3 in 1! Yes, this beautiful handmade wooden ring stacker set is a great toy for babies as well as toddlers. The varying shapes and the sizes of the rings and discs help the child practice different finger grasps required to stack each set. This Montessori inspired toy is designed to encourage the development of fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

Recommended age period

This beautiful handmade wooden ring stacker is a great toy for babies as well as toddlers. The first set can be introduced to the child around 9months of age and the remaining sets can be introduced well into toddlerhood as per the child’s interest.

How to introduce the activity to my child?

Stacking toys are an essential part of a toddler’s development. They provide a fun and engaging way for children to learn and develop their skills. Have your toddler start with the red rings, progressing to the green discs and then to the blue rings. Demonstrate how to hold the base with one hand and place the ring on the dowel with other hand encouraging them to use both hands in sync.

To introduce this material, place each ring/disc on the dowel slowly one after another. Make sure your movements are done in a very calm manner and in slow motion, without explaining vocally. Give your child the space to explore and exercise as many times he/she wants but make sure to stay close and observe their actions.

What will my child learn?

This is a classic Montessori toy for enhancing your child’s pincer grasp, fine motor skills and hand mobility. Working with this material strengthens the wrist, which is vital for controlling the hand during future tasks like writing.

Fine Motor Skills 

All sorts of grasping, flexing, rotating, manipulating, and coordinating hand skills are needed to stack the rings on the dowel. Manipulating the rings requires precise finger movements and control.

The first stage consists of wide wooden rings. The large center of the rings will help the child be successful with their limited hand-eye coordination and wrist development.

The second stage is a set of discs with a smaller center. This material helps develop better coordinated movements and improves focus as the child places the discs one after the other on the dowel.

The third stage is a set of graded wooden rings. The concept of putting the rings in the correct order, from big to small, helps them learn size gradation as they stack the rings on the dowel.

Advancement of Midline Crossing

The wooden stacker has been designed to help with the advancement of midline crossing, which is an important developmental skill needed for reading and writing. Midline crossing is when one hand unconsciously moves across to the other side of the body to work there. Before this ability is developed, a child will tend to use their right hand on the right side of their body and their left hand on the left.

Visual and Spatial Perception

Stacking also works on depth perception, hand-eye coordination, and understanding where your body is in space.  As you put each piece on top of the other, you have to visually gauge where to place each piece both in relation to yourself, and in relation to the other pieces.

Language Concepts⁠ & Vocabulary Development

The stacker offers so much learning and language in a playful way. In/out, on/off, up/down, big(ger)/small(er) etc. along with introducing children to basic math concepts.

What is included?

Three bright red colored wooden rings of the same diameter, two green colored wooden discs and three blue colored wooden rings in decreasing diameter along with a wooden base with a dowel to place the rings on.

What is it made of? 

Handcrafted by Indian artisans, this beautiful set is made from Beech wood and painted with water-based non-toxic colors making it completely child safe. 

Dimensions

Care instructions

Wooden toys are beautiful and durable. Toys made of natural materials bring your little one a little closer to the nature by nourishing the child’s senses.

Wood has natural anti-bacterial properties, so keeping them clean is simple and you can even get your kids involved in the process. Here are some tips that can come handy while taking care of the wooden toys –

1. Wooden toys can be wiped with a dry cloth for daily maintenance and cleaning.
2. No Soaking. Never submerge wooden toys in the water; to clean or otherwise. The wood can soak up the water which can gradually lead to cracks.
3. Instead, a slightly damp cloth or sponge can be used to remove dirt or dust and then the toy should be air dried.
4. While drying the toys, do not leave them in a direct sunlight. Sunlight can cause the colors to fade and long exposure to the sunlight and air might damage the wood.
5. Every once in a while, you may want to moisturize wooden toys when it starts to look dry or dull. Coconut oil or olive oil can be applied sparingly with a washcloth. Then let it dry.

Note

• During its lifetime, a tree is subjected to many natural forces that cause variations in wood grain, color, knots, splits, and stains. These variations are not defects. They enhance the beauty of the wood and add to the characteristic of the handcrafted toys making each toy unique.
• As with any baby toy or accessory, please use only under adult supervision.
• Always inspect for damage prior to use.