Your little one goes through WAY too many stages as they grow up (and it still feels too fast). One second their in a cute, sleepy phase, the next, an excited, draw on the wall stage – you just never know. Part of getting older means that your baby gains the ability to interact with the world in a new way and ultimately, learn as they do so. Stacking and sorting toys are the perfect option for 1 year olds & 2 year olds, as they teach object permanence, encourage motor skill development, and keep your little one’s brain sharp and forever learning.


Stacking toys can be as simple as the classic “donut” game, or even a child version of Jenga! They really encourage pattern awareness and help little ones learn. Sorting toys teach object identity and even the beginning of numbering! Your baby will have a noticeable advantage in brain and motor development when given the opportunity to engage in constructive play.

mushie Stacking Cups Toy

mushie Stacking Cups Toy

mushie Stacking Cups Toy

The mushie Stacking Cups Toy is an aesthetic take on a classic game. It includes eight stackable cups that can be placed, one on top of the others. They are perfect for engaging play in the bath or anywhere else! The holes in the bottoms allow for fun bathtime use, and the colors are a neutral aesthetic that makes sense in any home. Learning tasks like stacking are the first steps to moving on to more complex ideas for your 1 and 2-year-olds. The cups are BPA-free and made in Denmark.

Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog

Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog

Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog

If you couldn’t tell from the name, Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog is a toy designed to help your little one learn motor skills and have fun, simultaneously. It features chunky pegs that can be gripped by little hands that are then placed into the blue shell of the hedgehog. The quills come in different colors and create a vibrant and exciting-looking toy that any kid would love to play with. The holes are numbered and perfect for getting a head start on learning to count! This toy is perfect for girls and boys wanting to play or those needing something to help in occupational therapy.

The First Years Stack Up Cup

The First Years Stack Up Cup

The First Years Stack Up Cup

A more vibrant option of a stacking game that we’ve already seen on the list, The First Years Stack Up Cup is a colorful stacking cup toy designed for kids 1 & 2-years-old. The toy features eight stackable cups that can be placed to create a high tower or nested within one another. Your little one will spend hours finding the different ways they fit together as he flexes those brain muscles as he plays. There are large numbers on the bottoms of the cups, perfect for teaching the basics of numbers and counting. They are BPA-free and can be used for fun dry or in the bath!

Mega Bloks First Builders Bag

Mega Bloks First Builders Bag

Mega Bloks First Builders Bag

The Mega Bloks First Builders Bag is the perfect decision for any parents wanting to invest in the first set of building blocks for their baby/toddler. This set includes a whopping eighty pieces and can be used to build almost anything. They are essentially oversized Lego pieces that are being enough for little hands to grasp without any fear of choking. This set includes an easy cleanup storage bag so you can store and travel with the entire set. Your kid (and possibly you) can spend hours playing with these, creating anything.

Mini Tudou Baby Blocks

Mini Tudou Baby Blocks

Mini Tudou Baby Blocks

The Mini Tudou Baby Blocks are a perfect toy-utility combination that any parent would be happy to own. The blocks feature a soft-touch design that feels like silicone. The soft-touch design allows the blocks to be used as teethers for kids experiencing gum pain (or parents experiencing crying pain). They can be stacked together by a baby or toddler and are a great developmental option. The twelve blocks’ faces includes animals, fruits, shapes, patterns, and numbers, providing learning opportunities if desired.

Melissa & Doug 100-Piece Wood Blocks Set

Melissa & Doug 100-Piece Wood Blocks Set

Melissa & Doug 100-Piece Wood Blocks Set

Featured at every dentist and pediatric office ever, the Melissa & Doug 100-Piece Wood Blocks Set is something that kids just can’t stay away from. These wooden blocks have been a staple in childhood development forever and with good reason. This set features four different colors and nine shapes, allowing your little one to construct nearly anything. As your kid grows, so does the capability of this set. The blocks are durable and made with rounded edges. This particular brand has won quite a bit of recognition, even earning “the gold standard in early childhood play.” from NBC.

