duplo v lego at 3yo

[omama]

DS (3.2) has a couple of the lego young builders kits & absolutely loves playing with them alongside me/dh, & but isnt yet able to build the models unaided.

He keeps mentioning a 'planes' duplo kit he's seen & while I know he would like it for the characters included, I'm not sure how much play value & longevity it will have since the blocks are much bigger & the build is much simpler than his lego.

So my question is: Is it pointless buying duplo for a 3.2yo who is already getting into proper lego?

Thanks.x

My DS2 is 3.10 and he prefers Duplo despite access to the smaller stuff. It is nice to have something they can master. Ds1 grew out of duplo at about 4.5 but will still play with his brother with it now aged 9, so you should be ok if it's what he really wants.

Duplo all the way lego is a bugger! I often hoover it up or step on it!
nearly 6yr old ds will still play with dulpo. With the lego kits once it gets dismantled in the slightest bits go missing or get mixed up and he can never rebuild the intended toy.

DD has played with her Duplo far more than any other toy. So while it's expensive for what it is, play for play it's worth it.

She is still only 3 1/2 but shows no sign of tiring of it and I'm sure will be playing with it at least until age 5 or so. We're thinking of getting more.

Agree that it's more satisfying for them to have an easier model that they can master rather than fiddlier Lego.

Also, the designs are actually quite sophisticated - you can do a lot with Duplo!

Duplo bricks and Lego bricks can actually fit together, so no real need for it to be one or the other!

Lego! Duplo takes up so much space. DS2 has been a lego convert from a similar age.

DD has both now, and plays with them both at the same time, as Lego bricks fit onto Duplo ones.

When she wants to build something big she does a lot of it with Duplo and then finishes it off with Lego. You need a lot of Lego to build anything of any size, so using both really helps.

We continued to use duplo to build zoos for playmobil animals and the bottom of very tall towers, long after DDs were 3. Playmobil people also fit Duplo trucks.

Real Lego is very hard to take apart so Duplo often still appeals to 4-5y wanting to do something unaided.

thanks for the replies folks. hmmm not sure what to do. DP thinks too babyish now, & while I agree to a certain extent, I think (& esp now backed up by the above replies) it would prob be ok. He has some bob duplo & plays with that a lot still, so no reason why he wouldn't play with this. Will have to talk to dp again!

A vote here for Duplo! DS is only 17 months but has quite a lot (for 'quite a lot' read 'everything my DH could lay his hands on was pretty much purchased prior to DS even being born') and will hopefully enjoy it for ages.

Mind you, DH and I like to build the Lego modular buildings ourselves and often find ourselves playing with the Duplo long after DS has wandered off to do something else .

So apparently, even at 44 and 37 you're still not too old to enjoy Duplo...

Babyish? He's 3 not 13! DS has just turned 3 and has both - he likes the lego but it's way too small and fiddly for him to build yet whereas he can put the duplo together himself.

I'll play with any of it, I love it all :)

I would recommend lego bricks ie 4 x 2 pieces and longer ones with bases rather than kits of lego. We never had duplo but all my DC were playing with lego from age 2, DD too and all remain doing so for several hours every day. Best toy ever. Great for fine motor skills.