Lego Duplos - How Many Pieces Do I Need?

The more the better but I wouldn't invest too much money into duplos because he will soon be ready for real legos and then the sky's the limit. If you get baseplates or a building table that will work for duplos now and legos later, you will get your money's worth out of it.

Like another poster said, don't invest TOO much into Duplos, because they quickly outgrow them.

That said, I bought the train set for my son's 3rd birthday, the firehouse set for Christmas and the construction set the following year. I probably should not have gotten the construction set, since he pretty much went straight for the little Legos by that point, but he does still occasionally play with the Duplos (he just turned 5).

I think the best overall investment was the Duplo train set - it was pricey, but it has gotten a lot of use. I'm assuming they still sell that model? I'm thinking of setting it up around the Christmas tree this year.

Best of luck!

Um... 71 pieces is definitely big enough for your average 2 year old. They like to build: towers, buildings (which often look amazingly like towers), and trains (towers on their side). More pieces are just more things to lie around in your rug.

I would recommend one of the small starter sets (the 71 pc seems like a lot of just basic blocks - I'd get a smaller one), as well as a small themed set (like the zoo, or the firehouse or the construction site), and also a building plate so they can make a little town or a park or a zoo.
I disagree with a poster that thinks that they outgrow into real legos too quickly. Especially if you might have any other small children (like a sibling) around, it's a perfect toy that a 5 year old and a 2 year old can eventually play together without choking hazards. My 4 year old and 1 year old love Duplos!