The Wolef Needs Help! Duplo or Lego?!

[BigBadWolefPlum]

Ok so I'm sure the subject has been raised before but I can't find it :(

DD was 3 in October and we have a new baby due in May (unknown flavour)
I want to start a good collection of a Duplo/Lego and keep adding to it for christmas's/birthdays etc. Probably going to start this xmas with £100 or so worth of it. Is it best to invest in Duplo only for DD to grow out of it soon, or Lego that the new baby won't be able to play with as fast? How early do they enjoy Lego??

DD loves Duplo at DM's house and has the zoo(?) or some sort of animals there but has got her eye on a mermaid set at boots.

And if someone can also point me in the direction of the best starter set for each type that would be great....and also what is the best way of storing it? Thank you SO much in advance!!

[InTheRedCorner]

DD didn't start to use Lego confidently ie not needing me to break them up and put them together for her age 5.

I think duplo would be the way forward.

[bundaberg]

at 3 i would def go for Duplo.

we started with proper Lego at 4, but the bits are quite small and hard to get apart, so needed a reasonable amount of assistance

my 8yr old stil loves playing with the Duplo too! as well as his own massive collection of real Lego, so I def wouldn't worry about it being grown out of.

we store ours just in a giant really useful box.
I'd maybe get a couple of the sets, and then a big box of blocks

[LittleMissGreen]

At 3 Duplo, my DSs have got the hang of lego (independently) at about 4.5. They still play with the duplo occasionally and DS1 is 11!

[BigBadWolefPlum]

Lovely advice!! Looks like Duplo is definitely the way forward - thanks for helping out a construction virgin!

[kiwidreamer]

Agree your DD will get at least a few yrs out of the duplo and then another couple yrs again playing with sibling as they start to get into it. Get a big box of bricks and then a set or two of something that takes her fancy - animals, jake and never land pirates, fire station, that mermaid wots her name etc

[BigBadWolefPlum]

Yeah its the mermaid she is particularly after - I might get an animal themed something for her peppa pigs to look after god knows where we are going to put another 'collection'

[Marne]

I would go for Duplo, mainly because in 6 months time you will have a baby that will be picking things up and putting them in its mouth ( lego has lots of mouth sized pieces) and lego is quite tricky, dd2 has only just started building the sets on her own at age 7, duplo should last quite a while.

[WaitMonkey]

I agree with the other's, Wolef, definitely duplo at that age. My youngest is 4 and isn't bothered by Lego, the pieces are to small but loves duplo. As do my older dc, so it probably won't be grown out of as quickly as you think.

[IHadADreamThatWasNotAllADream]

My 9 and 11 year old still play with their Duplo. They become particularly keen whenever I make a plaintiff suggestion that perhaps we could donate the sodding enormous box to a baby cousin / Save the Children.

[IHadADreamThatWasNotAllADream]

...err, plaintive suggestion. Am not actually being prosecuted by decluttering police....yet.

[enormouse]

I bought a green bucket of duplo off Amazon for £7.99
That's the cheapest I've been able to find.
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005KIQSXU/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21
Link to my thread about duplo mostly about what to buy as a minimum, boxes, base plates etc.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/Christmas/1903417-feeling-a-bit-lost-with-lego-duplo-for-a-2-year-old

[Coveredinweetabix]

Another vote for the Duplo. DD has just turned 4 and got a couple of "proper" Lego sets which she loves as it's for "big girls" but she can't actually do much with it. We keep this in her room out of the way of DS.
Downstairs, we also have a crate of Duplo which DD and DS (18mths) play with together. Until recently, DS has mainly eaten or bashed pieces together etc but is now beginning to build. DD can build easily with it and enjoys it.
When getting yourself a decent set of stuff, you need base plates (I'd say the giant green one for actually being a base and then the smaller ones which you can use for bits of roof), general bricks, some doors & windows, some car or other vehicle bases and then maybe some characters.

[fifi669]

Might be worth looking at mega blocks too.... like duplo but cheaper

[SquirrelNuts]

I'd go for duplo.
I bought DS a huge box of lego for Christmas last year (he was 3.5 and DD was 8 months) I soon realised this was a mistake as DD would most definitely try and eat it, so its still in the cellar he may not even get it this year, but he'd still happy with duplo.

[Maryann1975]

Duplo, I think a three year old will appreciate it far more. Also as baby becomes a crawler, duplo is far more difficult to swallow where as lego is just the right size for babies to find and eat. And it's very difficult to pick up every single piece when you've been playing with it. My 7 year old still enjoys duplo.

[Geneticsbunny]

I got some duplo from ebay last year and it has been well used all year. Much cheaper than new and the kids (2 and 4) didn't notice it wasn't new. I was still playing with duplo at 11 although I did have much younger brothers.

[Hanginggardenofboobylon]

There is an 'in between' lego called 4+ or my first lego. It's a bit simpler than the normal lego but compatible with it. My 3.5 year old is having lego for Christmas he is pretty good with the little cars etc he has already, but I agree that with a little one you might be better sticking with the bigger stuff a big longer

[BigBadWolefPlum]

Argos duplo bought! Got two tubs and the mermaid set to collect- thanks again! Where is the best plac to get a base plate?

[ShoeWhore]

Duplo for now but don't expect it to be used for years and years by your big one. My 3 were all onto proper Lego at 4 (making their own creations and building proper sets with us - by 5 they could build on their own from instructions)

Totally agree Duplo will be much easier with a baby around as well.