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10 Best Stacking Toys UK 2022 | Sophie La Giraffe, Melissa & Doug and More

10 Best Stacking Toys UK 2022 | Sophie La Giraffe, Melissa & Doug and More

Choosing a stacking toy is a fun process - there are plenty of colours, shapes and themes to choose from, but the process isn't as simple as picking the one that looks good! You need to consider the age suitability, safety and entertainment value to ensure it's the right pick for your child. For example, those with a central pole may have nostalgic connotations, but they can be risky for unsteady babies and boisterous siblings!

Luckily there are plenty of soft fabric, silicone and wooden stacking toys available. Then, of course, there are the themes - cup toys, animal toys, stacking rings and even rainbows! To make your shopping journey easier, we've picked out the 10 best stacking toys in the UK. Whether you're looking for toys for babies, for toddlers, 1-year-olds or 2-year-olds, we've got plenty of choice, all available from Amazon, John Lewis and Boots.

Last updated: 19-08-2022

Table of Contents

How to Choose a Stacking Toy in the UK

Key Points to Consider

Choose Complex Toys for Toddlers and Simple Soft Options for Newborns
Select a Material by Considering Durability, Cleaning and Sustainability
Opt for a Stacking Toy Which Aids Educational Development
Consider the Storage Implications

1. Pick Soft Stacking Toys for Newborn Babies or Choose Those With Open Ended Imaginative Play Elements for Toddlers

For babies under 6 months, soft materials that can be rolled on without worry are ideal. Babies of this age will enjoy being shown stacking pieces and will begin to grab and hold on to items offered to them. Babies over 6 months will still need soft stacking blocks - you don't want early sitters to fall onto a hard toy! Silicone, rubber and polyester fabric are all suitable choices.

Older babies of 12 months plus will enjoy colourful and open-ended stacking toys with pieces which can be easily manipulated, carried about and tested out. Finally, toddlers of 24 months and over will appreciate a stacking toy with a strong imaginary play element or a fun educational element.

To distract an older child, consider our best colouring book options.

2. Consider the Material: Plastic and Rubber Stacking Toys Are Easy to Clean, Whereas Cardboard and Wooden Sorters Are More Sustainable

Babies up to 18 months explore their environment by putting anything within reach into their mouths. So any stacking toys for this age group should be wipeable at the very least and preferably fully washable. Plastic, rubber and silicone are the most easily cleaned materials, and polyester fabric will withstand a good wipe down but don't submerge any fabric toys with squeakers or crinkly parts!

If you'd prefer a more environmentally-friendly option, opt for wood or cardboard toys. Wooden blocks are also great for withstanding more boisterous play, but they can hurt if fallen from a height! The alternative is to go for good-quality cardboard stacking toys. These are great for older toddlers who know not to stand on the blocks as they can build tall towers with little risk of being hurt by them falling.

Here are some more suggestions if you are looking for sustainable toys.

3. Select a Toy That Can Also Help With Parts of Your Child’s Educational Development, Such as Problem Solving or Coordination

Stacking toys are great fun and can work wonders for a child's educational development. From encouraging hand-eye coordination to learning how to problem-solve, there are multiple benefits to allowing your children to play with them. There are certain features you can look out for to ensure the stacking toy is as educationally beneficial to your child as possible.

Individual pieces which can be stacked in multiple ways aid the development of fine motor skills and the coordination of the small muscle movements in their hands and feet.

Toys designed to be durable enough to be knocked over again and again, will assist in the learning of cause and effect.

Stacking sets with more complex pieces or which require a particular order for an optimum building will encourage problem-solving resilience.

Colourful and numbered parts will help with teaching recognition of these basics.

Sets with illustrated components encourage imaginative and open-ended play.

Check out our recommendations for bath toys which encourage quality play too.

4. Check the Storage Implications: Some Nest Neatly Together Whereas Others Can Be Tidied Away in an Included Bag

Stacking toys by their very nature include multiple parts, which means that buying one could potentially add to the endless clutter of toys and baby paraphernalia, unless you consider storage. It's frustrating when a toy is incomplete, as a vital missing part will spoil a stacking toy, so good storage will help with its longevity.

