Every first Lego set for kids is special, but it can be challenging to know which ones are perfect for your little one. It's even more difficult when you don't have any first-hand experience with LEGO! That's why we've put together this list of handpicked toys that 1- to 3-year-olds love and play with, so you can find the first LEGO set that will make their day extra special.
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Lego for 1 Year Olds
We've compiled a list of LEGO toys that a one-year-old can play with independently and remain engaged for an extended time in the following chart. These LEGO Duplo sets would make excellent emotional toys for your one-year-old.
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Category | Image | Product | Features | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Best overall |
| * 91 pieces including 40 wild animals, farm animals and pets * Set contains cards with activity ideas * Long-lasting and versatile; makes a great investment as kids can play with it for years | ||
Best Lego Duplo set for girls |
| * 16 pieces * Bus with a removable roof * 2 smiling children and a friendly driver figure | ||
Best large Lego Duplo sets |
| * 117 pieces * Fun features: working lights & siren on the fire truck (including batteries), large swing door * Includes male and female firefighter figures * The Truck has a ladder and hose, the fire station has a bed, chair, table, map, pizza and more accessories. | ||
Best small Lego Duplo sets |
| * 23 pieces * Iconic train toy that children love * Bright colors that grab children's attention | ||
Best Lego Duplo sets under $25 |
| * 31 pieces * The set comes with a drivable car that can fit both the adult and child figures, a detachable little house on wheels that hooks up to the toy car, a campfire, a cup, and a pot. * Measures over 7 in. (18 cm) high, 11 in. (30 cm) long and 3 in. (10 cm) wide |
The Best Lego Duplo for 1 Year Olds
Because the brain development of children under the age of three is unique, we strive to use every opportunity possible to assist it in developing as much as possible. For this reason, the most fabulous Lego set for a one-year-old is one that offers both entertainment and educational benefits.
The LEGO Education Animals set is ideal for developing 1-year-old vocab, teaching them about different subjects like who lives where and who eats what, etc. These sets can also be used for a wide range of other fun things to do. For example, in memory games, you place three animals in front of your child and name each of them before removing one. Your little one then should name the animal that is missing. These games are more appropriate for children from the age of 18 months and up to at least three years.
This set is exceptionally adaptable and was designed with educators in mind. The animals from this collection are adorable and safe, so they're perfect for your child to play with them.
On the other hand, some components are relatively tiny for one-year-olds; therefore, you'll need to take them out and wait until your kid is older. What's more, the animals will be useful in various pretend games and scenarios when kids get older. As a result, this is a really versatile, multipurpose, and long-lasting set that provides excellent value for the price.
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The Best Small Lego Duplo Sets for 1 Year Olds
Little children are captivated by trains, which is why LEGO DUPLO My First Number Train - Learn to Count 10954 is an excellent choice as the first train in your baby's life. This set is perfect for developing hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills while also keeping the baby's attention for an extended amount of time.
However, we wouldn't focus too much on the educational value of this set. So don't expect your 18-month-old to master counting with this toy; numbers are too abstract for such a young age. This train is the new version of the iconic Lego Duplo number train, which has more vivid colors that capture youngsters' attention.
This train set includes three characters in addition to the track itself. The boy, girl, and dog are all cute figures that kids can load and unload with bricks as they practice their fine motor skills. The train measures over 3.5 in. (10 cm) high and 18.5 in. (47 cm) long. We really recommend this product; it's a favorite of kids!
The Best Lego Duplo Sets Under 25 Dollars
A car and a house that move together? What's cooler than that for a 1-year-old? This set is a total hit for toddlers aged 1 to 3, thanks to its versatile features and awesome accessories. LEGO DUPLO Family House on Wheels 10986 is an ideal starter truck; it consists of only 10 pieces and is super easy to put together. With this set, you can improve your baby's language, teach new concepts and boost the role-play skills (only adults can do it, babies do not learn it on their own). Great value for a little money!
