Duplo train: these are the 6 nicest train playsets for children
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A Double tren; the ideal gift that will keep your child busy for a long time and at the same time get the maximum skills out of him/her.
The first Duplo train is a unique gift as your little one has no idea what it is all about and how great fun it can be.
As soon as it is taken out of the box, your little one will soon experience a new world with the train and all the accompanying pieces such as the rails, blocks to make buildings, wagons, you name it.
Playing with Duplo is very educational, besides the fact that it provides a lot of fun.
Most importantly, in addition to having a lot of fun, the little ones can also develop their skills and gain a technical understanding.
This will give children a head start on things they will meet in the future.
Here we will make a comparison between different variants of Duplo trains and list their characteristics.
Several models are of high quality, but our favorite is this Lego Duplo Freight Train. This product is considered by many to be one of the best variants they could give to their children at a fairly affordable price.
| Duplo train set | Images |
| Nicest Duplo freight train: LEGO DUPLO Cargo train 10875 |  (view more images) |
| Best Duplo train with tunnel: Lego Duplo Luxury Train Set 10508 |  (view more images) |
| Best Duplo steam train: Duplo steam train 10874 |  (view more images) |
| Best educational Duplo train: LEGO DUPLO Number train 10847 |  (view more images) |
| Best Duplo train expansion: train tracks level crossing 10882 |  (view more images) |
| Cutest Duplo train bridge: Train bridge and rails 10872 |  (view more images) |
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Duplo train set buying guide: what do you pay attention to?
Double is great toys, but there are a few things to consider before gifting one of the many building sets to a child.
Age
From what age is Duplo suitable? And when are they too big for it?
Lego Duplo itself indicates that the toys are suitable for children between 18 months and 5 years.
Their building sets are also divided into 4 different age groups:
- From 18 months: Toys for the little ones, with extra large blocks that fit in the little hands of children. With this they discover for the first time how to get two blocks clicked together.
- From 2 years old: this makes it possible to make somewhat more complex structures, the details and accompanying stories are more refined.
- From 3 years old: now your child may have already collected quite a few Duplo sets and can start combining them. It is nice to have a standard set of blocks at home, so that the buildings (and creativity!) can become bigger and bigger.
- From 4 years old: the last phase before the kids might prefer to play with “regular” Lego blocks, you can move on to this slowly.
Children younger than 18 months can of course always be introduced to Duplo blocks.
Because the blocks are so big (twice as big as Lego blocks, hence the name Duplo = Double!) there is virtually no choking hazard.
Babies will love the colors and love to bump into blocks. If you make a tower for them, they will find it fascinating and eager to knock it down.
However, older children will only understand what exactly is the purpose of the blocks and figure out how to put them together.
The real role play, play with other kids and the creative conception and construction of constructions comes later, from about 3 years.
Children 5 years or older Finally, they will often find Lego blocks more interesting. For example, let them start with a knightly building set from the Lego Kingdoms series.
Quantity of parts and figures
One Duplo set is not like the other and some, such as the Luxury Duplo Train Set from my list, with 134 parts and 3 mini figures, are very extensive.
The Lego Duplo Train Bridge and Tracks, on the other hand, has only 26 pieces and a figure.
So pay attention to this when purchasing the package so that you know what to expect. This way you avoid disappointment when opening the box and it only seems like a meager number of pieces.
The more parts, the more complicated the building set, and perhaps the more fun to play.
Especially with a train, the rails can never be long enough. Go for as many rails as possible and let the kids (occasionally) use the entire room floor! The ceiling is the limit!
The great thing about Duplo is of course that most sets can be combined with each other.
Below I will also give tips for each Duplo train set to supplement the set with other Duplo products.
Budget
You will not soon regret purchasing a Duplo set, but it can certainly be a considerable investment.
Decide for yourself how far you want to go in this regard, and perhaps spread out the giving of the sets. For example, give them the basic set for the birthday, and then a great expansion set at christmas.
You can of course also add Duplo sets and extensions to your child's wish list.
