You might remember it from your childhood.

Some of these might still be tucked away in the attic at your parents’ house.

It’s also very likely that your kids are playing with them right now in your living room.

It’s just one of those toys you never really get rid of it stays with your family for generations

So, what makes DUPLO bricks so special?

How come they’ve been in our lives for over 50 years now but are still landing at the top of almost every birthday and holiday wish list worldwide?

The first reason is simple: they are a part of a carefully crafted system in play.

The DUPLO story starts in the early ‘60s when the LEGO HQ in Billund, Denmark was still buzzing with excitement following the successful launch of the standard LEGO brick in 1958.

But while millions of children worldwide were busy building their first LEGO cities, planes, and cars,

it quickly became obvious that the play experience unintentionally excluded a large group of kids:t oddlers!

The LEGO brick was simply too small for them to play with in a safe way.

As a response, the LEGO Group came back with LEGO Jumbo kindergarten bricks.

Much bigger than the standard LEGO brick.

They came in 3 different colors and proved to be an instant hit especially with North American parents and pre-school teachers.

But while the bricks were flying off the shelves, Godfred Kirk Christiansen, the owner of the LEGO Group at the time, discovered yet another issue that needed addressing -

LEGO Jumbo bricks existed as a completely separate product.

Not only did the different-sized bricks not fit together but there was no system to how kids played with them.

Godfred really wanted to avoid producing yet another limited, throw-away toy.

He wanted to create something that could entertain for years and last for generations.

The reinvention of the LEGO Jumbo brick started with three new prototypes.

The 2:1 model quickly came up as a frontrunner in terms of size.

That’s also where the name DUPLO comes from: in Latin, "duplus"means "double."

But the question of making the bigger bricks fit with the standard ones was a puzzle that still needed to be solved.

According to a legend, after months of testing and failing, Kristiansen quite literally dreamt up a solution:

by hollowing out the studs on top of the larger bricks, you can clutch the standard LEGO brick together with the new, bigger design,

all thanks to the tubes at the bottom of each brick!

With that invention, LEGO play became an experience with a logical continuation as the child grows

And the design hasn’t changed since the 1960s, so the first DUPLO bricks still fit with the bricks you buy today.

The LEGO System in Play is working.

Godtfred would be proud!

Another reason why DUPLO bricks are so special is the fact that they’re extremely safe for toddlers.

It’s a well-known fact that little kids love putting things in their mouths.

That of course includes, on top of your car keys, your phone, and your dangly necklace, all other small objects laying around your house - like LEGO bricks!

The larger DUPLO brick by design is too big to fit through the child’s airways.

Every new DUPLO element that’s been introduced since the 1960s, no matter how big or small has been checked for toddler-choking potential (or lack thereof).

Of course, DUPLO elements go through other rigorous tests as well.

Through pulling and stomping, to dropping and squeezing – all this to mimic the behavior of an average toddler and make sure even unattended DUPLO play is safe (and fun)!

And unlike the traditional LEGO minifigures that come apart and are made of interchangeable pieces,

DUPLO figures have continuously been made to stay together as one element since their debut in the ‘70s

Although their design has changed significantly over the years, the focus on safety has stayed the same.

Behind the design of every DUPLO set, there’s hours of child development research.

The brain of a toddler is like a sponge, hungry for knowledge.

At this stage of human development, learning mainly happens through handling objects and familiarizing yourself with the world around you:

the places you visit, the things you see on your way from the playground, everything that you hear, touch, or taste.

LEGO already knew this about toddlers in the ‘70s, and it was the main reason the first trains and cars were introduced.

On top of brining immense joy to the little ones, they were also perfect for helping toddlers develop their fine motor skills, like grabbing or pushing.

A little bit later, the first generation of figures and animals came into play.

These opened up millions of possibilities for roleplaying and storytelling, so important in every child’s emotional intelligence development.

And when you look at the newest LEGO DUPLO elements, they are far from your grandpa’s DUPLO sets:

with new, eye-catching colors, figures with different skin tones, and many special, exciting elements to support character roleplay.

They help reflect the modern world well.

But the biggest educational benefit comes from the brick itself:

by building, unbuilding, and rebuilding of the DUPLO towers, houses, and cities,

toddlers boost their resilience, a skill so needed in today’s modern, chaotic, and fast-changing society.

In the last 50 years, the DUPLO brick has changed immensely, from the colors of the bricks to the variety of the special pieces, that make DUPLO play even more exciting.

But one thing remained unchanged through all this time, it always has been and will be special in every way.