Building Endless Adventures with LEGO® DUPLO®

LEGO® DUPLO® is an unlimited source of creative play for preschoolers (ages 1 ½-5) and you can see your child imagine, create and explore whole new worlds with oversize LEGO bricks designed to fit perfectly in small hands.

LEGO® DUPLO® bricks are called DUPLO because the dimensions are double the size of LEGO system bricks, and they are 100% compatible?

Playing is the best way to learn for preschoolers – and with LEGO DUPLO there are so many ways to play. Sebastian is 2 and loves stacking the DUPLO bricks together which is perfect for helping to develop his fine motorskills. We are also working on his speech and learning colours and although he will tell you everything is green, if you ask him for a certain coloured brick he will select the correct colour.

LEGO® DUPLO® has just released seven new sets just in time for Christmas and we were sent the Fire Engine set to review (RRP £44.99).

I will put my hand up an admit the thought of building any LEGO or DUPLO sets fills me with fear, but all the pieces were all seperated in little bags meaning I just had to open one at a time as I followed the simple instructions in the accompanying booklet, asking Sebby to pass me the bricks we needed or vice versa.

LEGO® DUPLO®

Sebastian built some of the easier bits, like the walls to the Fire Station, but there were a couple of bits on the vehicles that were too tricky for him so Mummy had to do it – the moving ladder and the retractable fire hose.

It took us around 15 minutes to build the full set and then we played “nee-naws”, pretending to put out fires and driving and parking the two shiny red fire vehicles in the Fire Station. The set also comes with two firemen, flames, a fire hydrant and a bed, chair and coffee pot to go inside the fire station which is perfect for role play as Sebby gets older.

LEGO® DUPLO®

We even made sure Sebastian was wearing his fire engine top to put him in character.

The set keeps him amused for at least an hour at a time and he likes taking the vehicles apart and putting them back together before acting out the fire engine racing to a fire, getting the fireman out and using the hose to put out the flames. It is lovely seeing him really engaging with a toy and of course, Mummy has to join in too “Nee-Naw, Nee-Naw, Nee-Naw”

The other sets available include; Doc McStuffins Backyard Clinic, Rosie the Ambulance, Mickey and Minnie Birthday Parade, Jake and the Neverland Pirates – Pirate Adventure, Batman Adventure, My First Bus and the Fire Boat.

A very special delivery!

Once Halloween and Guy Fawkes night pass, it is time to turn our attentions to the ‘C’ word and with the Christmas adverts starting on TV and shops covered in decorations, there is no getting away from it now.

My thoughts have turned to where to take the kids to see Father Christmas. In previous years we have been to Kingdom of the Elves at Bluestone, the Polar Express at Dartmoor, Eden Project, Paultons Park, Marwell and some more local ones in Bournemouth and Christchurch. Each have their own merits but this year my dream was to take the kids to Lapland.

Sadly Lapland is out of our price range, but we have got tickets for LaplandUK and cannot wait to experience everything they have to offer.

LaplandUK promises a truly unique and enchanting experience, one that children will never forget and it was excitement overload when their personal invitations from Father Christmas were delivered to Isaac, Eliza and Sebastian this week.

Lapland UK

The personalised stamp sealed envelopes were opened and read out loud by Isaac and the letter requested their help at Father Christmas’ secret Elf Toy Factory at his Arctic wonderland.

LaplandUK

When we arrive at the end of the month we will be handed our LaplandUK passports and have pre-ordered some Elf Jingles (LaplandUK currency) for the kids to spend.

I am looking forward to meandering through the beautiful snowy woodland pathways with a stop off at the Toy Factory, where Isaac, Eliza and Sebby can help the Elves get the toys ready to be delivered across the world on Christmas Eve. After we have done our work we will have the opportunity to meet Mother Christmas in her kitchen to lend a hand at decorating delicious gingerbread, before gathering for a traditional story.

Next up is the Elves’ Village, where we get to meet LaplandUK’s resident huskies and reindeer and get our skates on to enjoy the festive Ice Rink. To top off the experience, every child will enjoy a personalised meeting with Father Christmas in his snowy woodland home and take away a luxury husky soft toy.

I have every reason to believe that LaplandUK is going to be Pure Christmas magic!

Do you have an extra special place you like to take the kids to visit Father Christmas? Please link up your blogs to my Great Big Christmas Days Out Linky and help others find out where they can visit too!

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