This way friends and family don't have to guess what they will make your little one happy with, and you will soon have a beautiful collection at home.
New or second-hand?
Lego Duplo is virtually indestructible, and will last much longer than your little one is interested in it.
It is an idea to ask around in your circle of friends if someone has a nice Duplo bin that is dusting in the attic or you take a look at the thrift store.
Plastic building blocks are easy to clean (read here how) and as soon as your children are done with it, they can pass the sets in turn.
But if you think it's a better idea to buy these toys new, or if you can't find them used, that's fine too.
Buying new Duplo also gives you the advantage that you can choose exactly the set that your child is interested in.
Is he crazy about princesses, knights and castles? Then take a look at these ridiculously cute Duplo sets. Is she obsessed with trains? Then read on!
Best Duplo train sets reviewed
Now that we've discussed all that, let's go check out my favorite Duplo trains. What makes these sets so much fun?
Best Duplo freight train: Lego Duplo freight train 10875
With 105 parts you build a long track with a harbor and a boat, charging station, cranes, a cafe and more with all kinds of accessories and animals.
The first train set, the Lego Duplo Freight Train, is of high quality and has simple operation.
This freight train is easy to put on the rails and because of the push & go motor it covers long distances with a little push to the harbor, the loading station or the cranes.
You only have to give a little push and the train will propel itself: super handy and fun for your little one.
The train can easily change direction.
This freight train comes together with rail elements, a harbor, a charging station and more and is super easy to operate.
The system uses color-coded action bricks that the train can drive past, recognizes and reacts to it.
They let lights go on, they can make sounds, stop and change direction.
With a price above € 100, it is not an everyday gift, but it is quality for your money.
You can make so much with these sets, also in combination with your other Duplo building blocks.
Just look how Mika built an amazing multi-storey train tracks, really so funny to watch:
This set is very educational as your little one learns to program and how goods are transported.
It is ideal to give the little one maximum stimulation of his or her skills. Best of all, the price is not too high for a lot of fun.
- Age: 2 to 5 years
- Parts: 105 parts, 3 minifigures
Additions to this Duplo train package
Is this set alone not enough? Or would you like to complete it with something else? There are many packages that you can combine the freight train with.
We recommend the Lego Duplo Creative Fun Building Set as an ideal addition as it consists of 120 interesting building blocks with different shapes.
Another option is the Duplo Building plate, as the basis for all creations.
This way you can easily expand the world you've built: make a city, enlarge the harbor, build towers, you name it.
The little one will let off steam for a long time and vary a lot, change the job and get new ideas. This generates a lot of creativity and ensures hours of fun.
beside is Duplo Cars like this one we wrote about before of course also a nice addition to the train set.
Best Duplo train with tunnel: Lego Duplo luxury train set 10508
In second place we put the Lego Duplo Luxury Train Set. It is more expensive than the previous one, but here too you are guaranteed hours of fun.
This train set is ideal for your child: it is rich in beautiful colors, the locomotive contains sound effects and it has various freight wagons, cranes and trucks to transport stones.
This set is very interactive and will increase your child's motor skills, insight and fun.
With 134 parts you build a multi-directional track (160 cm) with a bridge / tunnel, truck, DUPLO quarry, building with a crane to transport boulders.
The second train set, the Lego Duplo Luxury Train Set, comes close to the Lego Duplo Freight Train.
It is slightly more expensive, but it provides almost as much fun.
The Luxury Train Set is very popular worldwide by many because of its different qualities.
The good thing about this train set is that it is also quite simple to put together, it contains different sound effects, it is full of cheerful colors and the design is very impressive.
The set has quite a lot of parts including the locomotive, freight wagons that can accommodate rocks, rails, a bridge that can be used as a tunnel at the same time, a building with a crane and 3 Duplo figures.
It stimulates your little one his or her technical skills as he or she has to think carefully about how the track should be built and programmed, especially so that the bridge can also be used as a tunnel and that the train can go in the right direction.
