If you’re looking for the best stacking toys for babies and toddlers, you’ve come to the right place. Stacking toys are great for developing fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving skills.
As your child develops, it is natural for them to want to stack and arrange items. The physical act of sifting and sorting items is a representation of the mental processes occurring in your child. They are learning how objects fit together, how they move, and how their environment functions in general.
The best stacking toys are not only fun but also instructive and adorable enough to serve as nursery room accessories. Stacking toys nearly always succeeds in capturing the interest of younger babies, which is difficult to find in toys.
We’ve rounded up some of the best stacking toys for babies and toddlers, so you can find the perfect one for your little one.
Our Top Picks
- Softest Stacking Toy: LAMAZE – Rainbow Stacking Rings Toy
- Best Stacking Blocks: B. toys by Battat ABC Block Party Baby Blocks
- Best Stacking Cups: Brilliant Basics Stack and Roll Cups
- Best Wooden Stacking Rings: GEMEM Stacking Rings Toy
- Modern Design: Fat Brain Toys Tobbles Neo
- Different Ring Designs: Sassy Stacks of Circles
- Multipurpose Stacking Toy: green sprouts Sprout Ware Stacking Cups
- Unique Design: Manhattan Toy Boom Shock-A-Locka Wooden Stacking Toy
- Best Puzzle & Stacking Toy: WOOD CITY Wooden Sorting & Stacking Toy
- Best Alphabet Stacking Blocks: Melissa & Doug Deluxe 10-Piece Alphabet Nesting and Stacking Blocks
- Best 3-Set Stacking Toy: Fat Brain Toys Shape Tower
- A Bunny Stacking Toy: Petit Collage Modern Bunny Wooden Stacking Toy
In This Article
HappyBabyHub’s Best Stacking Toys For Babies and Toddlers Picks
LAMAZE – Rainbow Stacking Rings Toy – Softest Stacking Toy
- Fun colors and textures
- Makes crinkling noises
- Durable
- These toys are nice and soft, with big pieces
- The whole piece is not crunchy
The Lamaze Rainbow Stacking Rings Developmental Toy is a must-have for newborns who enjoy playing and learning at the same time. The stackable rings come in vibrant colors, various textures, and patterns, which help newborns develop their dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
The rings are not only visually stimulating but also provide unique sounds and crinkly textures that grab your baby’s attention. They are easy to grasp, so your little one will enjoy stacking them on the pegged base. Age: 6 months+
B. toys by Battat ABC Block Party Baby Blocks – Best Stacking Blocks
- Sturdy
- Easy to stack
- The whole alphabet is on the blocks
- The blocks have different soft textures of velvet and corduroy around the holes for the toys
- All but one block have a shaped insert that can be removed
This set includes six bright fabric blocks and five textured shapes that will keep your little ones entertained for hours. Stack them up and watch your infants and toddlers knock them down again and again! This soft block set also features five removable inserts that toddlers and even slightly older children will love to shake, rattle, and roll. When playtime is over, the set comes with a handy recyclable plastic bag for easy storage. Age: 6 months+
Brilliant Basics Stack and Roll Cups – Best Stacking Cups
- Hard plastic which is easy to clean, can be used in the tub or water sensory bin
- Open-ended toy
- Can be used for learning to count & colors
- Stacking, nesting, balls, plenty of ways to play
- Will definitely outgrow a child
This set of ten vibrantly colored cups is designed to help your baby learn about size, shape, color, numbers, and counting. The cups can be stacked, nested, or snapped together to form balls that roll around. And don’t forget the happy jingle ball that can be placed inside any cup or on top of the entire stack, making delightful jingle noises. Age: 6 months+
GEMEM Stacking Rings Toy – Best Wooden Stacking Rings
- The rings are a great size for griping
- Cute colors
- Great for teething
- Affordable
- Might be smaller than expected
With a durable wooden base and seven smooth rings in various sizes and colors, this toy is perfect for helping children develop their color and size recognition skills. The wooden pole is firmly attached to the base, ensuring that it remains stable and sturdy throughout playtime.
