The 20 Best Lego Duplo Sets of 2024

LEGO DUPLO My First Number Train — Parents / Jaclyn Mastropasqua

Lego sets can be a wonderful building toy for open-ended creativity, fostering hand-eye coordination, and building spatial skills and awareness. But small Lego bricks aren’t always great for young children, who may not have the coordination to use them or know not to swallow them. That’s why Lego designs Duplo sets with larger bricks specifically designed for little hands to build more easily and safely.

“Lego Duplo blocks are a great toddler toy,” declares Stacy Doumas, M.D., a pediatric psychiatrist at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Dr. Doumas notes that the bricks’ larger size ensures they aren’t a swallowing hazard, and they provide plenty of benefits such as encouraging hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. “Lego Duplo blocks teach children to problem solve, plan, and concentrate, developing perseverance and a sense of accomplishment along the way. For older toddlers, they help them engage in creative and symbolic play, re-creating scenes and imagining their own. This helps develop both independent play and social skills when they are collaborating with others on their creations.”

All those important benefits would mean nothing if they weren’t also loads of fun for little ones, who can spend an impressive amount of time playing with Duplo sets—even independently. To help you choose a Lego Duplo set to give a child in your life or bring into your own home, we spoke to experts and researched many of the sets on the market to find the best to suit a variety of interests, budgets, and ages.

Our Favorites

LEGO DUPLO Classic Brick Box Building Set

Buy on Amazon $30 Buy on Target $24 Buy on Walmart $24

Give the gift of ultimate creativity with a “starter pack” of classic Duplo Lego bricks—this set comes with 65 bricks, including those building essentials like windows, wheels, and number bricks. And because these come in their own storage box with a lid, both children and adults will appreciate them.

The Details:

Recommended age: 1.5+ years
Number of pieces: 65

LEGO DUPLO My First Number Train

Buy on Amazon $20 Buy on Target $20 Buy on Walmart $20

Hop on the Lego Duplo train while introducing numbers in a fun and colorful way. The “My First Number” train offers numbered bricks to help kids learn to count up to 10 while playing with a push train toy. Kids can load the bricks into the train in the correct order or mix and match, then get to work unloading the train again. The set includes numbered bricks as well as toy people and a dog.

The Details:

Recommended age: 1.5+ years
Number of pieces: 23

LEGO DUPLO Town Cargo Train

Buy on Amazon $130 Buy on Lego.com $130

Toddlers ready for a more involved Duplo train will enjoy this 105-piece set with plenty of extra features. This train can move thanks to a “push and go” motor that requires just a gentle push to start it. There are plenty of interactive features to keep kids entertained, like a real horn and working lights (batteries are required). Like many other Duplo sets, this one can combine with other tracks and train sets. To keep the fun going, grown-ups can also download the accompanying Lego app that becomes a remote control for the train.

The Details:

Recommended age: 2+ years
Number of pieces: 105

LEGO DUPLO Town Truck & Excavator Construction Vehicle

Buy on Amazon $20 Buy on Target $16 Buy on Walmart $16

Budding construction workers can get to work excavating and digging with this construction vehicle toy set. The truck is push-along (with functional dumping action!) and the digger rotates. And one of the main attractions will definitely be the boulder that can “crack” open with the right touch. Two construction workers come along to help, too!

The Details:

Recommended age: 2+ years
Number of pieces: 20

LEGO DUPLO Town Airport Set

Buy on Amazon $60

Jet lag won’t be a problem when traveling with this Duplo town airport set. Kids can pack their bags and build the boarding gate, luggage slide, and revolving air traffic control tower. They even have to build their plane, so be sure to double-check their work before hopping on board. The set includes three Duplo figures for air traveling fun.

The Details:

Recommended age: 2+ years
Number of pieces: 29

LEGO DUPLO Wild Animals of the Ocean Set

Buy on Amazon $14 Buy on Walmart $24 Buy on Kohls.com $20

Go under the sea with this Duplo set that provides an immersive ocean experience. The set includes a foldable, three-dimensional ocean-floor playmat and a water slide to let kids dive into the fun. There are 32 pieces in total, including a cave with corals, an adult and baby whale, fish, and an adorable turtle.

