Make Bigger Buildings, Sturdier Structures & Colorful Creations With Duplo’s Building Plates!
Written: Jul 13 '05
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Pros: Great for younger kids, allows them to expand and build larger more stable structures.
Cons: Hard to find, possibly discontinued by Lego.
The Bottom Line: Give your kids more replay value from their Duplo blocks with these cool and colorful building plates!
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| Freak369's Full Review: DUPLO - 3 Building Plates |
If you are going to build something you need to have a sturdy and solid base to start with. We have a ton of the Lego base plates that the brood are using as part of their Lego city scene and they really add a lot of detail and depth to it. When they were younger and into the Duplo blocks and sets I picked up several of these plate kits so they could build larger things. I have to admit this, they didn’t really stick with the Duplo line for very long; they wanted to get their hands on my Lego sets from a very early age but I made sure that each and every one of them were responsible enough to be able to build things with them, put them away and not shove them in their noses. Surprisingly enough, these plates are still being used, mostly by Annabelle when she breaks out the blocks and wants to build something for her room. She is a creative little one and used these as a bottom for a colorful pencil holder, as a stand for some of her Hello Kitty paraphernalia and as a holder for her hair ties. I think she’d be in absolute heaven if they made these in pink and purple
Duplo Building Plates
These building plates are a lot like the Lego base plates but they are thicker and smaller so they are the perfect size for smaller hands to work with without kids getting frustrated. These come packaged three to a set and measure five inches by eight inches so they are big enough that they can be used for a variety of things. Each set has one each of the following colors: yellow, red and green. The biggest perk to buying this three piece set over the standard sized Duplo Base Plate is that you get smaller more functional pieces and three colors to choose from. These are just as functional as the base plates but since they are of a smaller size they can be added to the middle or top of a structure for more stability. These are a nice thing to have around if you have the Duplo Base Plates because you can build bigger, stronger, higher pieces with them.
As much as I hate to admit it, there are two really big downsides to these. The first is that they are pretty hard to find in retail stores and unless you hit the Lego World Shop on a regular basis to try to catch it in their “hard to find” section, you might find yourself out of luck. They used to advertise these in the Lego Magazine from time to time but they were usually available on a limited basis. I have no idea what Lego decided to make these so hard to find because they really do add a lot of replay value to the Duplo, Explore Together, Dacta and World lines. The other downside is that they do get dirty easily but they clean up quickly when you soak them in water with some mild dish soap. An alternative to this is to use a laundry bag and toss them in the dishwasher on the top rack [no heat dry cycle or they will warp]. Because the pegs on these are larger than Lego elements, dust and dirt get stuck between them and they look pretty nasty. On the up side these snap together easily and come apart without a lot of effort but once they are locked in place with other bricks they provide a lot of support. These are a great way to let your child explore the basics of building by letting them expend things, making them larger or taller.
These have a suggested retail price of $6.99 which might seem like a lot to spend on three pieces but they are worth it. Just like Duplo and Lego sets, they can be used over and over again and if they get dirty [which they will] they are easy to clean. You can check online toy stores to see if they have any of these in stock but most of the time you will end up spending a few dollars more since these are hard to come by. Check the Lego website [www.lego.com] from time to time to see if they have these in their “hard to find” section and as a last resort, go to eBay and enter the words “duplo, building plates” in the search engine to see if anyone is getting rid of them for a decent price. Make sure you are getting all three pieces, some people will sell you one piece but make it seem like you are getting all three.
The Bottom Line
These might be a little hard to find but they are well worth the effort to try and track them down. One thing you might want to do is look at sites like Baylit - Bricks As You Like Them. This is a “brick broker”, someone who sells individual pieces from sets. Just like when a car gets stolen and hacked to pieces, most of the times sets are worth a lot more money when they are broken up. Most of the brick brokers and vendors don’t carry Duplo pieces like this unless they are something that’s ultra rare or part of a promotional set but you can email them and ask them to keep their eyes open for them for you . These are a really nice way to add a lot of value to the Duplo, Dacta and Explore Together series and kids really enjoy using them to build larger things without having them fall apart.
The Stats
Set Name: Duplo Building Plates
Family Set: : Duplo
Lego Set: 2198
Number of Pieces: 3
Age Recommendation: 3 and older
Ease Of Assembly: None
Time Of Assembly: None
Cost: $ $6.99
As always, thanks for the read!
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2005 Freak369
Lego base plates ...
Lego Grey Base Plate
Straight Road Plates
Curved Road Plates
Other Duplo set reviews ..
• Racing Lion • Racing Tiger • Racing Leopard • Explore Together Campsite • Helicopter Rescue • Bob, Lofty And The Mice • Bob's Big Building Box • Bob's Workshop • Naughty Spud • Wallpaper Wendy • Bob and Muck Repair the Barn • Scoop on the Road • Bob At Work • Dinosaur's Fun Forest • Dinosaur Babies • Water Park Tub • Duplo World People • Brontosaurus Family Dinosaur Village •
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $6.99
Type of Toy: Blocks
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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