What’s more, the ring holes are expertly proportioned to fit snugly onto the pole, making stacking and unstacking the rings a breeze. The bright colors of the rings are sure to capture your child’s attention, while the smooth edges and chunky pieces make it easy for little hands to grasp and manipulate. Age: 18 months+
Fat Brain Toys Tobbles Neo – Modern Design
- Easy to stack
- Educational
- Easy for small hands to grasp
- Great texture-like velvet
- Need some adult supervision
The Tobbles Neo brings a modern twist to the traditional stacking game. With a sleek and stylish design, this game offers endless ways to play with its unique shapes and vibrant colors. Your little ones can roll, spin, wiggle, balance, stack, and topple the stacks, which will keep them engaged and entertained for hours on end. Each stack features a dual-color scheme that gives it an eye-catching appearance, and its texture is easy for small hands to grasp. Age: 24 months+
Sassy Stacks of Circles – Different Ring Designs
- Different textures of the rings
- It’s very stimulating with the sounds and colors
- some rings can be used as teethers
- While the rings are of different thicknesses, they can be stacked in any order or used alone as individual toys
- The base is a bit light
The Stacks of Circles is a captivating game that fosters early STEM learning. Children can learn about sorting, sizing, sequencing, and building by stacking the rings in various orientations. The rings are all designed with the same-sized core, which allows them to be stacked effortlessly without getting stuck.
This toy is also great for sensory exploration, as it has many different textures, including bumpy, squishy, and rattling beads, making it easy for infants to grasp and enjoy. Age: 6 months+
green sprouts Sprout Ware Stacking Cups – Multipurpose Stacking Toy
- They make a nice sound when clanked together
- Very good quality
- The smallest one is pretty small but the biggest is the size of a child’s palm
- Helps develop fine motor skills
- They slide down easily
The Sprout Ware Stacking Cups are a great addition to your baby’s bathtime routine. Made from plant-based resin, these cups are free of harmful chemicals such as BPA and PVC. With a simple shape and smooth texture, they are easy for little hands to hold and play with.
Your baby can enjoy sorting and stacking the six different-sized and colored cups, or even use them to sift sand through the holes. By doing so, they can develop their sensory, movement, interaction, cognitive, creative, and naturalist learning pathways. Age: 6 months+
Manhattan Toy Boom Shock-A-Locka Wooden Stacking Toy – Unique Design
- Open-ended toy
- Quality wood
- Very well designed
- Comes with five wood shapes
- More expensive than other stacking toys
This stacking toy is a great choice if you’re looking for something that is pleasant to the eye. It is made entirely of wood and can easily fit on a shelf. You can choose between a rectangle design or one with circles and arches.
The set includes five vibrant wooden blocks that can be rearranged in various ways on the wooden base, providing endless opportunities for spatial awareness and problem-solving development. And the smooth-grained wood is coated with non-toxic, water-based paint and finish, ensuring it is safe for little ones to handle and play with. Age: 12 months+
WOOD CITY Wooden Sorting & Stacking Toy – Best Puzzle & Stacking Toy
- Well-made wooden toy
- Each shape has one hole (peg) that corresponds to the number of sides of that shape
- Doesn’t take up much room
- It’s quiet
- Not cheap
This wooden shape puzzle is a terrific way to challenge your child’s developing skills with colors, shapes, and numbers. Each of the puzzle pieces is just the right size for little hands to grasp, and they can be stacked on their own or placed on the wooden pegs to create a unique design. As your child grows and develops, they’ll love figuring out new ways to solve the puzzle and exploring the different shapes and colors. Age: 12 months+
Melissa & Doug Deluxe 10-Piece Alphabet Nesting and Stacking Blocks – Best Alphabet Stacking Blocks
- The boxes nest together for storage
- They don’t make much noise when they tumble
- It gets tall
- They don’t hurt the child if they fall on them
- The top coat of paper is very thin and will peel off
This Melissa & Doug alphabet nesting blocks feature colorful illustrations of animals and objects, each corresponding to a letter of the alphabet. The blocks come in 10 different sizes, and when stacked together, they reach almost three feet high! Kids can learn about the alphabet, colors, and sizes while developing their matching, stacking, and sorting skills. The blocks are made of sturdy cardboard and come with a carrying case for easy storage and transport. Age: 24 months+
Fat Brain Toys Shape Tower – Best 3-Set Stacking Toy
- Lots of stacking options
- Item is very well made
- The colors are vibrant
- The rings are the right weight to develop children’s hand strength
- The paint can come off when the kid bites them
Featuring three different sets of shapes – six octagons, five cones with cylindrical tops, and seven rings with spherical tops – this set is sure to keep your child entertained and engaged for hours. And with its bright primary colors, including yellow, green, blue, and more, this set is a feast for the eyes.
