSTORMS®Add color sensitivity to your creation! Disney Cars, Disney Pixar Cars Movie Toys, Merchandise, Action Figures & Plush!BY Janice Davis ON Oct 9, 2014 This is a sponsored post by Nuffnang and LEGO® DUPLO® Quite often we purchase toys for our children not realising their potential for endless play and learning opportunities. As a parent, I also like to purchase toys that will grow with my children and can be utilised in a number of different play opportunities.
They also need to be durable, interest grabbing and fun! LEGO® DUPLO® is one of these toys that will grow with your child/ren, be utilised in a number of play opportunities, it is durable, and comes in bright and fun colours which grab the attention of curious toddlers and kids. The size of the LEGO® DUPLO® bricks is perfect for little fingers to grasp, hold and manipulate. When planning activities for my children, I get excited about the endless opportunities LEGO® DUPLO® offers. LEGO® DUPLO® is fabulous for building and constructing but can also be utilised for children’s learning and play times. I have included 4 play ideas today using LEGO® DUPLO® that will engage your child, creatively and imaginatively and promote learning and development. The ideas and play opportunities are endless! *Be sure to scroll down to the end of this post for your chance to win a LEGO® DUPLO® prize pack.* Imaginative or pretend play is essentially when children are building their own stories and acting out various experiences they may have had or something that is of some interest to them.
They are experimenting with decision making on how to behave and are also practising their social skills. To absorb those experiences and make sense of the world, they need to be engaged in imaginary play. Using our LEGO® DUPLO® bricks we created our very own imaginary Snowy Road Scene for Miss 4 to engage in pretend play. We created a Snow Plough Truck, tunnel, traffic lights and fuel tank using the Duplo bricks. The road tracks were made using coloured electrical tape and for the snow, we sprinkled on soap flakes. The Snow Plough Truck was great for pretending to clear the soap flakes snow. Miss 4 spent hours playing and pretending that cars were getting stuck in the snow, snow storms, clearing snow from the roads with the plough truck and so much more. A more creative type of play provides children with the opportunity to make their own adventures and discover new worlds in an unstructured and self-directed way. It allows children opportunity to free their imaginations, invent new ideas and build their self-esteem as they feel a sense of pride and achievement in completing the activity.
It also encourages self-expression, emotional and language development, fine motor, coordination and concentration skills. Setting up opportunities to learn is a great way to encourage this creative play. Providing the tools such as the LEGO® DUPLO® cars and paint soaked sponges encourages an opportunity to play creatively, self-directing what will happen next. We also utilised the opportunity to learn about colours as Miss 4 made 3 coloured cars and matched them to the coloured paint. There was lots of printing, swishing, dragging and twirling of the Duplo cars. Later Miss 4 moved onto painting with the individual Lego Duplo bricks and then her fingers and hands. LEGO® DUPLO® comes in bright, fun and vibrant colours which grab the attention of curious toddlers and kids. The size of the LEGO® DUPLO® bricks is perfect for little fingers to grasp, hold and manipulate. It is also great for challenging children and their abilities. I could not resist making a few printable cards to create a puzzle-like “Match the LEGO® DUPLO® Brick” to promote learning for Miss 4.
She absolutely loves games that challenge her. It is balanced for her ability but yet still challenging enough for her to feel the sense of achievement and pride once she has completed it. Learning is fun when the activity is pitch at the right level of development and is not too challenging. The “Match the LEGO® DUPLO® Duplo Brick” Printable Cards is a learning opportunity that encourages and challenges children to think and develop strategies on how to achieve the goal of completing the matching game. Children need to think about the colour, size and shape of the LEGO® DUPLO® Bricks. This process involves problem solving, reasoning skills and developing solutions which can later be transferred into their personal life. You can print and download the Match the LEGO DUPLO Brick Cards here: Match the Lego Duplo Brick Printable We have an exciting giveaway today, 1 x LEGO® DUPLO® prize pack! How would LEGO® DUPLO® bring fun and learning into your home?