B. One Two Squeeze Baby Blocks

B. One Two Squeeze Baby Blocks

B. One Two Squeeze Baby Blocks

If you need a portable, educational, and fun block set, the B. One Two Squeeze Baby Blocks are the way to go. The set features ten stacking blocks that have quite a few features. Each block is a unique color, perfect for teaching children the basics. Each face also includes shapes, numbers, and textures to keep your little one occupied. They are soft-touch and perfect for teethers who can’t keep things out of their mouth. They are light and squeezable, perfect for little hands. The reusable bag is great for easy transportation and storage for years. Part of each sale even goes towards the B. Powerful charity.

Fisher-Price Rock-a-Stack Bundle

Fisher-Price Rock-a-Stack Bundle

Fisher-Price Rock-a-Stack Bundle

The Fisher-Price Rock-a-Stack Bundle has a lot of bang for your buck. It’s a complete combo of sorting, stacking, and play toys that fit into any toy chest or room. The set includes a stacking-donut toy with five rings and a bat-at rocker, so it never falls over. The stacking rings are different colors and great for learning and for developing motor skills in 1 and 2-year-olds. The second half of the set is a block organizer chest and sorter. The chest has a cut-out lid to teach object shape and permanence as your little ones try different ways to put the blocks in. Everything fits into the box when it’s time to clean up, too!

Melissa & Doug Deluxe Jumbo Cardboard Blocks

Melissa & Doug Deluxe Jumbo Cardboard Blocks

Melissa & Doug Deluxe Jumbo Cardboard Blocks

The brand’s second appearance on our list, the Melissa & Doug Deluxe Jumbo Cardboard Blocks are an oversized edition to a toy room that is sure to provide hours of fun. The set comes with forty blocks that sort into three sizes. The extra-thick red cardboard is durable and sure to last. They are even capable of holding up to 150 pounds! With the size of the blocks, your two-year-old can create forts, mazes, and anything their little minds can imagine. Building and playing with these blocks are sure to spark creativity and improve motor skills and object manipulation, essential tools for the next stage of life.

Ancaixin Wooden Puzzle Carrots

Ancaixin Wooden Puzzle Carrots

Ancaixin Wooden Puzzle Carrots

One of the coolest toys we’ve seen, the Ancaixin Wooden Puzzle Carrots are a fun and exciting toy to add to your 1 or 2-year-olds collection. The toy is crafted from New Zealand natural pine and coated in water-based non-toxic paint. The sorting toy works by pulling out the carrots and placing them back into the correct slots. Your little one can’t help but have fun as they develop their hand-eye coordination and fine-tune their motor skills. You can teach about the objects (carrots and bunnies) as you play, stimulating their mental development as well.

Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube

Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube

Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube

Sorting cubes are a classic way to stimulate mental development and build motor skills. The Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube is a simple and classic take on the age-old toy. The wooden toy is 5.5 inches cubed and perfect for little hands. The box is well-built and comes with twelve easy-to-grip shapes, all in different colors. By pushing the various shaped blocks through the different openings, your child will start understanding shape and object interaction at a young age. The bright color and quality design make this an easy choice for any toy chest!

Melissa & Doug First Bead Maze

Melissa & Doug First Bead Maze

Melissa & Doug First Bead Maze

Bead mazes have the ability to entertain full-grown adults! These closed-system toys are perfect for playrooms and offices where you don’t want little pieces becoming lost. The Melissa & Doug First Bead Maze is a somewhat smaller bead maze that is great for any kids around one or two-years-old. It features eighteen wooden beads and plastic rings that slide and move all around the wavy tracks. Using their hands, little ones can slide each bead along the track, testing their strength and understanding of motion. The set sits on four suction cups, making it difficult to knock over.

Loveevery Block Set

Loveevery Block Set

Loveevery Block Set

The Loveevery Block Set is one of the most extensive options on our list. It’s a massive block set with a lot of options and awesome features that your one or two-year-old will love. The set includes seventy pieces that come in eighteen different colors and are designed in tons of different shapes. Whether it’s arches, wheels, or beads, you can use the different pieces to create amazing structures (it even converts into a pull car)! The set also comes with 20+ activities that start simple and increase in complexity, promising years of fun and use. The storage box is portable and can even be used during play!

