Two stacking toys, two kinds of sensory play
If you're looking for a sensory stacking toy for your baby, B. toys offers two popular options that approach stacking very differently. The Stackin' Squishies set is a soft, squishy 17-piece playset with stacking cups and textured blocks, while the Rainbow Gumballs is a retro-inspired wooden gumball machine that dispenses colorful balls. Both encourage cause-and-effect and fine motor skills, but they suit different ages and play contexts. This comparison focuses on what each toy actually does, based on the supplied information, so you can decide which one fits your child's current stage.
At a glance: Stackin' Squishies vs Rainbow Gumballs
Here's a quick overview of the key differences from the product records.
- Age recommendation: Stackin' Squishies is recommended for children 6 months and over. Rainbow Gumballs is recommended for kids 12 months and over.
- Number of pieces: Stackin' Squishies includes 17 pieces (stacking cups and textured blocks). Rainbow Gumballs includes a wooden base, globe, and 10 large balls.
- Play setting: Stackin' Squishies is designed for nursery or bath play, with drippy cups that have holes for water play. Rainbow Gumballs is a tabletop or floor toy with a sturdy wooden base.
- Primary activity: Stackin' Squishies: build, stack, squeeze, and pour. Rainbow Gumballs: fill the globe with balls, press the coin, and watch them dispense.
- Learning focus: Stackin' Squishies: numbers, shapes, animals, and cause-and-effect. Rainbow Gumballs: counting (numbers 1–10 on the balls), color recognition, and gross motor skills.
Stackin' Squishies: soft stacking for younger babies
The Stackin' Squishies set is built for babies around 6 months old. The 17 pieces include squishy stacking cups with holes that make them drippy in the bath, plus textured blocks with numbers, shapes, and animals. The supplied information notes that the blocks are safe for lil' nibbles, which can be reassuring for teething babies. The cups have illustrations parents can use to introduce new words. Because the pieces are soft and squishy, this set works well for both building towers and sensory exploration. It's also bath-friendly, so it can transition from playmat to tub without issue. The main trade-off is that the stacking is less structured than a gumball machine—there's no mechanism that dispenses pieces, so the cause-and-effect is more about squeezing, pouring, and knocking down towers.
What the supplied information says about Stackin' Squishies
- Stackin' Squishies: Build and stack then squeeze and pour with the Stackin' Squishies set from B. toys! This soft and sensory 17-piece playset is packed with gentle colors and playtime milestones for babies. The textured blocks feature designs with numbers, shapes, and cute animals – that's 60 sides of sensory fun! And the squishy stacking cups are ready for fun in the nursery or in the bath, thanks to lil' holes that make them drippy cups. This confirms the set's dual use (dry and bath play) and the variety of sensory textures, which is key for babies exploring cause-and-effect.
Stackin' Squishies - Stackin' Squishies: Not only will children love building with the blocks and stacking the cups, they’re also safe for lil' nibbles and let kids experiment with cause-and-effect, and develop their hand-eye coordination. The safety for nibbling is a practical advantage for teething babies, and the cause-and-effect play is a core developmental benefit.
- Stackin' Squishies: Recommended for children 6 months old and over. This sets a clear lower age boundary, making it suitable for younger babies compared to the Rainbow Gumballs.
Rainbow Gumballs: dispensing fun for older babies
The Rainbow Gumballs toy is recommended for kids 12 months and over. It has a retro-inspired design with a sturdy wooden base and a clear globe that holds 10 large, colorful balls numbered 1 through 10. To play, you fill the globe with the balls, then press down on the coin to dispense one. Babies can chase or crawl after the balls as they slide out. The supplied information highlights that this toy supports gross motor skills, color recognition, and counting. Unlike the Stackin' Squishies, there's no bath play or squishy texture—the focus is on the cause-and-effect of pressing the coin and watching a ball pop out. The wooden base makes it a stable tabletop toy, but it's not designed for stacking or pouring. The trade-off is that the play pattern is more repetitive: fill, press, chase, repeat. Some babies may enjoy that predictability, while others might prefer the open-ended stacking of the Squishies.
What the supplied information says about Rainbow Gumballs
- Rainbow Gumballs: Pop out colorful gumballs and count 'em up with Rainbow Gumballs from B. toys! This retro-inspired gumball machine dispenses learning with ease and looks great on a shelf thanks to its sturdy wooden base. Just fill it up with the 10 large, colorful balls and press down on the coin for a surprise! This explains the core play action (press coin, get a ball) and the sturdy construction, which is important for a toy that will be used on a table or floor.
Rainbow Gumballs - Rainbow Gumballs: This counting gumball toy is great for gross motor skills, color recognition, and teaching numbers. Recommended for kids 12 months and over. The age recommendation is higher than the Stackin' Squishies, and the learning focus is on counting and colors, which suits toddlers who are starting to recognize numbers.
- Rainbow Gumballs: Babies will love chasing or crawling after the gumballs as they slide out of the chute, but the fun doesn't stop there. Make playtime a learning moment thanks to the bright colors and numbers 1-10 on the gumballs. The chasing element adds gross motor movement, which is different from the stationary stacking play of the Squishies.
What the supplied information doesn't tell you
Neither product record includes battery requirements, assembly steps beyond what's described, or specific cleaning instructions. The Stackin' Squishies set is described as bath-friendly, but there's no confirmation of whether the blocks are machine washable or need to be air-dried. For the Rainbow Gumballs, the operating instruction is simply to fill the globe and press the coin—there's no mention of whether the coin is removable or if the base can be disassembled for cleaning. If you need those details, you may want to check the product packaging or contact the manufacturer directly. Also, the supplied information doesn't compare the two toys directly, so this article is based on the separate facts provided for each.
How to choose between them
If your baby is around 6 months old and you want a soft, squishy toy that works in the bath and on the playmat, the Stackin' Squishies set is the clear choice. It offers more variety in textures and activities (stacking, squeezing, pouring) and is safe for nibbling. If your child is closer to 12 months and you're looking for a toy that encourages counting, color recognition, and gross motor movement (chasing balls), the Rainbow Gumballs machine is a better fit. It's also a more structured cause-and-effect toy—press the coin, get a ball—which some toddlers find highly engaging. Both toys are from B. toys and are designed with sensory play in mind, but they serve different developmental stages and play preferences.