Some stacking toys nest together into the biggest component piece, whereas others come in a reusable bag, giving them an instant home to return them to at the end of the day. There are also those with a central pole allowing them to stack neatly, ready for the next play session.

Compare the Best Stacking Toys

For those after a quick look, here is our Top 5:

Jacques of London - Colourful Stackable Montessori Rainbow for £9.99
OleletOy - Bath Stacking Cups for £12.95
Kidly - Silicone Rocking Stacker for £14.50
Moontoy - Educational Stacking Blocks for £12.99
Sophie La Giraffe - Pyramid Stacking Rings for £22.99

For a more in-depth look at the comprehensive top 10 selection, make sure to read on to learn more about the different types of stacking toys available and understand how our ranking was determined.

This article’s chosen EC site price listings are reflective of its publishing date.

Image	1 Jacques of London	2 OleOletOy	3 Kidly	4 Moontoy	5 Sophie La Giraffe	6 Orange Tree	7 B. Toys	8 Melissa & Doug	9 Melissa & Doug	10 ELC
Name	Colourful Stackable Montessori Rainbow	Bath Stacking Cups	Silicone Rocking Stacker	Educational Stacking Blocks	Pyramid Stacking Rings	Jungle Animals Wooden Stacking Toy	One Two Squeeze Baby Blocks	Nesting & Sorting Buildings & Vehicles	Alphabet Nesting and Stacking Blocks	Sensory Stacking Rings
Features	A High-Quality Wooden Rainbow Stacking Toy Made From Non-Toxic Paint	8 Coloured Stacking Cups Which Can Be Used in the Bath, Pool or Sandpit	A Food-Grade Silicone Stacker Which Is Suitable From Birth	Educational and Cute Stacking Blocks to Help With Number and Colour Recognition	Iconic Sophie La Giraffe Soft and Safe Stacking Toy Suitable for 6 Months Onwards	8 Wooden Stacking Jungle Animals and Plants to Encourage Imaginative Play	Soft Rubber Stacking Blocks That Squeak, Perfect for Babies Aged 6 Months Plus	A Stacking Toy and Imaginative Emergency Vehicle Play Set in One	Sturdy Cardboard Stacking Alphabet Blocks From Mellissa and Doug	Traditional Stacking Toy With Sensory Rings on a Plastic Central Pole
Price	£9.99	£12.95	£14.50	£12.99	£22.99	£15.99	£11.00	£15.11	£12.93	£20.00
Recommended Age	12 months +	12 months +	From birth	12 months +	6 months +	12 months +	6 months +	24 months +	24 months +	6 months+
Material	FSC-certified wood	Polyurethane plastic	Food-grade silicone	ABS plastic	Polyester fabric	FSC-certified wood	BPA-free flexible cubes	40 % cardboard, 40 % wood, 10 % Plastic (PP), 10 % metal	Cardboard	Rigid plastic
Educational Features	Hand-eye coordination, motor skills, cause and effect	Hand-eye coordination, motor skills, cause and effect	Hand-eye coordination, motor skills, cause and effect	Hand-eye coordination, motor skills, number and colour recognition, phonics practice	Hand-eye coordination, sensory stimulation	Hand-eye coordination, motor skills, cause and effect, imaginative play	Hand-eye coordination, motor skills, cause and effect, language development, number and colour recognition	Hand-eye coordination, motor skills, cause and effect, imaginative play	Hand-eye coordination, motor skills, cause and effect, alphabet recognition, phonics	Hand-eye coordination, sensory stimulation
Storage	Nest together	Nest together	Nest together	-	Stack on central pole	Reusable bag	Reusable bag	Nest together (buildings only)	Nest together, carry handle on outer block	Stack on central pole
Pieces	7	9 (including 1 rubber duck)	6	12	5	8	10	12 (6 blocks and 6 cars)	10	7
Link	View Jacques of London	View Amazon	View Kidly	View Amazon	View John Lewis	View John Lewis	View Amazon	View Amazon	View Amazon	View Boots

10 Best Stacking Toys in the UK

This ranking has been compiled by the writing team at mybest UK via careful evaluation of the points made in the buying guide and thorough research of each product and comparing multiple verified customer reviews across the EC sites used.