The Details:

Recommended age: 2+ years
Number of pieces: 32

LEGO DUPLO 3-in-1 Family House

Buy on Amazon $129 Buy on Target $130 Buy on Kohls.com $130

This house set is much more than just a Lego buildable. It’s an entire household scene that includes a functioning kitchen, an overflowing garden, and even a buildable electric toy car that’s “chargeable” and ready to go. The 218-piece set will build one three-story home, a toy building, or two smaller structures connected by a garden, so kids can customize the world that works for them. The set also includes seven figures, including a mom and dad, three kids, a cat, and a dog.

The Details:

Recommended age: 3+ years
Number of pieces: 218

LEGO DUPLO My First Puppy & Kitten With Sounds

Buy on Amazon $25 Buy on Target $19 Buy on Walmart $36

Give this adorable puppy and kitten Lego Duplo set for kids to enjoy on its own or combined with other Lego sets. Once the pets are built, kids can play with them in a rolling ring toy or listen to the noise features that indicate when the animals need to eat, play, and sleep.

The Details:

Recommended age: 1.5+ years
Number of pieces: 22

LEGO DUPLO Marvel Spider-Man’s House

Amazon LEGO DUPLO Marvel Spider-Manâs House — Amazon

Buy on Amazon $18 Buy on Nordstrom $26 Buy on Walmart $26

Spider-Man fans will delight in this 25-piece set that features three figurines from the Disney+ series Spidey and His Amazing Friends. In addition to building the play house, kids can play with the included Spidey figure, Ghost-Spider, and Bootsie, who can go in and out of the opening door and window or tend to the “growing” plant with a watering can. (The plant grows by stacking more Lego bricks underneath.) And of course, because it’s Spider-Man we’re talking about here, the set also includes a web element that lets the characters practice their skills around the lamppost.

The Details:

Recommended age: 2+ years
Number of pieces: 25

LEGO DUPLO Jurassic World Dinosaur Nursery

Buy on Amazon $19 Buy on Walmart $22 Buy on Macy's $20

Kids in their dinosaur era will appreciate this hands-on Duplo set that lets them build a Jurassic World habitat and interact with the included three baby dinosaurs. The set includes baby Triceratops, Pteranodon, and Brachiosaurus dinosaur toys, as well as the figurine of Claire Dearing, the leader of the Dinosaur Protection Group. Plus, who can resist the adorable prehistoric details like the Pteranodon’s nest or the tree leaves ripe for snacking?

The Details:

Recommended age: 2+ years
Number of pieces: 27

LEGO DUPLO Organic Garden Brick Box

Buy on Amazon $45 Buy on Target $36 Buy on Kohls.com $45

There’s no need for anyone to get their hands dirty with this organic gardening Duplo set. With multiple veggie and fruit options—along with colorful garden critters including a ladybug, bee, and caterpillar—kids will have hours of fun playing in their own buildable garden. They can grow a tomato, a carrot, and a watermelon, using the included watering can to help their gardens reach new heights. As a bonus, the set comes in its own brick box that can be neatly packed away.

The Details:

Recommended age: 1.5+ years
Number of pieces: 43

LEGO DUPLO Disney Princess Frozen Ice Castle

Buy on Amazon $79 Buy on Kohls.com $50 Buy on Lego.com

The cold never bothered kids anyway (especially those who insist on not wearing a coat), and with this Frozen Duplo set, the fun can continue in any weather. Not only does the set include a full light-up buildable castle, but it also has additional play elements, like a slide, table and chairs, ice bricks, and of course, Anna, Elsa, and Olaf. Elsa can sing from her ice castle balcony, unthaw at the table with a warm drink, and laugh as Olaf enjoys the icy slide outside.

The Details:

Recommended age: 2+ years
Number of pieces: 59

LEGO DUPLO Disney 100 3 in 1 Magic Castle

Buy on Amazon $100 Buy on Walmart $140 Buy on Lego.com $100

Go old-school Disney with this magical castle set featuring the classic characters of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, Donald Duck, and Figaro the cat. As the name implies, the set can be built in three different ways: in the form of a large castle, a tall tower, or two smaller castles. There are also tons of Disney details like a magic mirror, Belle’s rose, and even Cinderella’s shoe. Kids can come up with their own creative designs or use the Lego Builder app that provides digital instructions.

