The best stacking toys
The simplest toys are often the ones they come back to: rings, cups and towers for grabbing, chewing, stacking and knocking down.
Stacking toys grow with a baby. At six months they're for grabbing, mouthing and banging together; by one they're being stacked, nested and knocked over with great delight; later they're for learning sizes, colours and counting.
Rings on a post are the classic, while stacking cups do more: they nest, tip water out in the bath and turn out sandcastles. For young babies, choose chunky pieces that are safe to chew.
What matters
- Age: chunky, chewable pieces for young babies, wooden rings from about 18 months.
- Material: plastic, wood or food-grade silicone.
- Easy cleaning: some go in the dishwasher.
- Play value: cups nest, pour and stack; rings teach size order.
#1 of 5
Best overall
Fisher-Price Rock-a-Stack
Under £10 Price range
The stacking toy most of us grew up with: five colourful rings on a wobbly rocking base that babies love to bat. It's been made since 1960, with more than 40 million sold, and today's version is made from plant-based plastic from sugar cane.
What owners say: Parents say it's a lovely, simple first toy with bright colours, just the right size for tiny hands, and tough enough to survive being chewed and thrown.
A closer look: Before they can stack, let them bat the rocking base and watch it wobble back up. Later, show them that the biggest ring goes on first: a first lesson in size order.
- 5 rings and a rocking base
- From 6 months
- Plant-based plastic
- FSC-certified packaging
- No batteries
Best for: A classic first stacker
- From
- 6 months+
- Pieces
- 5 rings + rocking base
- Material
- Plant-based plastic
#2 of 5
Best stacking cups
Mushie Stacking Cups
£10–£20 Price range
Eight cups that nest, stack and tumble, and look nice enough to leave out on a nursery shelf. Mushie says the design was inspired by the Round Tower in Copenhagen.
What owners say: Parents say they're a favourite that keeps babies busy for ages, look lovely, and last well as the play changes with age.
Heads up: The cups are on the small side, about 8cm across at the biggest, so they suit little hands best.
A closer look: Being dishwasher safe, they're easy to clean after messy play. Build them into a tower for a baby to knock down, and before long they'll be building it themselves.
- 8 stacking cups
- From 6 months
- BPA-free plastic
- Dishwasher safe
- Nest together to store
Best for: Nesting, stacking and tumbling
- From
- 6 months+
- Pieces
- 8 cups
- Material
- BPA-free plastic
#3 of 5
Easiest to stack
sassy Stacks of Circles
£10–£20 Price range
Every ring has the same size hole and the post is straight, so they go on in any order: no frustration for babies who haven't worked out big-to-small yet. Each ring has its own texture and weight, which makes them good for mouthing too.
What owners say: Parents say it's their child's favourite toy, love the colours and textures, and like that the straight post allows more ways to play.
A closer look: Count the rings out loud as they go on, as each one is numbered from one to eight. The mix of weights and textures gives curious hands and mouths plenty to explore.
- Stacks in any order
- 8 textured rings
- Chunky and easy to grip
- Numbered for counting
- From 6 months
Best for: Younger babies
- From
- 6 months+
- Pieces
- 8 rings + post
- Material
- Plastic
#4 of 5
Best for teething
Moonkie Silicone Stacking Cups (7 pieces)
£10–£20 Price range
Seven soft silicone cups that are safe to chew, so they double as a teether, each with a raised pattern (a rainbow, a cupcake, a cactus and more) to feel. Holes in the bottoms turn them into sieves at bath time.
What owners say: Parents say they're engaging and soothing for teething, easy to clean, and great for stacking and nesting.
A closer look: Take them to the beach too: packed with damp sand, they turn out little patterned castles. Check them for nicks and tears now and then, as you would any teether, and replace any that are damaged.
- 7 food-grade silicone cups
- Doubles as a teether
- Textured patterns
- Holes for water play
- Dishwasher safe
Best for: Teething, bath and beach
- From
- 6 months+
- Pieces
- 7 cups
- Material
- Food-grade silicone
#5 of 5
Best wooden
Melissa & Doug Rainbow Stacker
£10–£20 Price range
Seven bright wooden rings, a red topper and a rocking wooden base: a traditional toy that feels good in the hand and stands up to plenty of rough play. It's for toddlers from 18 months, when stacking in size order starts to click.
What owners say: Parents say it's great quality with vibrant colours, good value, and robust enough for rough play.
Heads up: Some parents find the paint chips with heavy chewing, so it suits toddlers past the mouthing stage better than young babies.
A closer look: Line the rings up by size first, then let them work out the order for themselves; getting it wrong is part of the fun.
- 7 rings, topper and rocking base
- Solid wood
- From 18 months
- Size and colour learning
- No batteries
Best for: Toddlers who like wooden toys
- From
- 18 months+
- Pieces
- 7 rings, topper + base
- Material
- Wood
How they compare
| Feature | #1Fisher-Price Rock-a-Stack | #2Mushie cups | #3sassy Stacks of Circles | #4Moonkie silicone cups | #5Melissa & Doug stacker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best stacking cups | Easiest to stack | Best for teething | Best wooden | |
| Picked Rating | 9.5 | 9.4 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.0 |
| Price | Under £10 Price range | £10–£20 Price range | £10–£20 Price range | £10–£20 Price range | £10–£20 Price range |
| From | 6 months+ | 6 months+ | 6 months+ | 6 months+ | 18 months+ |
| Pieces | 5 rings + rocking base | 8 cups | 8 rings + post | 7 cups | 7 rings, topper + base |
| Material | Plant-based plastic | BPA-free plastic | Plastic | Food-grade silicone | Wood |
| Best for | A classic first stacker | Nesting, stacking and tumbling | Younger babies | Teething, bath and beach | Toddlers who like wooden toys |
| Check price | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
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