duplo/lego

[slightlyconfused85]

Dd is almost 3 and absolutely loves Duplo. We've got a mixed box, the cafe and creative cakes which get loads of use. It's her birthday and Christmas coming up and I wondered if she is too young for lego? I've looked at other duplo sets and I don't think there's much that would appeal to her (she was indifferent about the zoo, the pirate things and the doc mcstuffin one as she's not into any of these things) there's loads more lego but I'm not sure if it would be too hard for her?

There's much cooler dulplo on eBay - I think the newer stuff is a bit pants tbh.

My DS had Lego for his 3rd birthday, and he makes all sorts out of it. He doesn't make what's on the box as he's too young to really follow the instructions but he's quite able to make things of his own imagining. He does still play with the Duplo too, but more often the Lego now.

I'm not up-to-date with current Lego, but one of the houses (that used to be available) might be suitable. But the bricks do need quite a bit of physical strength to pull them apart.

The illustrated instructions should be accessible to a 3 yr who concentrates, and can count a bit! Parents can always help . . .

I'll have a look, and come back sometime when I have seen more sets. I hope it's not ONLY 'girlie' things that are being considered.

My DS got some Lego for his third birthday, but wasn't interested in it until he was nearly 4. He wasn't able to play with his Lego without adult help until he was nearer 5.5 though. The directions can be tricky for a young child to follow, and it's actually quite hard to pull the pieces apart sometimes. Putting them together needs fairly mature fine motor skills too.

I'd stick to Duplo for now.

I had two lego obsessed boys but at 3 they couldn't really manage to build the proper lego sets alone - we had some brilliant duplo that you screwed different elements together and it had bricks that had lights and sounds - can't remember what it was called though :( and it would be over 10 years ago.

Saw this: www.lego.com/en-gb/juniors/products

might be something in there - seems to be a halfway house between basic duplo and proper lego.

Otherwise I 'd just get a box of basics and let her create herself as far as she is able rather than buying a set as such as that might be frustrating

Here are some of the sets - seem reasonable - normal sized lego but simpler more basic builds - some obviously more aimed at girls but a fair bit of choice depending on what she was into - garbage trucks are always good fun :)

www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Dtoys&field-keywords=lego+juniors

Dd (3.5) plays with both. We got a big rectangular plastic box which had some instructions for a few different bits. She loses interest in following the instructions very quickly but likes to play with the things we build and add/destroy them.

We have both. Big duplo is easier but ds liked actual Lego from age 3. Not sets though, we got a big pile of bricks second hand and he messes about with it.

Ah, Ferguson, my 3 yr old must be a bit "behind" then as he can't easily follow the instructions. Plus he'd much rather make his own versions of things tbh.

He can usually put together the bricks and pull them apart, occasionally he asks for help with doing that. I find Lego is great for imaginative play and creativity.

Thanks all- it sounds like perhaps I should hold off on lego for a bit; she is in a phase of not wanting help with anything at all so she might get cross if I have to help her with the more fiddly aspect!
Not just 'girly' sets no, I didn't think there was anything girly about a mixed box of bricks and a cafe anyway?! She just isn't in to animals and I haven't bought the aeroplane because there isn't much actual building involved and that's the bit she likes!

Oh and thank you for the lego junior links: that might be a good option- will have a good look now!

Mine had the kits (as well as a random box of bits) and still managed to create loads of different things after initially having the set built as it was intended. They then went on to film movies etc "Star Wars v's the pirates" seemed to be a popular theme :) .

As a consequence we now have thousands of pounds worth of "kits" all mixed together in * underbed storage boxes plus about another 10 crates - no-one can face sorting it all out.

I thin it really is a choice you have to make early on if you are going to allow them to mix it all up or keep the sets nicely and play with them as they are. There are arguments for both but I think the latter is more an economic argument really.

Thanks all- ive reserved the number train as I hadn't seen that- she likes numbers and trains and I have a baby boy too who might like that in the reasonably near future.

She's a stickler for keeping things in the right boxes - the mixed bricks go in the green box, the cafe in the right box etc! So I think she might be more of a set girl...

Well - what do you know!

I didn't know about the 'Number Train', but just looked at it, and - with the exception of the colours, and the numbers - it is EXACTLY the same train DS had thirty years ago! In those days, to go with it, there was track, and you could buy extra straight and curved track, 'points', a bridge the train could go over or under, a floating boat some of the train would fit on to, and a crane.

I doubt if all the other items are still in production, but I am happy to be corrected if anyone knows better!