Here too your child learns the system of transporting goods and he or she will experience hours of fun with it.
- Age: 2 to 5 years
- Parts: 134 parts, 3 minifigures
Check prices and availability here
Best Duplo steam train: Duplo steam train 10874
This is another more classic train set with a real steam train. Fun for your toddler from 2 years and is specially made so that they can operate it easily.
Children can learn their actions and consequences well, because with a little push forward or backward the train will start running. This is due to the unique Push & Go motor.
If you want to stop it again, simply grab it or lift it. A child can do the laundry!
You can also play with the 5 colored action bricks.
This is easy for slightly older children to understand, because you can put them on the rails to have the train perform actions.
The actions the train can include:
- let's honk
- turn the lights on and off
- pause to refuel
- to change direction
- and stop the train altogether
It is also a very complete set with a train station, employee, 2 DUPLO figures, an animal and many included train tracks.
Furthermore, you can make it as complicated as you want with even an app that you can download if you like it.
You can use it without it because Duplo knows that not every parent will like this, but you can expand your playing experience even further.
With the app you can also operate the train remotely and there are many activities that you can discover together with your child.
- Age: 2 to 5 years
- Parts: 59 parts, 1 minifigure
Best educational train: LEGO DUPLO Number train 10847
With 23 parts you build a train with building blocks with numbers and two LEGO DUPLO children figures and a cat. It does not contain rails.
A very nice educational train, suitable for children from about 1,5 years.
There is not only a train with a locomotive and 3 wagons, but also two funny figures and a cat.
Very nice for the little ones who are just about to come into contact with Duplo.
There are big blocks (from what age can you play with Duplo?) with numbers 1 to 9 to playfully learn to count and they have cheerful colors.
The blocks are large and perfect for your toddler or toddler, specially developed to be safe for small children's hands.
- Age: 18 months to 3 years
- Parts: 23 parts, 2 minifigures
Best Duplo train extension: train tracks level crossing 10882
There are several sets that can be used as an ideal addition to the Luxury Train Set when it is not enough.
Here you can also choose the Duplo Building Set and the Duplo Building Plate to make the dimension a lot bigger. I have already discussed those above.
Your little one can build a city with buildings along the track and places where the boulders can be kept. Is the length of the track not enough?
Then you can choose to extend it with Duplo Train Tracks.
This train tracks consists of 23 parts including rail elements, a level crossing, a red action brick, and more.
- Age: 2 to 5 years
- Parts: 23 parts, 0 minifigures
Best Duplo bridge: Train bridge and rails 10872
You can easily add this train bridge with extra rails to any new or existing Duplo train set to instantly add a new dimension to the game.
Suitable from 2 years, so you can teach your toddler or preschooler to assemble a somewhat more difficult structure and you immediately have a bridge for the train to cross, and a tunnel to pass underneath.
Furthermore, there is also an extra action brick that works with many of the newer train sets from Duplo.
For example, your train will honk when it drives over it, nice to put under the train bridge, for example.
You also get an extra Duplo doll, namely a construction worker who can help with the construction of this large project.
- Age: 2 to 5 years
- Parts: 26 parts, 1 minifigure
Why buy Duplo for your child?
Lego Duplo is a very popular toy that has been doing well for decades and has been successful every year. Duplo regularly brings new sets to the market.
In this way they do their utmost to always remain a favorite with both parents and children.
At the same time, playing with Duplo has many benefits for the development of children's skills.
Duplo packages consisting of Duplo building blocks, figures, such as this one from Hello Kitty we reviewed, and accessories invite the youngest to build their own adventures and develop scenarios using their imagination and maximum imagination.
The global brand Lego has been generally known for many years for making toys that aid in the learning and acquisition of both individual and social skills.
This toy is a lot of fun for children of different ages, Duplo is often intended for children from 1,5 to 5 years old.
Lego Duplo has also been on the list of the best toys for over 40 years.