Jacques of LondonColourful Stackable Montessori Rainbow

£9.99

View product on Jacques of London

A High-Quality Wooden Rainbow Stacking Toy Made From Non-Toxic Paint

This wooden, FSC-approved, rainbow stacking toy is a beautiful addition to any toybox, plus, it's painted in vibrant, water-based, non-toxic paint. The seven rainbow crescent arches can be stacked in multiple ways, which helps children learn about balance and counter-balance.

This toy can also be used to assist with colour recognition. You could even make a game out of it by driving cars under specific coloured tunnels! That said, it's such a cute piece that it could even be used for decoration at children's parties. Such a simple but versatile toy, hence why we love it so much!

Recommended Age	12 months +
Material	FSC-certified wood
Educational Features	Hand-eye coordination, motor skills, cause and effect
Storage	Nest together
Pieces	7

OleOletOy Bath Stacking Cups

£12.95

View product on Amazon

8 Coloured Stacking Cups Which Can Be Used in the Bath, Pool or Sandpit

This set of 8 brightly coloured stacking cups can be used for hours of fun in the bath, paddling pool or sandpit, thanks to the different hole patterns in the base of each. The water or dry sand may trickle, dribble, pour or drip through - allowing exploration and lots of fun!

The cups also stack into a tower of friendly-looking sea creatures and then nest neatly inside each other to be stored away compactly or packed in a bag and taken to the beach or swimming pool. Due to these stacking cups being so versatile, We've put them very high up in our ranking!

Recommended Age	12 months +
Material	Polyurethane plastic
Educational Features	Hand-eye coordination, motor skills, cause and effect
Storage	Nest together
Pieces	9 (including 1 rubber duck)

kidly.co.uk

KidlySilicone Rocking Stacker

Coastal Mix

£14.50

View product on Kidly

A Food-Grade Silicone Stacker Which Is Suitable From Birth

Suitable from birth, this food-grade silicone stacking toy has no central pole - meaning it is perfectly safe for even the youngest of babies. The inventors say they wanted to develop a stacking toy which could be stacked without there being a 'right way' to play with it.

The stack of chunky doughnuts (inspired by colours from the coast) can be waved, rolled, wobbled and thrown safely, as well as piled up. This is a great looking toy, which is also available in a pastel colourway.

Recommended Age	From birth
Material	Food-grade silicone
Educational Features	Hand-eye coordination, motor skills, cause and effect
Storage	Nest together
Pieces	6

Moontoy Educational Stacking Blocks

£12.99

View product on Amazon

Educational and Cute Stacking Blocks to Help With Number and Colour Recognition

The Moontoy stacking set has 12 blocks, including a giraffe headpiece and a body section. The remaining blocks, showing ten colours and the digits 1 - 10, can be used to construct the giraffe's neck and legs. This set is perfect for older toddlers but will still remain useful for the first few years of school.

Unusually, the corresponding colour names are written on the blocks (with the digits on the other side), which means they can also assist with phonics and reading. In addition to being educational, being able to build the giraffe in multiple ways makes this toy fun and, let's be honest, super cute!

Recommended Age	12 months +
Material	ABS plastic
Educational Features	Hand-eye coordination, motor skills, number and colour recognition, phonics practice
Storage	-
Pieces	12

Sophie La GiraffePyramid Stacking Rings

£22.99

View product on John Lewis

Iconic Sophie La Giraffe Soft and Safe Stacking Toy Suitable for 6 Months Onwards

This plush fabric stacker is perfect for fans of the iconic Sophie La Giraffe teether squeaky toy. Each ring has a different colour and texture with an interactive element on each level - crackling paper, rattle, ribbed and polka-dotted surfaces and fabric tags for plenty of play opportunities.

The pole in the middle of the lower rings is soft and padded, so it doesn't pose an injury risk to unsteady sitters or those with boisterous older siblings. The adorable wide-eyed face of Sophie can be stacked on the top to complete the tower, ready to be packed neatly away.