Jamohom Wooden ABC Building Blocks

Jamohom Wooden ABC Building Blocks

Jamohom Wooden ABC Building Blocks

ABC blocks are a great place to start learning letters and concepts like stacking and moving. The Jamohom Wooden ABC Building Blocks set is a wood alphabet block kit that is perfect for one and two-year-olds. The wooden blocks feature the 26 letters of the alphabet, 10 numbers for counting, and many different pictures and animals. The letters come in uppercase and lowercase options, depending on the side of the block you are looking at. Made extra-large, the wooden pieces are 1.65 inches across, and the edges are sanded down to soft curves. They are large enough not to be a choking hazard and make for great educational play.

Dreampark Stack and Sort Geometric Board

Dreampark Stack and Sort Geometric Board

Dreampark Stack and Sort Geometric Board

The Dreampark Stack and Sort Geometric Board is a fun and simple toy that is sure to give your child hours of fun without it being too easy to solve. The toy board has four different shapes, all with a special hole pattern. The hole pattern fits onto the board, but only where that shape belongs. It’s designed to be high-quality and for babies 1 & 2-years-old. The wood is sanded and coated in water-based, non-toxic paint, making it look fun and keeping it safe, all at the same time. Through matching the different colored shapes on the correct poles, your kid will develop motor skills and begin to understand geometric shapes like circles and squares.

Melissa & Doug Stack & Sort Board

Melissa & Doug Stack & Sort Board

Melissa & Doug Stack & Sort Board

Simple and useful, the Melissa & Doug Stack & Sort Board is a basic toy that every parent of 1 and 2-year-olds should keep in their home. The board features five different poles that are designed to accept the accompanying colored shape. From green to red, the poles get longer, introducing the beginning concepts of size and quantity. Each colored shape matches its colored pole, making it easy to pair them up. Since children learn color before shape differentiation, it helps act as a segway into more complex ideas. The set comes with a wooden board and 16 wooden pieces.

Melissa & Doug Match & Build Blocks

Melissa & Doug Match & Build Blocks

Melissa & Doug Match & Build Blocks

When it comes to matching toys, anything soft and tactile is best. The Melissa & Doug Match & Build Blocks are the perfect companion for any child just starting to realize they have hands! Designed for babies and toddlers, the blocks are soft and super-lightweight, ensuring even the littlest fellow can hold them. The block set features activities and numerals on their faces, encouraging matching and sorting. Many of the blocks contain only half of the image, helping the kids match them with the other half. This style of play encourages mental stimulation and helps develop motor skills as they manipulate the blocks around.

Melissa & Doug Rainbow Stacker

Melissa & Doug Rainbow Stacker

Melissa & Doug Rainbow Stacker

Rainbow stackers are synonymous with childhood development! The Melissa & Doug Rainbow Stacker is designed to do just that – help your child develop mentally and physically. There aren’t any fancy features on this simple and sturdy toy. The wooden base is stout, with the eight smooth stacking rings fitting outside the stacking pole snugly. Designed from durable and safe materials, this toy is about as natural as it gets. After stacking the eight rings, your little one can place a bright red ball on top, signifying their mastery. If you want to help entertain your one and two-year-olds without a screen, this is a simple toy to look at!

Melissa & Doug Nesting & Sorting Garages & Cars

Melissa & Doug Nesting & Sorting Garages & Cars

Melissa & Doug Nesting & Sorting Garages & Cars

For all the car-loving kids out there, the Melissa & Doug Nesting & Sorting Garages & Cars toy set is the way to go. One of the unique options on our list, this set includes seven stacking garages and seven stacking cars. Each garage has a unique number and color associated with an equivalent car to be placed in the garage. You can set them up in pairs or just make a huge tower to knock down as you play! From one to seven, the blocks decrease in size, teaching size differences, and the beginning of counting and sorting. Whether your little one just plays with the cars or decides to place them in the garages, they will be mentally stimulated while developing motor skills.

Dan Wiener
Hey there! I'm Dan, the founder behind Kids Love WHAT. I started this blog as a way to document all of the things that my 4 kids love: crafting, science experiments, good food, fun games and of course lots of toys! When I'm not busy chasing them all around, you can find me scouring the web to find the next best thing to keep them busy and out of my hair!