Lego Duplo sets are wonderful for toddlers. Through planning, building, and pretend play, Duplos help toddlers develop important developmental skills—while having fun.
Open-ended building sets like the Lego Duplo line can open up a whole new world of inspiration for toddlers. Legos teach many skills that young children need to master, such as spatial reasoning and fine motor skills.
Plus, all Lego toys are made with ABS plastic, which is a non-toxic, stable plastic, safe for children. My kids love Legos and I love that they provide lots of entertainment and focused play.
Lego Duplo sets are specifically designed for babies and toddlers. The pieces are bigger than regular-sized Legos, so they won’t pose a choking hazard. And the larger brick size it makes them more accessible for tiny hands to put together.
Since Lego first launched the Duplo line, they have added a number of amazing sets. There are so many fun Duplo sets available today! You can find a lot of options on Amazon as well as on the Lego site.
Here are my favorite Duplo sets for babies and toddlers. Legos make wonderful gifts, too. In fact, Legos are my go-to gifts for kids of all ages.
1. Lego Duplo My First Alphabet Truck
This 36-piece set is age-appropriate for both toddlers and babies. It comes with a truck and a block for every letter of the alphabet. A boy, girl, and polar bear are included too, which I’m sure any toddler would get a kick out of.
This is a great set to help your little one learn to recognize letters, sing the ABCs, and enjoy the imaginative play together.
The blocks in this set are extra-large, so even the most inexperienced hands should be able to put them together. The set is recommended for children 18 months old and older.
2. Lego Duplo My First Number Train
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This number train is very similar to the alphabet truck set. However, this steam train features numbers instead of letters, helping your little one recognize their numbers early on. (Because of this, the set comes with fewer Duplo blocks – 23 bricks in total.)
Two kids and a cat are included with this set as well, which gives your toddler something to play with on the number cargo train. This set is recommended for ages 18 months to 3 years.
3. Lego Duplo Classic Heart Box
So much of what makes Lego a great toy brand is discovery and creativity. This 80-piece set is perfect for just that.
Your little builder can be free to explore, create, and build whatever their heart desires! It’s one of the most open-ended toy sets on this list.
This set is recommended for toddlers 18 months and up, though it’s probably best for children a little older than that. It also includes instructions of 15 different models if your child likes to follow building instructions.
4. Lego Duplo Classic Brick Box
This set is very similar to the Classic Heart Box, but it comes with number blocks, flowers, a roof, window, and bread. This set also includes two people and a vehicle. This Duplo set is perfect for open-ended, imaginative play.
In total, this set comes with 65 Lego pieces, plenty for your little one to explore! There’s also a Deluxe Brick Set with 85 Lego Duplo pieces, if you’d prefer to have a larger set.
5. Lego Duplo My First Animal Brick Box
What child doesn’t love animals? This set includes 34 different pieces that turn into four different buildable animal figures: an elephant, crocodile, lion, and giraffe. You can also build a bird out of the blocks. All the animal figures are on wheels and can be hooked up to form a train.
This set makes a great gift for children who love animals and vehicles.
Related: The Best Non-Toxic Baby Toy Brands
6. Lego Duplo My First Bricks
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This is another Duplo set that can spark the imagination! It comes with 80 colorful, oversized pieces for little hands, providing plenty of blocks to make different kinds of creatures and towers.
The set comes with instructions to make a few specific models, but as always with Legos, kids can create whatever they dream up.
7. Lego Duplo My First Ladybug
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This is a basic set that only comes with six pieces, making this set perfect for a younger toddler—even as young as 13-14 months. Adorably, the pieces create a little ladybug car.
This car is best for younger kids because it gives them direction and the satisfaction of building a complete object without being too complex. It introduces them to the mechanics of Lego and how to put the pieces together without any frustration.
8. Lego Duplo My First Bus
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This is another small Duplo set that comes with just six pieces used to make a bus. Your little one will love to roll the bus around, and it’s a great toy to help teach your little one about transportation.
And of course, you could pair this with the song about the wheels on the bus. Perfect teaching opportunity!
9. Lego Duplo Town Fire Truck
With 21-pieces, this small set includes a firetruck, tree, firefighter, boy, and cat. Even with very little building required, toddlers love to play with the scene.
It’s also an opportunity to encourage younger toddlers to learn new noises and words. Children who are learning to talk will love making firetruck and kitty noises.
10. Lego Duplo All-in-One-Box-of-Fun Building Kit
For children who need a gentle introduction to open-ended toys, this 65-piece set is a good choice. Your child will love piecing together the house and car.
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It also comes with a house and dog for more imaginative play. I like that the set has enough pieces for your toddler to make other buildings and towers as well.
11. Lego Education My XL World
Buy on Lego.com
If you are going all-in with Legos, or you’re looking for a gift with a WOW factor, this is your set. It comes with over 480 pieces, which allows toddlers to make just about everything.
