Stacking Games! by Melissa C. in WA

Building Balance: How Stacking Games Help My Child Find Focus and Joy

When you have a child with specific sensory or developmental needs, playtime becomes something more than fun—it becomes communication, therapy, and learning all rolled into one. For us, stacking games have been that bridge.

My daughter has always loved to build. From a young age, she’d line up blocks in perfectly straight rows, knock them down, and start again. What seemed like ordinary play turned out to be her way of making sense of the world—of finding order when everything else felt unpredictable. Over time, we began to use stacking as a form of guided play, and it’s made a huge difference in her focus, patience, and emotional regulation.

The Calm in the Clatter

One of the first things I noticed was how soothing stacking could be. There’s something rhythmic and predictable about it: one piece on top of another, the gentle clink of balance and gravity working together. When my daughter gets anxious or overstimulated, we pull out a few of her favorite stacking items—soft foam blocks, silicone cups, even kitchen Tupperware—and build together in silence.

It’s not about perfection or how tall we can go. It’s about the process. Each motion is deliberate and mindful. Each tower is a new start.

That focus—of using her hands, eyes, and brain in sync—helps her regulate. It’s not too technical, but the combination of fine motor work and proprioceptive input gives her body the feedback it needs to settle down.

Our Favorite Homemade Stacking Games

We’ve created a few go-to stacking activities that fit her mood and energy level:

• Color Stacks: We group cups or discs by color and see how high we can go before they topple. It’s simple, but it builds color recognition and focus.

• Weighted Stacks: We mix heavier and lighter items (like bean bags and foam blocks) to help her learn how balance feels.

• Quiet Stacks: Using soft sensory blocks during calm-down time. These are great before bedtime or after school when she’s tired.

• “Secret Challenge” Stacks: I whisper a word like animal or food, and she builds something that reminds her of it. It encourages creative thinking and emotional expression.

The best part? Every one of these games can be made with items already around the house.

From Play to Progress

What I’ve come to love most is how much growth I’ve seen through these little towers. Stacking helps her develop planning, control, and resilience—because things fall down sometimes. And every time they do, she takes a deep breath, smiles, and says, “Let’s try again.”

That moment—choosing to rebuild instead of melting down—is huge. It’s where play becomes progress.

Making It Our Own

Sometimes we use SNAP stacking toys for extra texture or challenge. The pieces are designed to give just enough resistance and movement that she has to concentrate, but not so much that she gets frustrated. It’s that sweet spot where learning and fun overlap.

Every week, we invent a new stacking “mission.” One day she’s an engineer building a bridge, the next a chef making a “pancake tower.” The themes help her engage her imagination while still working on motor control and balance.

A Mom’s Takeaway

I used to think play had to look like everyone else’s—organized, structured, neat. But our stacks? They wobble. They fall. They rebuild. And that’s exactly the point.

For parents of children with unique needs, the best play isn’t about outcomes—it’s about connection. Stacking gives us a way to connect without pressure or words. Just hands, colors, shapes, and laughter.

Every tower tells her the same thing: “You can build again.”