But the fun doesn’t stop there! This stacking tower is a fantastic educational tool that can help teach your child about shapes, colors, and other important concepts. Made from BPA-free plastic, each material is carefully crafted with your child’s safety in mind. Age: 24 months+
Petit Collage Modern Bunny Wooden Stacking Toy – A Bunny Stacking Toy
- Stackable in a variety of ways
- Bright and colorful with a water-based non-toxic varnish
- The top is slightly rounded, so it’s easier to get the pieces on
- The wood is sanded smooth
- Ears could be a possible choking hazard
Little ones will have a blast stacking the wooden parts to create their very own bunny friend. The bunny’s smooth and rounded base adds to the excitement by providing a pleasant movement during playtime. With eye-catching colors and patterns, this wooden play set is sure to keep your child entertained for hours. You can rest easy knowing that the toy is made with safety in mind, constructed from FSC-certified beech wood, painted with non-toxic soy-based inks, and packaged without any plastic. Age: 12 months+
How To Choose Stacking Toys For Babies And Toddlers?
- Size: It’s important to pay close attention to the size of the toy, to ensure that it is age-appropriate and safe for your child. Avoid stacking toys with small parts that could pose a choking hazard for younger children.
- Material: There are toys made of plastic, while others are made of wood. Choose a material that is durable and safe for your child. It is important to make sure that it is free of harmful substances like BPA (1).
- Skill Level: If your child is just learning to stack, you’ll want to choose a toy that is easy to use. Look for a toy with large, chunky pieces that are easy to grip. If your child is more experienced with stacking, you can opt for a toy with smaller pieces or even one that requires them to stack in a certain pattern.
- Multipurpose: Some stacking toys are designed to grow with your infant. Building blocks are a good example of this type of toy. They can be adapted to your child’s developing skills, providing them with a challenge as they grow.
Are Stacking Toys Good For Babies?
Some parents worry that stacking toys might be too advanced for their baby, but these toys can actually be beneficial for development. Stacking toys help babies learn about size and spatial relationships, and they can also help develop fine motor skills (2). Just make sure to look for stacking toys that are made of safe, non-toxic materials and that are appropriate for your baby’s age and development level.
What Are The Benefits Of Stacking Toys?
They can help develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving skills. Additionally, stacking toys can be a soothing and calming activity for children, providing a much-needed outlet for excess energy. And finally, they offer a great opportunity for parents and children to bond and interact with each other.
Babies start to develop the gripping and other abilities necessary to stack blocks at birth. By the time they are 6 months old, they will have the coordination necessary to stack blocks and other toys.
How Do Stacking Toys Help With Child Development?
Stacking toys help with child development in a few different ways (3). First, they help develop fine motor skills. Stacking and manipulating small circles or blocks requires the use of small muscles in the hands and fingers. This helps children learn to control their movements and develop coordination.
Stacking toys can help kids develop problem-solving skills. In order to stack the toys successfully, they have to figure out how to arrange them in the right order. This requires planning and spatial awareness.
Lastly, they help with cognitive development. This is because children have to remember the order of the toys and plan ahead. This helps them develop memory and concentration skills.
What Age Are Stacking Toys For?
Most stacking toys are designed for children ages 3 and up. Some toys may be suitable for younger children with adult supervision.
Are Stacking Toys Sensory?
Yes, stacking toys are sensory. They provide visual, tactile, and proprioceptive feedback, which helps children develop a variety of skills. stacking toys also help children develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