With Lego Duplo, the little ones can get started at home in the living room or anywhere with the building blocks and buildings, cars, trains, towers, and whatever to assemble and enjoy themselves for a long time.
All the pieces in many different beautiful colors and adapted to the capacities of the little one offer children the opportunity to put together whatever they want to build.
Once built, children can prove that they have achieved their goal which motivates them to keep creating.
If a problem arises, you have to know how to solve it in the best way as a child and come up with something.
At the same time, playing with Lego Duplo is very safe as the pieces are large enough and made with non-toxic and high quality materials.
This ensures that little ones who are always tempted to put everything in their mouths do not suffer any form of poisoning from any product supplied by Lego Duplo.
The blocks are big enough so that the little one cannot swallow anything. All pieces before they come on the market always undergo several tests to check their strength and hardness to see if they cannot break.
Buy Lego Duplo for your child to encourage his / her social skills.
This way your little one can also work together with other children or with you as a parent to achieve better results.
This promotes cooperation and good interaction with each other during construction.
Lego is a brand that evolves with children, their first experiences will be with Duplo, but as they grow they will keep playing with other Lego categories until a certain age.
Also read about these fun Duplo airplane packages
The advantages of the new Duplo train variants
Lego Duplo keeps renewing its classic and older models, most trains that have been released in recent years are also based on classic models but with innovations and improvements.
In addition to a new design, the new train sets also contain building blocks that allow trains to drive on the tracks and perform actions according to the settings.
The positive thing about the new models is that children between 1,5 and 5 years can already learn to program with Duplo.
Action bricks are now targeting the smallest children so that they have to come up with the best ways to program properly and keep the train properly circulating on the track.
Duplo trains remain one of the most important variants of Lego Duplo. With the latest designs and variations, it won't lose its essence either.
Children will never tire of assembling trains, building the track, circulating the train and coming up with all kinds of scenarios themselves.
Duplo trains have multiple functionalities. Children are busy making constant movements at the right speed and have to make sure the train is going in the right direction.
So you are continuously reprogramming without realizing it. That is not all because the child is constantly faced with challenges that he / she tries to solve.
And if you are with several people, you work as a team.
You will discover the rules of the track's circulation, colors, numbers and shapes.
You also stimulate language development, vocabulary, imagination, creativity, a sense of art and a technical insight.
According to many, it is also an advantage that it is a physical game, this is a much healthier choice for your child than anything in the digital world.
So there is no need for a game console, children's tablet or mobile.
This is also not necessary to have hours of fun with the best Duplo sets.
The nice thing about buying these kinds of sets is, as we mentioned above, combining one package with another.
This way you can quickly acquire the best combinations. Your child will no doubt be very happy.
If you would like a longer track you can buy a Duplo train track package so you can extend the track of the track, add a railway junction and add a bridge.
The extension of the tracks is highly recommended as it extends the route considerably.
Lego Duplo has recently released two new sets and each contains an extra action brick.
One of these sets is the Lego Duplo Train Bridge and Tracks.
This is definitely recommended, it contains 8 straight rail elements, 4 ramp elements to assemble the bridge and a yellow action brick for honking and a few extra accessories.
The other set is the Lego Duplo Train Tracks.
This set contains a straight track element, 10 curved track elements, a level crossing, 2 end points, 2 switches and a red action brick to stop the train.
The rails of all new Duplo train sets are compatible with those of the train track sets and other train sets.
It's no problem if you want to combine tracks and trains that you already have with new sets.
You can drive more than one train at the same time and combine all your routes to create a mega route.
Old and new trains can run on the track at the same time.
Also read: these are the nicest wooden toy train sets for those little conductors
Always something to do for the holidays or rainy day?
Play Choice now has the ultimate activity book collection, with over 60 pages of fun coloring pages and educational puzzles.
Joost Nusselder, the founder of Speelkeuze.nl is a content marketer, father and loves trying out new toys. As a child he came into contact with everything related to games when his mother started the Tinnen Soldaat in Ede. Now he and his team create helpful blog articles to help loyal readers with fun play ideas.