Customer Reviews

LEGO DUPLO Playhouse Set

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I just reviewed the Duplo farm, so parts of this review are the same...

We are big fans of Playmobil, but for toddlers, we've found Duplo to be better than the Playmobil 123 toddler toys. Unlike Playmobil 123, Duplo figures can move their arms and hold things. (Unfortunately, Duplo hands are bigger than regular Playmobil figures' hands, so they won't be interchangeable when the kids graduate to big-kid Playmobil. I don't know how they compare to Lego figures' hands.)

We just bought the newer Duplo farm, and these sets are very similar, in terms of construction. You build the playhouse with the same connecting walls, roof pieces, and doors & windows that the barn has. (Obviously, the wall & base colors are different between the two sets.) All doors & windows open & close, once they're snapped into place. The two sets have the exact same figures (grandpa, mom, dad, little girl, little boy), same table & chairs, same tree to build, same coffee carafe. I think this is a plus, since pieces get lost easily.

When I was looking to buy this set, I was a little frustrated not to have a list of items included. In addition to the family figures and the pieces that are used to construct the house, here's what's in it:
minivan-looking car
blocks to build a tree
table & four chairs
block pieces to be used as another table or bar
sofa
toilet, sink
two adult beds and a little girl's bed, with three cloth pocket-like "blankets"
coffee carafe, cooking pot
sink with counter space
stove (range)
oversized cat
three fence pieces for the balcony (they don't connect to each other)
three transparent blue bricks that look like a fish tank, with fish decals on one of them
a floor lamp
a flower
a vacuum

My 24-month-old twins spend long periods of time playing with this set. I let them play with it in a confined area so we don't lose pieces. They enjoy piling everyone into the van, seating everyone around the table and having them eat cracker crumbs from the pot, and tearing the house pieces apart (comes apart relatively easily). There are enough house pieces that I usually build them each a small house, instead of making them share a bigger one. The smaller houses are more sturdy, too, so I don't have to put the building pieces back together as often! The kids will grow into this toy, and eventually they'll have fun constructing the houses themselves.

I bought this for Christmas for my 5 and 2 year olds, the older one loves playing with houses, building, looking through the windows and details and it is good that includes a car for the family to travel. I can't wait for my children to play with it, I am sure it will be the favorite present.
I bought separate lego duplo figures of Bob the Builder and Dora, so they can share the house too, since my kids love such characters.
It is pricey, however I found it on sale at Kaplan toys, that offered free shipping and a discount of 15%, therefore I paid less than s.i.x.t.y.
the merchants here at Amazon are abusive on their prices....

My 18-month old daughter loves this house. She opens and closes the doors and windows and stuffs people through them. I think she will find other ways to play with it as she gets older. There are a lot of pieces and ways to put it together.