What Is the Difference Between Lego and Duplo Blocks?

Size

• The primary difference between Duplo and Lego blocks is the size of the interlocking bricks. Duplo blocks are made for younger children that are just developing the motor skills necessary to put the bricks together. The name "Duplo" comes from the Latin "duplos," meaning "double." The standard Duplo block is double the dimensions of the regular Lego block -- twice the height, twice the width and twice the depth. This makes the volume of the block eight times that of a standard Lego brick. Duplo bricks come in limited sizes and shapes, while Lego bricks come in sizes that range from a single-knobbed brick that's about a quarter-inch square to long bricks with ten or more rows of knobs. Lego bricks are also made in non-standard shapes for particular building sets, while Duplo blocks have limited shape variations.

Color

• The color combinations and varieties of Duplo blocks are limited, while Lego bricks come in dozens of different colors in many shades. The first Duplos, which appeared in 1969, came in four colors: white, red, yellow and blue, and they were sold as part of the regular system sets. In 1975, the larger bricks were given the brand name "Duplo," and the standard sets added green bricks, animals and people figures. Duplo blocks stick to bright colors in general, although they do have girl-themed sets with more pink and white bricks.

Building Sets

• A major difference in Duplo and Lego blocks is the variety of building sets that are available for each. The Duplo line includes basic sets portraying such things as farms, homes, zoos and fire stations. The Lego line offers many different themes, including Harry Potter building sets and Star Wars sets, and some of these can be quite complex. The largest Lego set is a model of the Taj Mahal, but some of the Star Wars sets, such as the Millennium Falcon spaceship and the Death Star model, also use thousands of bricks. There are also complex architectural Lego sets depicting things such as towers, cities and bridges.

Features and Extras

• Duplo bricks and accessories are built with safety in mind, so Duplo people and animals do not come apart. The sets are easy to build and have few moving parts. In contrast, many Lego sets have specialized accessories such as moving parts, gears and specialty creatures. For example, some of the the Harry Potter sets include goblets, hippogriffs, capes and wands, while castle sets have swords, shields, moats and drawbridges.