Soft Stacking Rings

Pile On the Fabric Fun

Do you remember the Fisher Price plastic stacking rings? I feel like they became the ubiquitous infant toy for developing motor skills back in the day. While I still love these plastic favorites with their bright colors, I’ve come to love a newer version even more: the soft fabric kind of stacking rings.

Manhattan Toy Safari Lion Plush Stacking Toy on Amazon

Our particular kind came from Manhattan Toy and consisted of a rotund monster with three fabric rings. In addition to stacking and removing the rings themselves, the monster had a teeter totter effect to entertain little ones. The rings themselves each featured a different kind of cloth and extra embellishments for little hands to explore, like ribbon tags and fuzzy paws. The base had a pleasant soft chiming sound I remember from my own toys as a child to further reinforce play and interaction. Our toy also made different noises, squeaking, rattling, or crinkling, to encourage exploration.

Lamaze Rainbow Stacking Rings Toy on Amazon

The stuffed rings also mean when your child lands on them, they don’t hurt. Or if you’ve got an advanced infant or gotten to the toddler chucking stages, the soft rings don’t hurt when they hit you or the family pet. Additionally, they make less noise when thrown, which might not discourage your toddler but at least creates less ruckus.

iPlay Soft Fabric Ring Stacker on Amazon

While our particular version isn’t available anymore, you can choose from a ton of options from a variety of brands and price points.

Overall I loved the cute animals and soft fabrics, possibly more than my kids did. The hand eye coordination and longevity of this toy for infants made me a huge fan, and I had trouble parting with ours even after our kids had grown well past the infant stage.