Image Credit: Supplied

When it comes to shopping for your little one, the trick is finding the right balance between a gift that appeals to them and one that goes beyond fun and games to truly stimulate their minds in all the best ways to help them grow. The LEGO Group has a line of products that can help you achieve exactly that – LEGO DUPLO.

Wait – what is LEGO DUPLO?

The name DUPLO comes from the Latin word duplus, meaning double – apt, as LEGO DUPLO bricks are double the size of LEGO bricks! This means thatthey are easy on the little fingers of kids aged 1½ to 5 years so they can pick them up, place, and pull them apart.

“Young children prefer building with the larger building blocks as the size is manageable to grasp, grip and stack,” says Bernadette King-Turner, Founding Partner and Managing Director, Yellow Brick Road Nursery.

LEGO DUPLO sets teach kids basic concepts such as counting, shapes and colours in a playful and accessible way. It also helps them develop fine motor skills, social and emotional skills – all the while engaging their creativity and imagination.

What are some of the benefits?

LEGO DUPLO makes a perfect gift for your own toddler or for someone else who’s dear to you, as the building experience lends itself to hours of quality time spent playing together. Little kids have many passions and their interests are possibly the best navigator for holiday shopping.

“Learning for young children is play with great intentions and expectations, so building towers, bridges, boats, rockets, homes, animals, planets – whatever the children choose to build is a reflection of each child’s individual learning and imagination,” explains King-Turner.

Image Credit:

So build a house, show them how a train works, teach them animal noises, or just let their imagination run wild. You get to support their curiosity and encourage them to conquer the world, one little step - and one big brick - at a time.

“Building bricks such as LEGO DUPLO are some of the first toys a toddler can start getting creative with, and the possibilities are endless,” says Nannette Wicker, Occupational Therapist at Kids First Dubai.

With so many opportunities to learn, whether you have a pint-sized professor, budding builder, or confident chatterbox, LEGO DUPLO can help provide the building bricks to their successful futures.

Want to win 6 months’ worth of LEGO DUPLO sets and become a LEGO influencer?

If you’re looking for a shot at being the coolest parent/uncle/aunt ever, then try your hand at LEGO Middle East’s #ToddlerTruths competition.

All you have to do is share your 1½ to 5-year-old’s most creative moments on this Facebook event page or tag @legofamilymiddleeast on Instagram with the hashtag #ToddlerTruths before December 10.

Looking for inspiration? Check this out.

Where else can I buy LEGO DUPLO products?

You can also purchase DUPLO sets online and in store from  ELC and online from FirstCry across the region.

Follow @LEGOFamilyMiddleEast on Facebook and Instagram to know more.

This content comes from Reach by Gulf News, which is the branded content team of GN Media.