duplo vs. megablocks, what to buy?
Tammy Kwan, x3813
We are thinking about buying some building toys for our 15-months old and need
some advice on which to buy.
Can someone tell us differences between Duplo and Megablocks and
what their perferences are?
Thank you,
Tammy Kwan
Terry R Altmayer
: We are thinking about buying some building toys for our 15-months old and need
: some advice on which to buy.
: Can someone tell us differences between Duplo and Megablocks and
: what their perferences are?
My son (18 month) has had both for many months. He prefers the Duplos.
The Megablocks are bigger (6-8") and are made out of softer plastic,
the duplos are more like leggos (hard plastic) but are bigger also (2-3").
I think the MEGA-blocks are "safer" (there's no way he's gonna choke down
one of those puppies!) But he has a hard time playing with putting these
blocks together because they're so big.
The Duplos are his hand size, so they are big enough that they don't require
a lot of dexterity, but also small enough to be easily manipulated.
One note, is that the sets we have (they may both be look-a-likes to the
Brand name of Mega and Duplo) have pieces that fit together, so the two
sets can be used as one; so if you're uncomfortable about the size of the
Duplos, you can buy mega-blocks first, then later augment the set with
Duplos (this is what we did, but Zak never played with the mega-blocks much.)
Good Luck!
Terry A.
Cynthia L Macaluso
thinking that they would be bigger, thus, easier. Wrong. They snap
together very tightly so they are hard to get apart, they have sharp
corners, and the plastic cracks. Duplo are much easier for my son to use.
You get more in a package, they can be used with Lego later, and the
animals and people are nice.
I should add that although we have had both types of blocks since my son
was born (we have an older daughter), he has only recently started to
enjoy building with Duplo. He will be 2 on Monday.
Cymthia
David May
: We are thinking about buying some building toys for our 15-months old and need
: Thank you,
: Tammy Kwan
I think that the Duplo blocks are by all means the best. They cost a bit
more than the Megablocks and the other copies, but will be worth it in
the long run because they work with regular Legos for when your child is older.
Just my opinion......
Susan May
--
David May | I've never killed a man, but I've
davi...@astro.ocis.temple.edu | read many obituaries with great
| pleasure.
| -Clarence Darrow
Scott Gant
<more than the Megablocks and the other copies, but will be worth it in
<the long run because they work with regular Legos for when your child is older.
<Just my opinion......
<Susan May
I was looking at all of the lego and Lego type blocks today at Toy-R-Us,
and they all look the same. What I am wondering is do any other Lego type
blocks work with Lego and Duplo blocks. My son just got his first set of
Duplo's Saturday for his first B-day.
Kristen (mama to Kevin 9/17/93)
--
If you agree with me, then my opinions I express are mine, if you don't agree with me, then they are some one else's!
Gail Matthews ENS/AFO DSE
> I think that the Duplo blocks are by all means the best. They cost a bit
> more than the Megablocks and the other copies, but will be worth it in
> the long run because they work with regular Legos for when your child is older.
> Just my opinion......
> Susan May
How do duplo work with regular legos? I thought duplo was much larger.
Since my husband has quite an investment in legos for my stepsons, I'd
like to stay compatible if at all possible, since someday our daughter
will be playing with them.
-- gail matthews
gail.m...@west.sun.com
Cindy Kandolf
>How do duplo work with regular legos? I thought duplo was much larger.
>Since my husband has quite an investment in legos for my stepsons, I'd
>like to stay compatible if at all possible, since someday our daughter
>will be playing with them.
Yes, Duplos are much larger, but proportionally so. The ratio is 4:1.
So if you have a 4x2 Duplo brick, you can snap four 4x2 Lego bricks on
top (either in one row of four or two rows of two). This is handy if
you want to build something big - you can use the Duplos for the main
part of the structure, and save the Legos for details.
Let me chime in with another recommendation for Duplos over
Megablocks, by the way. Megablocks just have ordinary bricks as far
as i've seen, while Duplos have pieces like wheels and faces so you
can build more with them.
-Cindy Kandolf mamma to Kenneth, the gold medal boy
ci...@lise.unit.no (born 12 February 1994)
Trondheim, Norway
Terry R Altmayer
: Yes, Duplos are much larger, but proportionally so. The ratio is 4:1.
I believe the Mega-blocks are the same to Duplos as Duplos are to legos.
We have both the Mega-blocks and Duplos and they fit together, and are
compatable. So if you want to create something REALLY big, but with
detail down to the lego level you can.
: Let me chime in with another recommendation for Duplos over
: Megablocks, by the way. Megablocks just have ordinary bricks as far
: as i've seen, while Duplos have pieces like wheels and faces so you
: can build more with them.
