“Play is your brain’s favorite way of learning.” Diane Ackerman
As a mom who believes in the power of play, I always look for activities and toys to stimulate my toddler’s brain and keep her entertained. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I love toys that provide open-ended play and work to build multiple skill sets in a child’s developmental process. The kind of toys I have found that do just that are stacking toys.
What are Stacking Toys?
Stacking toys are designed for children to stack one on top of the other, to create a tower or structure. These toys may come in different colors, shapes, and sizes. They also vary in materials, such as wooden blocks, plastic rings, or soft plush shapes. Stacking toys are not only for entertainment purposes but also provides numerous developmental benefits for young children, particularly 2-year-olds.
Why use Stacking Toys?
Stacking toys are a great option for 2-year-olds, as they help improve their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and problem-solving skills. By grasping and stacking the toys, children can enhance their hand-eye coordination, dexterity, gross motor skills, and muscle strength. This is crucial for their physical development and prepares them for more complex tasks in the future. Not to mention, they are a fun and engaging way for your child to learn about different shapes and sizes, and color recognition.
Stacking toys are the best toys to encourage problem-solving and critical thinking skills. As children try to balance and align the toys to create a stable structure, they are using their cognitive abilities to plan and execute their actions. By experimenting with different ways of stacking the toys, they are learning cause-and-effect relationships and developing spatial awareness.
Additionally, stacking toys promotes creativity and imagination. Children can use these simple toys to build their creations and structures, allowing them to express themselves and engage in open-ended play. This fosters their creativity and encourages them to think outside the box.
Furthermore, stacking toys help enhance language and communication skills. As children play with the toys, they can engage in conversations with others, describing what they are doing and asking for help or feedback. This social interaction is crucial for their language development and helps them build relationships with their peers.
Here I have provided you with a list of the best stacking toys for 2-year-olds. Not only are they entertaining but they are also educational toys.
Best Stacking Toys for 2-year-old
Little Tikes
This classic stacking toy features six wooden rings your child can stack on a wooden base. It helped my little one to learn about size relationships and how to stack from largest to smallest.
Wooden Critters Unicorn Shape Stacker | Little Tikes
HelloWood Wooden Stack and Sort Toy
This toy comes with 24 pieces of wooden shape blocks in 6 bright colors for endless hands-on play. This multifunctional wooden toy offers all the benefits of a classic stacking toy. In addition it gives your little learner the ability to acquire basic math skills while sorting shapes. This was the toy that my little one first used to learn the basic shapes, counting the sides and edges of the shapes. This is a great tool to build language skills.
Hape Maple Wood Kid’s Building Blocks
This wooden stacking toy comes with 50 high-quality wooden blocks in bright colours in a variety of shapes and sizes. This is the perfect toy for older children that provides hours of kid-powered fun as it allows your child to build and stack to their heart’s content while engaging in imaginative play. Like most wooden toys, they are durable and long-lasting, making them a great investment for your child’s playtime.
The First Years Stack Up Cups
This set of eight colorful cups is the perfect toy can be stacked or nested. They can make bath time more fun when used in water play for the added benefit of sensory exploration. They are lightweight and easy for small hands to grip, making them ideal for toddlers. The best part is since the cups nest in each other, making it an easy storage and easy clean up toy.
Tobbles Neo
This toy stacker has six stackable balls that come in contrasting and bright colors. They have a unique shape and grippable texture that is sure to awaken sensory play in your little one. These uniquely weighted balls will topple, wiggle and spin as your little one works on their fine motor skills and fine tunes hand-eye coordination.
Tobbles Neo – Best Baby Toys & Gifts for Babies – Fat Brain Toys
Frequently Asked Questions
Is stacking normal for toddlers?
As your child approaches her first birthday she will be abe to grasp blocks and stack the on top of the other.
What toys should a 2-year-old be playing with?
The best toys for a 2-year-old should be open-ended toys that explore their imaginative play. Building blocks, magnetic tiles, play kitchen sets, dolls and puzzles are developmentally appropriate.
What age are stacking toys for?
Around the age of 1, your little one will grasp the concept of stacking.
How do stacking toys help development?
Stacking toys aids in gross and fine motor skills development, hand-eye coordination, muscle strength, dexterity and problem solving skills.
Is stacking part of autism?
In a child with autism, it is common to see the repetitive stacking and lining up of objects.
Conclusion
Overall, stacking toys are a fantastic way to engage and entertain your 2-year-old. They promote visual motor coordination and fine motor skills development. Whether it’s wooden blocks, squishy cubes, or musical rings, there is a stacking toy out there that will capture your child’s imagination and provide hours of fun learning. Investing in a variety of stacking toys will keep your child engaged and stimulated while helping them grow and thrive.
