Three is when stacking turns into building on purpose, with houses, zoos and wobbly bridges.
In a study of more than 100 three-year-olds, children who were better at copying block structures were also better at early math. Scroll down for DUPLO picks sized for three.
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Ages 1.5+
23 pieces · set 10954
Numbers ride along on the cars of this Duplo train, giving all that out-loud stair counting a new place to go.
Call out a number, like three, and the hunt is on to find that brick and press it onto the train. Lined up in order, the cars make counting something to push from one room to the next.
Ages 1.5+
65 pieces · set 10913
Towers stop growing when the bricks run out, and a preschooler building tall runs out fast.
The Duplo Brick Box adds a fresh supply that works on its own or mixed in with the Duplo already at home. With more to go around, one lonely stack can grow into a whole street of houses.
11 pieces · Fits a stocking · set 10949
The Duplo Farm Animal Care set hands an animal-loving three-year-old a small farm to look after.
Its 11 pieces snap together into the scene, and then the game becomes feeding the animals and tucking them in. Each morning, the farm chores can start over before breakfast.
Ages 2+
10 pieces · Fits a stocking · set 10442
Lions and penguins make an odd pair, and that is the appeal for a toddler torn between roaring at big cats and waddling like a penguin.
Both arrive as Duplo animal families, ready to put together, feed and march around. At snack time, the penguins can line up beside the plate while the lions wait their turn.
Ages 2+
18 pieces · set 10468
Playing store in Peppa Pig voices goes further with a market stand to run and a tractor to haul in the goods, both built from Duplo bricks.
The tractor pulls up with the delivery, the stand opens, and anyone who wanders past becomes a customer. The market stays open as long as there is someone left to sell to.
Ages 2+
87 pieces · set 10465
Mickey's own clubhouse is the build here, and Minnie and Pluto arrive as his first guests.
Once the house is up, the builder decides who knocks first and whether Pluto gets the spot by the door.
Ages 2+
37 pieces · set 10462
Elsa and Olaf are both in the set, so the very first build has a job: a tall ice palace for one, a snowy hideout for the other.
Compared with a single Frozen doll, this gives a young builder two characters and a heap of bricks to rearrange their little world as often as they like.
Ages 2+
36 pieces · set 10421
This Duplo alphabet truck suits a 3-year-old who loves vehicles and is starting to spot letters.
The truck has a detachable trailer to load with letter bricks. After lunch, the driver can haul a favorite letter from the rug to the couch.
Ages 2+
70 pieces · set 10445
While motor racing plays on the family TV, a three-year-old who cheers every overtake can build a grid of her own.
Those 70 Duplo pieces turn the sport she watches into a team she snaps together and steers herself. Each driver figure hops into a fresh car whenever the lead changes on TV.
Ages 3+
218 pieces · set 10994
This LEGO Duplo family house gives a three-year-old's playing-house games a home of their own to build.
Its 218 pieces come apart and snap back into a new layout whenever the pretend story changes. Mealtimes and bedtimes can then play out room by room, just like at home.
Ages 2+
5 pieces · Fits a stocking · set 10967
This Duplo police motorcycle makes a small add-on for a preschooler with a Duplo town at home.
Its five pieces snap together quickly, and the motorcycle is soon out on patrol. Next to a bigger present, it adds police to the town the builder already has.
Ages 1+
80 pieces · set 10909
The Duplo Heart Box holds plain bricks for a three-year-old who builds whatever comes to mind.
Its 80 pieces leave room to make up a new build each day, with no story to follow. After breakfast, yesterday's tower can come apart and turn into a bridge.
Ages 2+
12 pieces · Fits a stocking · set 10908
A LEGO Duplo plane puts a toy aircraft in the hands of a three-year-old fascinated by flying.
Its 12 pieces snap together into the plane, then come apart for another build later. Between builds, it can swoop down the hallway and land on the couch for pretend trips.
Ages 2+
17 pieces · set 10925
The LEGO Duplo Playroom gives a three-year-old who loves Duplo a little playroom of their own to build.
Its 17 pieces make a small room to set up just so, then use for a whole pretend day. A favorite stuffed bear can drop by as a guest while the young builder plays host.
37 pieces · set 10962
Buzz Lightyear's Planetary Mission brings Toy Story into Duplo bricks for a three-year-old already building with LEGO.
Its 37 pieces snap together into the mission, and then Buzz goes wherever the story leads. Afterward, the same bricks can be rebuilt into a new planet for the next mission.
15 pieces · set 10413
This Duplo bath time set gives a 3-year-old a bathroom to build and elephant figures to wash.
The 15 pieces snap into a tub, shower and toilet. Then the elephant parent and baby can go through a pretend wash before dinner.
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See all 82 sets for ages 3 to 5 in the LEGO finder
LEGO sets with small pieces carry a choking hazard warning and are not for children under 3. DUPLO is made for children from 18 months, and most LEGO sets start at 4+.
DUPLO for most 3-year-olds. DUPLO bricks are twice as long, high and wide as standard LEGO bricks and made for small hands, while most LEGO sets start at 4+. Some 4+ LEGO sets are made for the step up from DUPLO, with larger starter pieces. DUPLO bricks also click onto LEGO bricks, so nothing goes to waste later.
Start from something the child already loves, such as animals, trains, cars or a character from a show. A set with a figure or two and a vehicle or a small scene gives them something to play with once it is built, which matters as much as the building at this age.
The Duplo counting train carries numbers on its cars, giving stair-step counting a train to ride on.
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Chosen by our team from store data and what readers pick, not hands-on tests. Nothing is paid to be on this list. Recall notices checked . How we pick
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Updated Nov 8