If you’re looking for an all-in-one set that your child can get years of play out of, this is the best option currently available.
It is designed primarily for preschool-aged children. However, it can be used for younger children, too.
12. Lego Duplo Big Fair
This is a really fun, bright and colorful Duplo set. The fair rides and attractions make for a fun and exciting setting.
The attractions come pre-built, which is suitable for younger children so they can still have the freedom to play without any frustration that can come with trying to build more complicated structures. This comes with a Ferris wheel, rotating carousel, 2 wavy slides, a train, an ice cream kiosk with chairs, and a restroom block.
Your toddler will definitely enjoy moving all the pieces around to make the fair come to life!
13. Lego Duplo World Animals
Animals galore! For toddlers that love animals, this Duplo set can make a great gift.
This set is mostly a collection of animals and people. There are a few pieces included for things like archways and slides, but these are in the background. Great for imaginative play!
This is also one of the more expensive sets included in this list, but it does come with plenty of pieces – 121 pieces to be exact. And for this reason, it is one of the best Duplo sets for toddlers. Your little one will get tons of use out of this!
14. Lego Duplo Creative Animals
For those who want something a little more open-ended, this set focuses on animals, but in a creative way. It includes 175 pieces in total. All the bricks are colorful and designed to build all sorts of animals, like pandas and monkeys.
15. Lego Town Airport
This Lego set includes 29 pieces, which are designed to build an airport. It comes with an airplane, three people, and luggage.
This set is perfect for toddlers who are into airplanes and it’s great to help learn about the different modes of transportation. (Pair this with the bus listed above and you have a great learning opportunity!)
16. Lego Duplo Fire Station
This firetruck set comes with a fire station and a firetruck, as well as two firefighters and a dog. For toddlers who like firefighters, this may be an excellent set to add to their collection.
Toddlers will love to easily build this fire station without the frustration of more complex pieces. Great for imaginative play!
Lego Duplos Are Great for Toddlers
Lego Duplo sets are a great way to introduce your toddler to Legos.
I love that they come as sets with themes to make it easy and fun for young children to build, imagine, and play. The bright colors spark the imagination and have a fun, childhood feel.
Legos are great for helping toddlers build their fine motor skills and my kids have absolutely loved them. I get most of my Legos from Amazon but also have started shopping from the Lego store for more options.
Are you a Disney family? You can even find Duplo sets featuring some of your toddler’s favorite characters such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, The Little Mermaid, the cast of Frozen, and Woody and Buzz from Toy Story.
FAQs About Lego Duplos
What age is suitable for Duplos?
All Duplos will have an age recommendation posted on the box, and it’s best to follow the manufacturer’s age recommendations.
Pay particular attention to the age range listed on the box because some Duplos are recommended for toddlers as young as 18 months while other sets are recommended for ages 3 and up. Those sets that are for ages 3 and up typically have smaller pieces that are choking hazards and are therefore NOT suitable for younger toddlers.
Can a 1-year-old safely play with Duplos?
A 12-month-old is probably too young to play with Duplos, but around 18 months old, your little one might be more interested in playing with building bricks. As with all toys, your toddler should be supervised when using Duplos.
What’s the difference between Lego and Duplo?
Duplos are basically larger Legos, made for toddlers and younger children. They feature larger bricks that little hands can more easily stack and assemble. The larger size also ensures they are not choking hazards. Some of the Duplo sets for younger toddlers also feature smooth corners on the bricks so they don’t hurt your child if he were to put them in his mouth.
Classic legos are much smaller and require more precision and dexterity to use and play with. They are designed for older children who do not put toys in their mouths—typically ages 4 and up.
Are Duplos and Legos compatible?
Duplo sets are not compatible with classic Lego bricks, but they can be used together. So if you start with Duplos and build a collection, your child can still use them alongside their Lego sets when they transition to Legos. But the two will never fit together.
What kind of plastic are Lego and Duplo bricks made of?
Legos are primarily made of ABS plastic, which is considered to be a safe and stable plastic. It’s commonly used in food containers as well. The plastic is extremely durable and stable making it unlikely that it will breakdown even in the heat.
This is a perfectly safe plastic to be in your child’s toys. That said, it’s always smart to remind your kiddos not to chew on their toys.
What skills do Duplos help teach?
Your toddler will be working on a bunch of different skill sets when playing with Duplos. By stacking and building, your child will work on fine motor skills as well as hand-eye coordination.
As your child creates with Duplos, they will access problem-solving skills, planning, organization as well as learn how to balance bricks. You’ll see your child enter a big world of imagination while role-playing with figurines and a variety of settings.
Lego Duplos are really amazing toy sets that will continue to invite your child to enjoy learning through play over and over again!
I hope you enjoyed this roundup of the best Lego Duplo sets for toddlers and preschoolers. For more toy and gift ideas for babies and toddlers, be sure to check out the playtime section of the blog and my Amazon store.
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