Stacking towers are a classic toy for many good reasons; they promote motor skills, coordination, and are just plain fun. Our favorite (for children 1+ according to the designer) is Grimm's Rainbow Stacking Tower.
We have played with lots of stacking toys during the past two years. The fisher price stacking rings (a true classic) and stacking cups (a new classic!), a skip hop owl whose wings flapped (super cute), and a soft one that is perfect for tiny hands by Lamaze (Lucy still likes wearing the rings like bracelets). All of them provided fun and opportunities for learning, but each one has been played with less and less, except for one. Grimm's stacking tower has stood the test of time, been played with the most, and I suspect, will be used for many years to come.
What makes the Grimm's Tower stand out? The wooden dowel in the middle is the same size from top to bottom, so, while the rainbow colors and size of the rings suggest an order there is no right way to play. You can stack them however you please. This makes stacking the rings less frustrating for younger children and creates delightful and endless possibility for older children.
In the beginning, we mostly used the rings without the dowel and stacked them, rolled them, held them, and just chatted about them. They were also a great introduction to texture, color and size. We would sit on the floor in her room, asking questions like: which one is smallest, which one is the biggest, can I have the orange one please? Some days we still play the bigger/smaller game. Lucy loves it.
Now, Lucy loves to stack them on (and off) the dowel. As she grows, the rings will make a great addition to a variety of loose parts and small world play. I love how versatile wooden, open ended toys are and am always excited to see where Lucy's imagination takes us.
I hope you love wooden toys as much as we do! The links above are affiliate links. Any compensation from the link goes right into Lucy's warrior fund to help us, help her, battle Retinoblastoma. You can follow along on her journey using her hashtag, #lucythewarrior on facebook and instagram. xoxo
