Get Ready For Some Stone Age Fun With The Duplo “Brontosaurus Family” Set!
Written: Apr 07 '04
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Pros: Fun set, five dinosaurs, inspires creativity.
Cons: Hard to find, discontinued in 1999.
The Bottom Line: Another great set from the Duplo Dinosaur series, the Brontosaurus Family set is one of my all time favorites!
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| Freak369's Full Review: Duplo Brontosaurus Family |
After cleaning out the closet in the hall, I came across a lot of toys that hadn’t seen the light of day for many years – one of which was a relatively new set of Duplos, one of many that I purchased for them over the years. When the boys were younger they loved the entire series of Duplo dinosaurs and as I mentioned in other reviews, I tried my hardest to try and track down as many as possible for them. This is a large sized set that comes with more than enough pieces and accessories for kinds in the two to five year range to have hours and hours of fun with. If you have other Duplo sets, these can easily be combined with them to make larger, more detailed scenes. When Lego decided to discontinue this series a lot of people were puzzles, the sales were high, kids loved them and the sets were always in demand. Still, in order to keep things fresh, the Lego design team – from time to time – stop a series before it gets burned out. As much as I love these sets even I have to admit that there are only so many different ways to present the same basic concept of dinosaurs and play scenes.
If you look at some of the pieces that are included with this set you might spot a few familiar items that were also featured in the Dinosaur Fun Forest set. Things like the stenciled fruit blocks, cart, fireplace set up and the green vine are very common pieces in this Duplo series however outside the Dinosaur sets, these types of pieces are few and far between. This is truly one of the best things about the Duplo and Lego set, the ability to take a few smaller sets and combine them into one large play scene. As I mentioned, this is a large playset but some clarification might be needed for those who aren’t familiar with Duplo or Lego sets. The size of a set is determined by the number of elements [pieces] when compared to the rest of the series. Since most of the sets in the Duplo Dinosaur series were about 18 – 22 pieces, this stands out as a larger set based on the fact that it has 26 pieces. Some boxes are listed as having 32 pieces instead of 26; the total piece count depended on when the set was released. Early sets came with a few more basic blocks while the ones released later had fewer common blocks.
Duplo Brontosaurus Family
If you are looking for a set to add dinosaurs to your collection, this is the one to look for! Include in this set are three brontosaurus’, one adult and two babies and two pterodactyls – one adult and one baby. The only one that has any movement to it is the large parent brontosaurus, the neck moves up and down however the tail is fixed. The coloring on all of the dinosaurs is super with stenciled accents featured on all of them. There are also studs on the back of the bodies so you can stack them, add pieces to them or use elements from other sets to increase the reply value. The smaller accessory pieces like the fireplace, treetop and flowers are all sturdy, made of thick hard plastic and can be used for a ton of different things. One of my sons decided that the dinosaurs looked a little thin and went through all the Duplo sets and picked out all the flowers, bushes and treetops and made a cure, dense greenery section. It really shocked me when he did this since he was only about four and a half at the time and seemed rather stressed out that the dinosaurs were extinct, “Dats not gunna happen to ma deeeenos mum”. As I had said many times, any toy that can teach as well as entertain gets high marks from me .. and if it happens to carry the Lego or Duplo name, even better.
The two villagers or cave people that come with this set are just too cute. They are basic figures that require no assembly and while some may see this as a limitation to their overall quality, it also means that there aren’t any small pieces for kids to chew on or lose. By far one of the coolest pieces in this set is the functional brown flat wagon. Plenty of room for the villagers to ride on, drag things around or to give the smaller dinosaurs a lift. There are small attachment claws on the end of the wagon so they can be connected to others if you have other Duplo sets that featured this vehicle. The wheels are large and move easily so there’s no trouble moving it around on the floor or carpeting, they do not come off so again, there’s no danger for smaller kids that are a little rough on things. The largest section of brick features a large hole in the front of it, perfect for popping figures in and out or having the smaller dinosaurs peek out to see what’s going on in the village. You get a handful of basic Duplo blocks with this set and you can easily add to them by purchasing basic bulk sets. The colors are primary and can be used to teach the younger kids the basics, along with this you can also teach them stacking basics, size and scale.
Things To Know
The dinosaurs are made of extremely sturdy plastic however they do not come apart, the seam that runs down the middle of them might be a little deceiving to the wee people and they may be tempted to give it a few whacks to see if it opens up. Even after years of use, these are still in great shape – and the ones that my neighbors daughter is currently playing with have seen so much use that I’m surprised that they are still in such great shape. These do get dirty rather easily so you will need to clean them every so often with a mild soap and allow them to air dry. You can also toss them into a laundry garment bag and pop them in the dishwasher [top rack, warm water only] if you’d rather not do the chore by hand. The last item I want to mention is the flexible green vine, while this really adds a lot to the aesthetics of the set, it could pose a real danger to younger kids that are still in “chew mode”. There are a number of leaves that are attached to the sides of the vine and while they are affixed in good fashion, if a child starts chewing on them I have no doubt that they’ll be able to gnaw them off in less than five minutes.
The Duplo Dinosaur Series
Included in this series are the following sets. All age appropriate for ages 1 1/2 through 5, have colorful, sturdy and safe pieces and are interchangeable with other Duplo and Explore Together sets: Brontosaurus Family [2600], T-Rex Dinosaurs [2601], Dinosaur Village [2602], Dinosaur Bulk Tub [2603], Dino World [2604], Dinosaur Park [2605], Dinosaur Babies [2803], Mini Dino Set [2806], Dinosaur Fun Forest [2821]. Other recommended sets and accessories include: Duplo Bucket Assortment [1086], Duplo Boxed Set [2261], Duplo Building Plate [2304], Duplo Large Assortment [3099].
The Bottom Line
This is a great investment if your child loves to build things and has an attraction to dinosaurs. The early learning possibilities are endless, stacking, building, colors, shapes and of course the different dinosaurs are just a few of the things that kids will be exposed to through this series of toys. Even though this is suggested for kids ages two through five, younger kids can use the various pieces with a little bit of parental supervision however I’d suggest removing the flexible green vine so they aren’t temped to start chomping on it. This set was discontinued in late 1999 however it can still be found at some smaller toy stores or online at various auction sites. The suggested retail price for this ran anywhere from $19.99 to $24.99 and in my opinion was well worth it since it came with a lot of different items, five dinosaurs and some very large elements. If you have a kid that likes to build, has a passion for dinosaurs and you know your way around the internet, you should be able to find this set for about $15.00 – anything more than that is a rip off – unless of course it is still sealed, in mint condition and the seller has excellent feedback.
The Stats
Set Name: Brontosaurus Family
Family Set: Duplo Dinosaur
Lego Set: 2600
Number of Pieces: 26
Age Recommendation: 2 - 5
Ease Of Assembly: Easy
Cost: $19.99
As always, thanks for the visit …
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2004 Freak369
Other Duplo and Lego Explore Sets …
Racing Lion
Racing Leopard
Racing Tiger
Explore Together - Campsite
Action Wheeler Helicopter Rescue
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): $19.99
Type of Toy: Blocks
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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