Half a century has passed since company introduced its inaugural large brick for small hands.
LEGO Group is marking 50 years since the launch of its inaugural large brick for small hands – LEGO DUPLO.
The name – derived from the Latin word ‘duplex’ meaning double – first featured on two LEGO DUPLO sets launched in 1969
The DUPLO bricks are twice the size of classic LEGO bricks on all dimensions, so that all bricks fit into the LEGO System in Play.
The company asked over 9,000 parents around the world how they feel about the LEGO System in Play in the LEGO Play Well Report, 2018; 94% said it stimulates their child’s imagination, 93% that it helps their child be creative, 91% said it helps their child learn and discover new things, and 84% said it helps their child develop life skills. 91% also said it is a fun activity for the whole family.
First conceived in the late 1970s when Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen – third generation LEGO Group owner – decided to focus on LEGO DUPLO as a separate brand, the red LEGO DUPLO rabbit logo has been on the product packaging ever since.
Since then, the rabbit has been joined by a host of other animals – from horses, sheep and cows to elephants, lions and dinosaurs – as well as the many different DUPLO figures (main image) which have launched over the years to help facilitate storytelling and role-play.
The brand has also continued to move with current trends. For example, as play patterns become more fluid, products such as the new DUPLO Steam and Cargo trains aim to help toddlers move seamlessly between physical and digital play – introducing them to early coding, colour recognition and accompanying apps – all while encouraging the key aim of enhancing the physical play experience.