The Best Large Lego Duplo Sets for 1 Year Olds
LEGO DUPLO Fire Station & Helicopter is big, super fun, and interactive. It's easy to put together and packs a ton of play potential. The characters and the helicopter are a blast to play with. But what your little one will love most is how cool the fire truck sounds and how easily it can be pushed along.
As the items are pretty lifelike, you may also help your youngster increase their vocabulary. This set is fantastic and keeps small children occupied for a long time. We would strongly suggest it!
The Best Lego Duplo Set for 1 Year Old Girls
Your little girl is going to have a blast taking the bus roof off and loading it up with the friendly driver and adorable kid figures with this LEGO DUPLO Town Bus Ride 10988. Kids, whether boys or girls, especially around the age of one, are totally into things that move, so this set's going to keep your baby girl engaged for quite a while. Plus, as she gets older, your daughter will love using the little dolls for pretend play, acting out her daily experiences of going to daycare and more.
Lego for 2 Year Olds
Category | Image | Product | Features | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Best overall |
| * 123 pieces * Includes 4 vehicles: a big bulldozer, mini bulldozer, dump truck, digger and also a crane with winch * Cars have sound and light effects * 5 figures including 2 females - a painter and a truck driver | ||
Best small LEGO Duplo sets |
| * 19 pieces * Includes a truck with tipping function, 3 waste bins and color-matching waste bags * Two figures of a recycling man and a boy * Great as educational toy to teach your child basics of eco-friendly behavior | ||
Best LEGO Duplo sets under $25 |
| * 29 pieces * Awesome features: a boarding gate, a luggage slide, a revolving traffic control tower * This set is great to prepare your child for the first trip by plane * 3 figures: a pilot, a dad and a child | ||
Best large LEGO Duplo sets |
| * 234 pieces * This set teaches coding using action bricks * Includes a teacher guide and lessons * Enough railways to play like with a classic train toy | ||
Best Lego Duplo set for girls |
| * 130 pieces * Realistic details, such as an opening fridge, a rocking horse or a guitar * The set can be rebuilt into three different houses * Includes family figures like a mom, dad, child, and a pet dog |
The Best Lego Duplo Set for 2 Year Olds
This LEGO DUPLO Construction Tower Crane & Construction 10933 is an ideal set for 2-year-olds with numerous excellent features that will keep your toddler occupied for hours. At the construction site, you'll find a lot of cars, a winch on a crane, and all of them have working light and sound effects!
Furthermore, this set includes 5 mini-figures: a driver and a painter (both females), two construction workers, a hotdog vendor, and a cat figure. This set has fun elements like a toilet and a cat photo using it, which children find hilarious.
The cars are big enough for little hands, and the main building with the crane attached is huge; it measures over 15" (40cm) high, 7" (20cm) wide, and 9" (25cm) deep. To put it another way, this is a fantastic collection that we strongly recommend for your two-year-old!
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The Best Small Lego Duplo Set for 2 Year Olds
LEGO DUPLO Town Garbage Truck and Recycling 10945 is an entertaining and educational toy that will enhance your child's language development, teach about trash recycling, and develop motor skills. The set consists of 19 pieces, including two figures of a recycling man and a boy, three brightly colored trash bags, and color-matching waste bins. If your child watches trash collection every week or trash trucks fascinate them, then this set will be a hit.
The Best Lego Duplo Set Under 25 Dollars
*The cost of this set varies with the season and sellers, so we cannot assure that it does not rise above 25 dollars throughout the approaching holidays.
It is a really fantastic LEGO DUPLO Town Airport 10871 that all toddlers will enjoy! There are 29 pieces in this set and many exciting features, such as a boarding gate, a rotating air traffic control tower, and a luggage slide. This set is ideal for families traveling by air with their toddlers for the first time.
You may play with your child the steps you'll take during your trip by using this fun and engaging toy. The child will be more prepared for the journey if they learn about it through play, which will help reduce their fears of the unknown. If you play the scenario several times, your toddler will remember all the steps and feel much more comfortable during the actual trip. But even if you do not plan any trips in the future, you still need this set because children love it so much!