The Details:

Recommended age: 3+ years
Number of pieces: 160

LEGO DUPLO Town Space Shuttle Mission

Buy on Amazon $20 Buy on Walmart $38 Buy on Lego.com $20

Small would-be space explorers can get started right here on Earth with a buildable space shuttle that features realistic features like an opening body and turning wheels. The ladder moves to access the shuttle, and the radar moves on top to find just the right signal. The two astronaut figures have their own included tools to make any needed repairs before lift-off.

The Details:

Recommended age: 2+ years
Number of pieces: 23

LEGO DUPLO Town Amusement Park

Buy on Amazon $83 Buy on Target $80 Buy on Walmart $89

This versatile and action-packed set creates a carnival scene with a moving carousel, a Ferris wheel that lights up and turns, and other fun rides like slides and a train. Seven different characters can enjoy a day at the park. There’s even a snack station to serve up tasty carnival treats when they need a break from the rides.

The Details:

Recommended age: 2+ years
Number of pieces: 95

LEGO DUPLO Santa’s Gingerbread House

Amazon Lego Duplo Santaâs Gingerbread House — Amazon

Buy on Amazon $35 Buy on Target $28 Buy on Walmart $34

Whether you’re giving this for the holiday season or just want to bring the magic of the holidays to year-round gift-giving, this Duplo set holds all the cheer. Kids can build Santa’s gingerbread house, and then have fun playing both inside and out. Maybe their characters go sledding outside or gather around the tree to open gifts—or perhaps they enjoy some tea and cakes with the jolly old man himself.

The Details:

Recommended age: 2+ years
Number of pieces: 50

LEGO DUPLO Alphabet Town

Buy on Amazon $50 Buy on Nordstrom $50 Buy on Walmart $57

This Lego Duplo alphabet town introduces letters while little hands build it. There are plenty of opportunities for hands-on fun, like windows that open and close, towers to stack, archways to march under, and cars to drive. In addition to letters, toddlers can also learn shapes and colors with a bright array of colored bricks.

The Details:

Recommended age: 1.5+ years
Number of pieces: 87

LEGO DUPLO Disney and Pixar's Cars Lightning McQueen & Mater's Car Wash Fun

Buy on Amazon $30 Buy on Nordstrom $27 Buy on Walmart $30

Kids love a good drive-through car wash, and this Lego set re-creates the excitement of that with the characters from Cars. Plus, it has features that they can control, like a rotating tuning table that requires them to run the wrench, a swinging washing arm, and a tow from the beloved Mater. The set includes the buildable car wash as well as Lightning McQueen and Mater to go through the wash, but any other toy can probably enjoy a clean as well.

The Details:

Recommended age: 2+ years
Number of pieces: 29

LEGO DUPLO Wild Animals of South America

Buy on Amazon $55 Buy on Lego.com $39

Sure, kids might make your house feel like a jungle, but this set can help keep your wild animals tame (for a few minutes at least). They’ll enjoy playing with seven animal figures in a foldout playmat scene and a buildable jungle, which includes trees and a waterfall slide. Send a sloth through the trees, feed the monkeys a banana, or encourage the baby jaguar to try out the slide. This set can also be paired with Wild Animals of Africa or Wild Animals of Asia for more untamed fun.

The Details:

Recommended age: 2+ years
Number of pieces: 71

LEGO DUPLO 3-in-1 Tree House

Buy on Amazon $90 Buy on Target $92

With plenty of space and scenes to build and a diverse cast of characters—including kids, animals, and a ridiculously cool grandmother with purple hair—this three-in-one tree house set is big enough for the whole family to enjoy. Kids can choose from creative builds like a tree house, a garden scene, or the treetop play area (complete with a slide), or they can mix and match! The eight figures can rock out on a guitar, grow a giant pumpkin in the garden, or use the working crane to haul items up into the treehouse.

