Ode to Duplo!
Ode to Duplo:
Duplo, O, Duplo—You are the perfect size.You don’t worry me about chokingOr poking out any eyes.
Duplo, O, Duplo—Your colors light up our lives.We build a red-orange-yellowGreen-blue-violet rainbow to the skies.
You are a princess castle, Duplo.You’re a diamond in the rough.You’re a farm, a zoo, a grocery store; soooooo—I thank God (and Grandma) for this stuff!
by Danita Jenae 2016
How do I love thee, Duplos? Let me count the ways!
- They include everyone. When our little friends come to play, it doesn’t matter if they are boys or girls. It doesn’t matter if they are 14 months or 11 years old. I don’t have to scurry away teeny tiny pieces for our littlest guests, and I don’t have to find something else to fancy the interest of the older ones. No matter the age of child or gender, kids seem happy as clams to play side by side with these oversized Legos. Even parents and grandparents find themselves kids again.
- They keep our living room kid-friendly but not overrun with toys, thanks to our single bucket of Dulpos. They’ve become part of our daily play routine together.
- They are easy to clean. You know… when you really have to. Like when watermelon sneaks into the play area or when snot drips onto the Duplo house like rain. I just dunk them in the soapy sink water. Rinse them in our large salad spinner and let the girls spin them dry. Then we air-dry on bath towels. Voila. Good as new.
- They are timeless. They last through years of developmental stages, not months. Duplos are great through sorting, stacking, pretend play, parallel play, independent play and playing together. And they stay in great shape for a long time! In fact, my mom kept our whole bucket of Duplos from when we were little, circa 1985-1993. I think that house set as a kid helped me think through architectural design and layout more than anything! That bucket is a quiet highlight of my time going back home to visit. I like to remember playing with my brother and sister. I like to just sit and build and be with my mom and my little ones.
- And they are fun! (For me too!) I enjoy playing these with my kids. This is the only toy I’m tempted to purchase more of (for myself!) just because they are fun! I’m happy as a lark to stack and build and rearrange with them. I don’t know why, but certain types of pretend play is hard for me to engage in. And it can be hard to just sit still and play when I’m so behind on the house or time to think. About the time we got our first Dulpo set from Great Grandma is about the time I was coming out of postpartum with my first. And it was so healing to find something I could play with my child. Thank you for a great gift, Grandma! It was worth more than you know!
Duplos help me just play! Sometimes, we just click them together and apart, over and over, just because. We sort out the colors for fun. We make castles with many layers. We build towers that touch the ceiling and watch with wide eyes when it topples over and crashes down! My oldest has started making sculptures like a crocodile and a peacock. It’s a whole new world.
6. Duplos help me offer quality time to my kids… And for my kids, quality time spells LOVE!
Because this is America, I feel the unnatural need to say “I’m not affiliated with Duplo.” I just really like them.