Lego, duplo, help!

Thanks for all this great advice. I'm doubling up my Tesco coupons so will see which of the suggested kits/sets are on offer when I go online tomorrow.

GD loves her Duplo zoo, lots of animals and keepers, there's even a wheelbarrow and shovel for cleaning out

Same here our Duplo is at least 30 years old. We have a train set and track and various other pieces which I have added too of late with the sets currently on offer. I have bought bags of the bricks from charity shops as well. To clean I put mine in a hot soapy bath leave it to soak and then drain and rinse and leave it to dry on a wooden bath rack.

It is more expensive than some of the alternatives, but much better quality and it lasts as a few have mentioned to the second generation.

eGJ Thanks for the tip, it was a labour of love

Duplo still being used by 5 year old GS in conjection with smaller lego. All our 38 year old pieces still robust and in use too! Ella46 we always put the lego in a pillow case each term in our nursery class and put it in the washing macine! Perfect results and great fun speading it out on the grass and getting ther children to help sort and dry it!!

I bought a large zip-up sack of jumbo lego from a charity shop for £3, and spent ages painstakingly washing and drying every piece.
Got it out for dgd (she's a bit young really), and she loves to drag it into the centre of the floor and tip it all out, and then ignore it!

A neenah horse is so good! #greatthinking

As an ex-pre schooler just want to say that on a like for like basis Duplo is pretty expensive AND most children progress onto lego quite soon. Lego sets are age marked so that the first ones do not have the realy small pieces. I'd be inclined to just buy a smallish duplo kit....perhaps animal related as the little play figures also give scope for what we used to call 'minature/pretend' play.

DGS1 has always called fire engines, police cars, ambulances etc "nee-na" cars. Recently he referred to a police horse as a "nee-na" horse. Love the image!

She also loves the farm, but the fire engine flashes and makes noises!

My DGD 22 months loves the fire engine.

My GCs loved the figures more than the bricks, so I bought lots of extras cheaply on ebay. Same when they moved on to Lego.

Lol about the "sacrifices"!

Yes. I thought that was what you were saying. Sorry if I did n' t make that clear.

I think it's good to give them a mixture of boy/girl toys and let them play with whichever they choose as the mood takes them.

That was my point Jo I don't want little girls to think that supermarkets and shopping are their lot in life. I salute grannylin for getting it for her grandson. I'm part of a campaign against 'Boys Toys and Girls Toys' and have had the local book shop remove a couple of over gender-specific books from their windows (eg Science Games for Boy) it makes my blood boil. Not you
My grandson happily plays with dolls and finds they make wonderful extras in his game shipwrecked pirates, usually offering them as sacrifices to the sharks

A bit off topic I know, but I think you don't always need to be gender specific. I picked up in Oxfam shop a Happyland church, complete with bride, groom, bridesmaid and vicar. A little two year old boy of our acquaintance loved it!

I'm going to get a box of bricks, the community people and one of the kits. Just a toss up between the farm and the supermarket. If she was a boy i think I'd opt for the supermarket, but I'm heading towards the farm.
That way she'll have plenty to keep her busy. Thanks for all the help but any other suggestions will still be welcome.
She's past the teething stage JO but thanks too.

Stickle bricks are good too. Excellent for teething on as well.

Duplo and Lego don't date and don't deteriorate - childproof, in fact. I'd agree that a set of bricks is better value than a kit. They can make anything from a big set of bricks.

Have you thought about just getting a box of Duplo bricks (yes, I would agree with others that real Duplo is worth the extra money - our grandchildren, too, play with the Duplo and the Lego bought for our children) to add to any kits she may have or acquire later? The bricks are lovely, with bright colours and can be used to make anything she can imagine.

Proper lego Duplo every time! Its properly engineered. They didn't have duplo Farms 33 yrs ago.

My 2year old GS loves the Duplo supermarket and the numbers set..I do too

Get a set called community people. They're excellent for role play and all combine with any other Duplo pieces. I've still got Duplo from 30 years ago in excellent condition.

Hi Bags she plays with it at my house, bits and pieces of sets I've been given. Sounds like what you describe, good quality, animals, people, cars, etc, so must be Duplo. Loves it, so mum would like some for her at home. I've got loads of Tesco coupons which I can double up, so money not an issue. Like the sound of the farm

The Duplo farm was very popular too. GS loves that.