The Details:

Recommended age: 3+ years
Number of pieces: 126

Our Review Process

To choose the best Lego Duplo sets for this list, we looked at the dozens of sets available from Lego and various retailers, doing careful research to pick a variety of sets for different interests, themes, budgets, and abilities. We also spoke to childhood development experts to include their insight into our selections.

Our Experts

To glean more insight into Lego Duplo sets, their benefits, considerations, and what to look for when purchasing them, we interviewed the following experts:

Dana Oliver, founder and CEO of Adventure Kids Playcare
Amanda Vierheller, COO and co-founder of Playgarden Prep preschool program
Jacqui DiNardo, mother and blogger at Mommy Maker Teacher, LLC
Stephanie Ryan, Ph.D.,CEO and Owner at Ryan Education Consulting LLC
Stacy Doumas, M.D., pediatric psychiatrist, Jersey Shore University Medical Center

Factors to Consider When Buying Lego Duplo Sets

Dr. Doumas notes that Lego Duplo sets are an “ideal toddler toy,” because they allow for fun learning experiences in the cognitive, motor, and social-emotional realms. Kids are building with their hands and minds while navigating the emotions and frustrations of trying to learn a new skill. Plus, she adds that Lego building promotes bonding with multiple family members. Leave Lego bricks out, and you’re bound to wind up with something built by all who pass by.

While Duplo can be a fun toy, here are some other factors to keep in mind before purchasing.

The Benefits of Duplo and Building Toys: “Fine and gross motor skills are just the tip of the iceberg regarding Duplo’s benefits,” mom and blogger DiNardo points out. “They provide many cognitive skills like spatial awareness, problem-solving, imagination, and creativity. They also promote open-ended and independent play. (Hello, morning coffee!)”
Recommended Age: While Duplo sets are generally intended for toddlers over 18 months old, caregivers should always consider their own child’s readiness. Although Duplo bricks are larger to avoid being a choking hazard, it’s still a good idea to consider if your child may still have a risk. Legos are also made of plastic, so they could be sharp and hurt children with their edges if thrown (or stepped on barefoot). Additionally, parents should consider the safety and developmental readiness of their child when deciding when to introduce a Lego Duplo set, says preschool co-founder Vierheller. “Consider whether your child has the fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination to build with Lego Duplos,” she suggests. “Do they have the focus to sit and work with concentration? Do they have the fine motor skills and hand strength to put the pieces together and take them apart? Also consider the child's interests. Do they enjoy building and creating with blocks?”
Number of Pieces: Some Duplo sets are as simple as a few pieces while others have over 120 pieces. The beauty is, that you can choose a set that works best for a specific child. “Make sure you aren't getting sets that are too complex for the attention span of the child,” advises education consultant Ryan. “Getting an [18-years-and-up] set for a 5-year-old who hasn't built with Lego before is a quick way to kill their excitement for building.”
Interests: “There is a Lego set out there for any interest, hobby, and age,” says daycare founder Oliver. Kids can build to their interests—in Marvel, dinosaurs, or Disney princesses—or go creative with free builds.
Cost: Lego Duplo sets can range from around $15 to over $100, so there’s a wide range for different budgets. And as DiNardo notes, “Parents can consider buying a small set of 20-40 bricks to see how their child likes them before investing in the larger sets.”

Your Questions, Answered

What age are Duplo sets best for?

Most Lego Duplo sets are intended for toddlers starting at 18 months old and through preschool.

Is Duplo worth the money?

“Duplo is well worth the money,” DiNardo says. “The pieces from sets are interchangeable, and they can be combined to create new and limitless designs. The bricks are priced competitively with other similar products like Magna-Tiles.”

Can you use regular Lego with Duplo?

You can use traditional Lego bricks with Duplo bricks, but there are some limits, DiNardo notes. For instance, traditional Lego base plates will hold Duplo pieces and traditional Lego pieces can fit underneath Duplo bricks, but not on top. In general, larger Lego bricks have a higher chance of being compatible with Duplos.

Who We Are

Chaunie Brusie, RN, BSN, is a parenting writer and the mother of five children, several of whom are Lego enthusiasts. She’s not a fan of the bricks spread out all over the floor, but she knows that the benefits for her kids far outweigh the potential risks to the bottom of her feet.