The Best Large Lego Duplo Sets for 2 Year Olds
The LEGO Education DUPLO Coding Express 45025 set is presently out of stock on Amazon due to the pre-Christmas shopping rush. However, if you come across it anywhere, take it. This is a large and expensive set, but it has some really cool features.
The youngest kids may conventionally play with this train, but you may also begin teaching your youngster how to halt, change direction, or make a noise. Action bricks that allow for such actions are a clear example of coding so that even young kids can grasp the concept.
This kit is special because it includes a teacher's guide based on the National Association for The Education of Young Children. This implies that you'll have all of the instructions necessary to teach your little one a cutting-edge 21st-century skill in an entertaining and engaging way.
On the other hand, be ready to assist your two-year-old with the layout at the beginning. This set is big and pricey, but it's well worth the investment!
The Best Lego Duplo Set for 2 Year Old Girls
The LEGO DUPLO Town Modular Playhouse 10929 set combines a delightful building experience with a wide range of role-play scenarios that tiny girls may enjoy with their parents. A variety of realistic details like an opening fridge, a teddy bear, or a rocking horse make the play even more fun!
This set allows you to re-create familiar situations from your family's routine and educate your toddler about different daily habits. The package also includes family figures like mom, dad, child, pet dog. Moreover, this set lets you build three different houses, so your little one will not get bored soon. We highly recommend this lego set as it is worth every dollar.
Lego for 3 Year Olds
Category | Image | Product | Features | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Best overall |
| * The set consists of 157 pcs and has cool features like collapsing bridge, working winch on the off-roader, a figure of a lion and its cub, a figure of a snake and an egg. * Includes a starter brick to encourage independent building * An interesting theme for boy and girls | ||
Best small LEGO sets |
| * 101 pieces * A poseable Velociraptor and a little Delta raptor with a nest * Includes a starter chassis for the biplane * Your dinosaur lover will be thrilled as the set is easy to build and fun to play with! | ||
Best LEGO sets under $20 |
| * 90 pieces * Easy to build * Includes trash can, shovel, broom, toy food * Trash container can tilt and empty into the truck | ||
Best large LEGO sets |
| * 790 pieces including doors, windows, tires, 2 baseplates and many colored bricks * Perfect open-ended toy to boost creativity * Includes a small booklet with simple instructions, many more downloadable building ideas are on the Lego web * Convenient storage box | ||
Best LEGO sets for girls |
| * 148 pieces * Set includes a horse toy with moveable head, a pony, two mini dolls * Cute features like a trailer for the horse, a stable with grooming kit, a training rein * 2 Starter Bricks for easy building |
The Best Lego Set for 3 Year Olds
Full of adorable details like a lion with a lion cub, snake, bones, or an egg, the LEGO City Wildlife Rescue Off-Roader 60301 set is a fantastic gift for 3-year-olds who love animals. A child can help a wildlife-rescue team take care of and help animals with this set.
The set has a collapsible bridge function, a working winch on the off-roader, and instructions designed especially for the little builders. For this reason, there is also a starter brick included to help children develop their independent building skills. This set consists of 157 pieces and is marked as 4+. But with your help, a 3-year-old will be able to put it together without any issues.
The theme of this set is love for all children, both boys, and girls, making an excellent gift for any 3-year-old.
The Best Small Lego Set for 3 Year Olds
Your 3-year-old has probably never seen the "Jurassic Park" film (well, we hope so), but they are undoubtedly a fan of everything dinosaurs. The LEGO Jurassic World Velociraptor: Biplane Rescue Mission 75942 set is a success with little dinosaur enthusiasts.
This set includes two dinosaur figures: a posable Velociraptor and a Delta baby Velociraptor with the nest. There's also a biplane with a chain to lift the dinosaur, as well as an off-road buggy. The biplane has a starter chassis, so building it is extremely quick and straightforward, perhaps even too easy for four-year-olds, but just right for three-year-olds.
