Today, LEGO celebrates the 50th anniversary of the LEGO DUPLO building system, designed for the youngest children who are not yet ready to play with standard LEGO bricks. Below is the press-release with more details on the history of DUPLO, as well as an interesting video on how LEGO DUPLO bricks are tested for safety and durability. 🙂

BILLUND, January 29, 2019: Today we mark 50 years since the LEGO Group unveiled its inaugural large brick for small hands (yes that would be 1969) – the same year the first person set foot on the moon. You can decide which was the bigger moment for mankind (although could Apollo 11 be dismantled and rebuilt into a racecar?) but, either way, below are some highlights from half a century of big building fun.

LUDAMUS! A LATIN ORIGIN

Did you know the name DUPLO derives from the Latin word ‘duplex’ meaning double? The name first featured on two LEGO DUPLO sets launched in 1969 – the #510 LEGO DUPLO Building Set and the #511 LEGO DUPLO Building set – if you like specifics.

And did you know that LEGO DUPLO bricks are twice the size of classic LEGO bricks on all dimensions? This is so all our bricks fit into the LEGO System of Play. Finding this 2:1 scale solution was no easy task. We tried both 4:1 and 3:1 scale before Godtfred Kirk Christiansen – second generation LEGO Group owner – in 1968 came up with the idea (during his sleep!) to hollow the studs on LEGO DUPLO bricks. This meant they could be combined with classic LEGO bricks, and thereby formed the basis for safe and more age-appropriate LEGO building experiences for the youngest children.

THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF LIFE

The urge to play is nature’s way of helping us make sense of the world. Through play, we come to know what it means to belong, to be loved, and feel happiness. From birth to the age of four, children undergo intense neurological transformation. The most rapid period of learning and development a human being will ever experience takes place in those four years. By the end, a ‘blueprint’ has been drawn for the adults they will become.

That’s why all LEGO DUPLO products are carefully designed to inspire and help toddlers unlock their full potential through creative, playful experiences that will further shape their future. Don’t just take our word for it. We asked over 9,000 parents around the world how they feel about the LEGO System of Play in the 2018 LEGO Play Well Report. 94% of the responders said it stimulates their child’s imagination, 93% said 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. Oh, and 91% also said it is a fun activity for the whole family!

A RABBIT… AND SOME FRIENDS

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 taken pride of place on our product packaging ever since. Of course, it had a few makeovers during the years like any famous icon, but still, today the rabbit remains the symbol of the brand.

It has also since been joined by a host of other DUPLO animals – from horses, sheep and cows to elephants, lions, and even dinosaurs. Not to mention the many different DUPLO figures that have launched over the years – farmers and policemen, doctors, cowboys, scientists, cheeky kids and hipster parents. There’s something to inspire every little builder’s imagination and help facilitate storytelling and role-play.

PRODUCT QUALITY AND SAFETY

Our biggest inspiration and reason for being – children – are also our biggest concern. So, we are relentless in making sure children can play safely and enjoy our products – indeed, it’s the most important thing for us. That’s why all our products meet or exceed the most stringent toy safety regulations globally.

Across our physical and digital play experiences we work from a safety-by-design approach, and age grade to ensure children have a fun time while being challenged at their appropriate level. Putting our products in the hands of the world’s most creative geniuses means they must withstand several experiences, and big feelings. From being bitten, dribbled on, thrown across the room in a tantrum, stepped on, or pulled by determined young explorers. So, we have to be equally creative when it comes to testing our products – testing for how they’re meant to be used… and for how they’re most definitely not meant to be used! Before you ask what these tests look like, why not let the experts give a sneak-peak below?

THE NEXT 50 YEARS AND BEYOND

If LEGO DUPLO was a person, it would probably be eyeing up those last few years of work and imagining a life of relaxation and retirement. But not a bit of it.

As play patterns become ever more fluid, products like the new DUPLO Steam and Cargo Trains are helping toddlers move seamlessly between physical and digital play like never before, introducing little builders to early coding, color recognition and accompanying apps full of fun activities. All with the key aim to encourage and enhance the physical play experience.

The brick is, and will always remain, our key contribution trough which we hope to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow. And who knows how many new space explorers will be hatched from the LEGO DUPLO play world?

While we don’t talk about LEGO DUPLO here very often due to the fact that our community mostly consist of teen and adult LEGO fans, LEGO DUPLO has a rich and long history with a great variety of sets and themes. To see the current selection of LEGO DUPLO sets, visit the LEGO DUPLO section of the Online LEGO Shop.

What do you think? Did you have any LEGO DUPLO sets as a child? Or did you start with regular LEGO sets? And what do you think of the development of LEGO DUPLO sets and themes? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below! 😉

And you might also like to check out the following related posts:

• Great Info & Photos at New LEGO History Site
• The Story of the LEGO Minifigure – Part 1
• The Story of the LEGO Minifigure – Part 2
• The Story of the LEGO Minifigure – Part 3
• The Story of the LEGO Minifigure – Part 4
• The Story of the LEGO Minifigure – Part 5
• LEGO 60th Anniversary Sets & Promotions
• 60 Years of the LEGO Brick Anniversary Set
• The Origins & Predecessors of LEGO Bricks
• The Secret World of LEGO – Documentary
• All Basic LEGO Bricks in My Day – Is It True?
• How Much Do You Know About LEGO?