Are Duplos too young for 5-year-old boy?

[sidmand]

Would this be too young for a 5-year-old boy's birthday?

http://www.amazon.com/Lego-Duplo-Castle-4862-AMBUSH/dp/B0014R17N2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1266358676&sr=8-2

The age range says 3 to 6 but I'm wondering...

His party theme is knights and dragons and I was going to give the Sabuda pop-up Castle book (which I'm wondering if it's too old!) but I wanted to give something else. He doesn't strike me so much as a book boy but I know he loves dragons. I think I might have a dragon puppet I could use instead.

[jess_g]

My ds is 6 and realy into legos. He usualy plays with the smaller ones but he did get a duplo set for xmas and he liked it but it was a bit babyish for him (his own words). I would look into the lego knights sets which are for slightly older kids.

http://shop.lego.com/ByTheme/Product.aspx?p=7078&cn=473&d=70

Jessica

[SnuggleBuggles]

I wouldn't get Duplos for a 5yo because most 5yos I know are capable of doing age appropriate Lego (regular) sets. But, you're on the border where you probably could get away with the Duplo set. Just include a gift receipt if he would prefer regular Legos.

Beth

[BelleoftheBallFlagstaff]

I think so. And if it did get use, it wouldn't be for long. Have you looked at Playmobil? Or like PP mention regular legos?

[g-mama]

Yes, I think so.

[arivecchi]

What about this?

http://www.target.com/Small-World-Toys-Gladiator-Set/dp/B000GI0TLQ/ref=sr_1_29?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=0&searchView=grid5&node=1038620&keywords=knight&field_browse=1038620&searchSize=30&id=Small%20World%20Toys%20Gladiator%20Set&field_availability=-2&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Ctarget_com_age%2Cta rget_com_gender-bin%2Ctarget_com_character-bin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&refinementHistory=price%2Csubjectbin%2Ctarget_com_ age%2Ctarget_com_gender-bin%2Ctarget_com_character-bin%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&field_price=-2499&searchNodeID=1038620&field_launch-date=-1y&searchRank=target104545&searchPage=1&field_keywords=knight

[sidmand]

Yeah, I kind of figured Duplos were too young. Unfortunately I've put off shopping since I thought I had stuff in the present closet that I should actually use and the birthday is tomorrow!

I don't have gift receipts for anything in the closet since they were all bargains ;).

I've been stocking the closet but end up giving most people Target GCs so they can pick out whatever they want and realized I either need to stop buying stuff or start giving out the gifts I've bought!

I'll hold onto the Duplos...DD is probably going to be invited to some two-year-old parties and that would be a better choice and I must have something else I can give tomorrow. I found a Hot Wheel Rev-Up car...doesn't quite go with the knight/castle theme but I'm thinking most boys like cars, right? And it says ages 5+ on it so I'm thinking that would work better.

[sidmand]

What about this?

http://www.target.com/Small-World-Toys-Gladiator-Set/dp/B000GI0TLQ/ref=sr_1_29?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=0&searchView=grid5&node=1038620&keywords=knight&field_browse=1038620&searchSize=30&id=Small%20World%20Toys%20Gladiator%20Set&field_availability=-2&searchBinNameList=subjectbin%2Ctarget_com_age%2Cta rget_com_gender-bin%2Ctarget_com_character-bin%2Cprice%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&refinementHistory=price%2Csubjectbin%2Ctarget_com_ age%2Ctarget_com_gender-bin%2Ctarget_com_character-bin%2Ctarget_com_primary_color-bin%2Ctarget_com_size-bin%2Ctarget_com_brand-bin&field_price=-2499&searchNodeID=1038620&field_launch-date=-1y&searchRank=target104545&searchPage=1&field_keywords=knight

That looks just like an outfit I bought for my son on eBay for Halloween! I'm pretty sure I spent more than that and I just had to throw some of it out because the vest broke (I still have the sword and the helmet, not sure what happened to the rest). He decided he wanted to be a knight after swearing for a month that he wanted to be a superhero. It's a cute outfit. If I remember we're supposed to dress up for the b-day party and I was going to see if he wanted to wear any of it.

[essnce629]

Definately stick with regular (small) Legos. My 6.5 yo DS hasn't touched his duplos since he got his first Lego set at his 5th birthday.

[baileygirl]

4 would be my cut off for giving Duplos. That being said, my 3 year-old has the set you posted and loves it. It will be a great gift for another child!

[missym]

I would give them to my own child since I know she still loves Duplos (as does her almost-7yo sister), but I'd be hesitant to give them to someone else's kid.

[cono0507]

My son will be 5 next month and has been playing with regular legos since Christmas. He won't touch the Duplos anymore and says they are his sister's now (who is 2).

[Canna]

I'm of the not-sure-why-people-think-Duplos-are-for-babies school of thought. We have a lot of Duplos and both my 5 y.o. DD and my 2 y.o. DD are able to use them. But 2 y.o. DD does nothing but stack, basically. 5 y.o. is learning how to build large structures, how to use the bricks, windows, doors, etc. to make a strong structure (by overlapping bricks properly). She makes large houses. We both enjoy building zoos - we have a lot of Duplo animals, and trains (we have trains and tracks). We also have dinosaurs. And when we have friends come over, older children - like 1st through 4th graders - seem to enjoy playing with Duplos. I remember using them in parallel with small legos when I was a kid myself. I guess I think Duplos are very appropriate for a 4 or 5 year old. They are really manageable and fun to build with!

[egoldber]

I'm of the not-sure-why-people-think-Duplos-are-for-babies school of thought.

I agree. While some kids love Legos, others find them frustrating. If you want to build something of any size it takes forever. :ROTFLMAO: My 8 year old and 3 year old both prefer Duplos to Legos.

[ett]

I agree. While some kids love Legos, others find them frustrating. If you want to build something of any size it takes forever. :ROTFLMAO: My 8 year old and 3 year old both prefer Duplos to Legos.

Same here. My 6 year old will still play with the duplos with my 3 year old. But some kids by 4 or 5 will not play with them anymore, so when gift giving I will err on the gift being too advanced as opposed to too "babyish".

[C99]

does he have younger sibs at home? DS1 is really into Lego, but he got Duplo at 5 because his younger brother was too young for Lego. Consequently, we have a ton of both and he really does play with both sets.