I too like Duplos better than Mega blocks; but have to disagree on your
reasoning. Mega blocks can work with Duplos (but not with leggos unless
you have leggos on Duplos on Mega Blocks). Our Mega block set has blocks
with wheels, and people with faces, and actually the one with wheels is
better than the Duplo one because you can actually make a large fun toy
(car/truck whatever); where the Duplo one is rather small.
My reason for liking Duplos over Mega blocks is that Mega Blocks aren't
as tight-fitting, and because they are too big to be handled efficiently
by my 1 1/2 year old.
And while they fit together, I'd have rather spend the Mega Block money
on the Duplos.
-Terry A.
John DeCarlo
(Cindy Kandolf) writes:
>Let me chime in with another recommendation for Duplos over
>Megablocks, by the way. Megablocks just have ordinary bricks as far
>as i've seen, while Duplos have pieces like wheels and faces so you
>can build more with them.
Yup. My son plays with them the most (2 years old and a builder-type). He
has forty-some cars, pieces to make several cars into locomotives, animals
that snap on (parent and child tigers, giraffes, pandas, etc.), window pieces
that open and close, a big flat piece for building on, and probably dozens of
other types I can't remember off hand. Really fun for him.
John DeCarlo, MITRE Corporation, McLean, VA--My views are my own
Fidonet: 1:109/131 Internet: jdec...@mitre.org
Chris Meadows
Gail Matthews ENS/AFO DSE <matt...@tachyon.West.Sun.COM> wrote:
>How do duplo work with regular legos? I thought duplo was much larger.
>Since my husband has quite an investment in legos for my stepsons, I'd
>like to stay compatible if at all possible, since someday our daughter
>will be playing with them.
Well, essentially one of the big round things on top of a duplo will
accept a 2-by-2 round thing Lego block on top of it. They work
fine...trust me, I grew up with Duplo (called something like Lego Big
Blocks back then, I believe) and Legos. Fun, fun, fun. :)
--
Chris Meadows | Robotech_Master's First Law of Superguy:
CHM...@NIC.SMSU.EDU | Continuity is Overrated.
CMEA...@NYX.CS.DU.EDU | Robotech_Master's Corollary: ...but sometimes
CMEA...@NOX.CS.DU.EDU | necessary all the same.
Gregory Dudek
wrote:
> In message <CINDY.94S...@bokfink.lise.unit.no> - ci...@lise.unit.no
> (Cindy Kandolf) writes:
>...
> Yup. My son plays with them the most (2 years old and a builder-type). He
> has forty-some cars, pieces to make several cars into locomotives, animals
> that snap on (parent and child tigers, giraffes, pandas, etc.), window pieces
> that open and close....
Yes, let me add another voice in support of DUPLO. We have 2 kids,
ages 2 & 4 and they have both been playing with DUPLO for at least
9 months. Many months ago they could both stay playing with duplo for
a hour at a time. Especially for a young child, the duplo people, animals
and vehicles etc. are a boon: our 2-year old can just play with the duplo
managerie and cars if he doesn't feel like building (and demolishing).
Also, we have recently discovered "TOOLO" (sp?) which is DUPLO-compatible
vehicles and cranes and things. This stuff has more serious wheels and
moving parts than the regular deplo cars etc. (and it's expensive!).
These have simple screw-on parts and a
little special plastic screwdriver that a 2-year old can safely manipulate.
Somebody asked how this could be compatible with LEGO. IT is because
the duplo locking parts are exactly double the lego size (or some
integer multiple) so that the DUPLOS fit into a lego part just right.
Greg Dudek
Maxine Alexander
In article <Cw6vD...@news.cis.umn.edu> maca...@maroon.tc.umn.edu writes...
you>I have a very strong preference for Duplo. We bought megablocks first
you>thinking that they would be bigger, thus, easier. Wrong. They snap
you>together very tightly so they are hard to get apart, they have sharp
you>corners, and the plastic cracks. Duplo are much easier for my son to use.
I was just going to say all these things about duplo!!
I have friends who have duplo and I found that it cracks very easily,
fits tightly together etc. I bought megablocks for my kids and they
love them!
Maxine Alexander
Maxine Alexander
you>: Let me chime in with another recommendation for Duplos over
you>: Megablocks, by the way. Megablocks just have ordinary bricks as far
No. The ones we have have wheels. people, and all sorts of funny other
bits which I can't even begin to know what they are for. I like
megablocks better because they are not so easy to break as duplo is.
Maxine Alexander
Deborah Wager
house. I like the LEGO/DUPLO brand because it seems more durable than
the softer/thinner plastic used in some of the off brands. I agree that
the interconnectivity is not as much of an issue as I thought it would be
when we began our (now extensive) collection of building blocks. The
kids either play with the legos or with the duplos, but they really
don't mix them much.
Debbie
dwa...@svpal.org