LEGOs are iconic toys that almost every child has had growing up. They encourage creativity, fine motor skills, and STEM abilities, not to mention they are nearly indestructible. The universe of LEGO is so vast that we even have LEGO movies now! For any child starting in the wonderful world of LEGO, there are so many options that it’s hard to know where to start.
Luckily, LEGO knows its audience. LEGO DUPLO is a type of LEGO explicitly designed for children aged five years and younger, so our selections are all from the DUPLO line. Hopefully, the guide we have created for you will offer a launching point. We also focused on the features of each set, the educational benefits, and their lack of gendered marketing, as that seemed to be the most cost efficient.
Best LEGOs for 3 to 5-Year-Old Boys & Girls
1. LEGO Large Playground Brick Box
This LEGO set is perfect for a toddler girl, featuring two LEGO figures, a treehouse with a slide, a swing set with a windmill, and a bouncy car ride in addition to free-style pieces for all the original building your toddler can come up with for a total of 71 pieces. The whole set is sold in a convenient storage box, so you don’t have to worry about a rogue LEGO piece attacking your bare feet!
The Good
- Useful storage box to keep pieces contained
- Toddler LEGO pieces are larger than standard LEGO pieces, which allows children to develop fine motor skills.
- The bouncy car component can be taken off the “spring” and driven around as a separate car.
Negatives
- These larger LEGOs don’t latch together as well as standard pieces.
2. LEGO Disney Clubhouse Mickey & Minnie Birthday Parade
This Disney Clubhouse LEGO set is perfect for a 4 yr old that loves Mickey and Minnie. It only gets better if they enjoy trains! This set comes with everything they could want to celebrate their birthday – a buildable cake, balloons, and numbered bricks from one to five.
The Good
- Super affordable set makes it a great birthday gift
- Both Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse are included
- Minnie’s dress is real fabric and can be placed on other small toys
Negatives
- The set only comes with 24 pieces
- Some complaints indicated that the set isn’t compatible with other LEGO track sets.
3. LEGO Town Airport
Toy planes and suitcases and slides, oh my! This little airport building set includes a luggage slide, suitcase, boarding gate, a revolving air traffic control tower, and an actual buildable airplane toy for your kiddo! Use this as a great tool to curb any fear they might have about an upcoming trip or to encourage curiosity about other countries and cultures!
The Good
- Figures included are a female pilot, a father, and a child – great for promoting diversity!
- The control tower rotates!
- Figures can sit inside the plane.
Negatives
- Some users have indicated that the plane top doesn’t stay latched on tight.
4. LEGO Town Farm Animals
The farm set includes four adorable farm animals – a pig, a cow, a chicken, and a barn cat, plus a chicken coop with a functioning door to build out of the included blocks. This kit is great to teach your preschooler how a farm runs and how to care for different animals.
The Good
- The stud connector top of the animals can be used to make figures sit on them.
- The bricks in this set will fit onto LEGO baseplates.
- A LEGO flower is also included in the set.
Negatives
- The animals may not fit onto LEGO baseplates and may require additional purchases.
5. LEGO Jurassic World T. Rex Tower
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With the resurgence of Jurassic Park, it’s no surprise this is a popular kit. This little set allows you and your child to recreate all the excitement from the infamous park – with none of the danger, thankfully! Speed off in the open-top car, face the wild T. Rex, and get to safety in the tower! The set includes an Owen Grady figure and the T. Rex figure, plus the car and tower.
The Good
- Perfect for any toddlers obsessed with dinosaurs
- Also includes a ladder, cell phone, and gas can for car
- T. Rex’s jaw moves!
Negatives
- Not enough parts to mix and play creatively, according to some users.
What benefits will my toddler learn from building with LEGOs?
By their very nature, LEGO will help your 3, 4, and 5-year-old children develop hand-eye coordination and motor skills as they build the blocks together. It can also teach your toddler how to follow directions and step-by-step instructions for building — even if it is a toy. However, LEGOs will also enhance their imagination. Although each LEGO set has planned out blueprints and guidelines for building, children often create their own inventions, buildings, animals, and people as they desire.
Should I purchase DUPLOs or other LEGOs for my 3 to 5-Year-Old?
If your child is under three years of age, LEGO bricks are not recommended because they are a choking hazard. After the age of three, children are less prone to put things in their mouths. However, if you are worried about your toddler still choking on a LEGO, the DUPLO option might be the better route. Then, they can upgrade to the smaller pieces as they get older. If your young child seems to be good already about not putting random toys or little objects in their mouth, you might be able to skip the bigger blocks and try LEGOs around age four or five. You should also save things like pulley systems, motorized gears, and other tricky concepts for an older age.
What Themes Are Available for LEGO Sets?
Some of the most popular LEGO sets include the following:
- Architecture
- City
- BrickHeadz
- DC Super Heroes
- Disney
- Harry Potter
- Jurassic World
- Batman
- Marvel
- Minions
- Spider-Man
- Minecraft
- NINJAGO
- Star Wars
- Toy Story
- THE LEGO MOVIE