This is an excellent set for young dinosaur fans who are not yet ready to construct more sophisticated Lego creations.
The Best Lego Set Under 25 Dollars
The City Garbage Truck 60220 is a small starter set that helps toddlers move from Duplo to classic LEGO bricks, with only 90 pieces. This set comes with a Starter Brick base to assist your child in putting the vehicle together quickly and receiving their dopamine reward, which will encourage them to continue playing.
Although the set is tiny, it does include a few cool features such as a tilting trash container, male and female sanitation workers, garbage bin, pretend food, a dumpster, trash components, a broom, and a shovel. You may discuss the duties of day-to-day heroes with your toddler, as well as why littering on the streets is bad, using this playset.
In general, this is a fantastic set for a modest price that we highly suggest for children aged 3 years old!
The Best Large Lego Set for 3 Year Olds
LEGO Classic Large Creative Brick Box 10698 is a fantastic starting set for children aged 3 that will help them develop their creativity, imagination, and construction skills. They may either create their own buildings or follow the simple instructions in the included booklet. Furthermore, there are many more building ideas for this set on the LEGO website and downloadable PDF instructions.
This is undoubtedly a must-have basic set for every LEGO enthusiast that comes in an easy-to-store box. An excellent open-ended toy for your 3 year old to exercise their creativity!
The Best Lego Set for 3 Year Old Girls
The stunning LEGO Friends Horse Training and Trailer 41441 set is a 3-year-old girl's dream come true. It includes everything needed for success, including a horse figure, a pony, two adorable mini-dolls, and food to feed the animals, as well as a milk bottle for the pony! Furthermore, two starter bricks for the automobile and stable make construction easier and more enjoyable for little girls. This set will be a success since most young girls like horses and ponies.
The set contains 148 pieces and is simple to put together, making it an excellent start in the world of construction for little girls.
Frequently Asked Questions
LEGO Classic vs. Duplo
Use LEGO Classic rather than Duplo to improve your one-year-old's fine motor skills and finger strength. Small LEGO bricks, however, may only be used under adult supervision.
You might be wondering why you should give your one-year-old classic small bricks. Children from 1 to 2 years of age enjoy separating things, nesting them together, and constructing towers. They naturally prefer little or even tiny things, with which they may play for a long time. On the other hand, many parents avoid such play possibilities because of their genuine concern for suffocation.
I’ve Used Small Lego Bricks With a One-Year-Old Before
My daughter's favorite pastime when she was a year old was deconstructing her brother's LEGO creations. The worst part was that I had no idea how to fix it without my son knowing. Fortunately, he was usually nice to his sister and allowed her to play with his Lego structures. My daughter especially liked to remove the heads of the LEGO Friends mini-dolls.
A couple of months later, she ripped off heads and successfully put them back on the mini-figures, which are quite tiny. I was fascinated by her desire to master the pincer grip on her own. I didn't even have to explain anything to her. However, I had to keep a close eye on her so that she wouldn't put LEGO parts in her mouth or nose. She attempted this numerous times, but she understood it wasn't something you ate and ceased doing it altogether after several weeks.
Small bricks are fantastic for strengthening tiny baby's fingers. Attach the square brick pieces (4-stud) to the LEGO base plate, then have your 1-year-old (or younger) rip it off from the plate. This game is excellent for developing fine motor skills in little children. Then, later on, they might attempt to attach square bricks (4-stud) to the plate themselves. Many toddlers will be able to connect even one-stud bricks to the plate or each other by the time they are two years old. As a result, you may help your child learn to build increasingly complex Lego structures at a young age.
We taught our son using this technique, and by the age of six, he was able to build his own Lego sets with around 4 000 pieces.
The Duplo sets are fantastic for pretend play. However, children under the age of three do not have abstract reasoning abilities; therefore, you should use LEGO sets that represent real-world things or events, for example, a vehicle, a train, a supermarket, a home, and so on.
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