Recommended Age	6 months +
Material	Polyester fabric
Educational Features	Hand-eye coordination, sensory stimulation
Storage	Stack on central pole
Pieces	5

Orange Tree Jungle Animals Wooden Stacking Toy

£15.99

View product on John Lewis

8 Wooden Stacking Jungle Animals and Plants to Encourage Imaginative Play

This set of 8 chunky wooden stacking pieces includes a mixture of jungle animals and plants - making it ideal for imaginative play too. The set is plastic-free and fully biodegradable, and the outer packaging is fully recyclable.

The simple nature of this stacking set means it may get overlooked compared to those with a 'game' element, but the solid construction means it will survive even the most boisterous of owners. The wooden pieces can also be kept in the handy (and pleasingly labelled) drawstring bag.

Recommended Age	12 months +
Material	FSC-certified wood
Educational Features	Hand-eye coordination, motor skills, cause and effect, imaginative play
Storage	Reusable bag
Pieces	8

B. ToysOne Two Squeeze Baby Blocks

£11.00

View product on Amazon

Soft Rubber Stacking Blocks That Squeak, Perfect for Babies Aged 6 Months Plus

Next up, we have 10 super-soft blocks for young babies from 6 months onwards which can be safely stacked and knocked down, chewed, bounced and thrown. The squeak emitted when squeezed or chewed will entertain babies, whilst toddlers will enjoy the firm way the cubes stack together, as they are non-slip.

The number and image-embossed blocks come in a reusable bag made from 100% recycled fabric, plus a plastic viewing window. Unfortunately, whilst the images on the blocks are raised they are not individually coloured, so they aren't as easily recognisable as the designs on some of the other stacking toys.

Recommended Age	6 months +
Material	BPA-free flexible cubes
Educational Features	Hand-eye coordination, motor skills, cause and effect, language development, number and colour recognition
Storage	Reusable bag
Pieces	10

Melissa & Doug Nesting & Sorting Buildings & Vehicles

£15.11

View product on Amazon

A Stacking Toy and Imaginative Emergency Vehicle Play Set in One

This stacking set consists of six wooden emergency vehicles and six heavy-duty cardboard buildings, making it the perfect toy to encourage imaginative play. The cardboard building blocks can be stacked up in an excitingly tall tower, which afterwards can nest neatly away for storage.

The vehicles and buildings can be matched by colour and number, providing real-world context for these early concepts. The cardboard buildings are also reassuringly safe to build tall towers with as they won't hurt if they fall on your child. However, they aren't robust enough to withstand the most boisterous of toddlers.

Recommended Age	24 months +
Material	40 % cardboard, 40 % wood, 10 % Plastic (PP), 10 % metal
Educational Features	Hand-eye coordination, motor skills, cause and effect, imaginative play
Storage	Nest together (buildings only)
Pieces	12 (6 blocks and 6 cars)

Melissa & Doug Alphabet Nesting and Stacking Blocks

£12.93

View product on Amazon

Sturdy Cardboard Stacking Alphabet Blocks From Mellissa and Doug

These ten stackable high-quality cardboard blocks are brightly coloured and adorned with alphabet letters and corresponding letter-sound illustrations. The completed tower is almost 3 feet tall yet is safe due to its cardboard construction - a considerate feature you expect from respected toy brand Melissa and Doug.

The blocks nest neatly inside each other once playtime is over - the final, largest block has a carry handle for extra convenience. However, these cardboard blocks will not withstand very rough play, so do bear that in mind.

Recommended Age	24 months +
Material	Cardboard
Educational Features	Hand-eye coordination, motor skills, cause and effect, alphabet recognition, phonics
Storage	Nest together, carry handle on outer block
Pieces	10

ELC Sensory Stacking Rings

£20.00

View product on Boots

Traditional Stacking Toy With Sensory Rings on a Plastic Central Pole

A traditional stacking toy with a central pole which you'll either love for nostalgic reasons or hate as you are worried about your child falling onto the pole. However, a rundown of stacking toys wouldn't be complete without something like this!

The rocking base helps the pole stay upright when younger babies initially learn to hook the rings over the pole, and as each ring has a different colour and texture, it also makes it popular for teething. That said, you definitely need to watch babies extra carefully while they're using a rigid pole stacking toy.