Best soft blocks for babies to aid development

soft blocks for babies

by Lily Anderson |
Updated on

From wooden blocks to homemade constructions, there are so many types of blocks for babies to play with. Soft blocks (also known as foam blocks) are lightweight toys that come in a variety of shapes and sizes for your bubba.

Soft blocks are stacking toys for babies that are ideal for sensory play. Whether it’s the colour, print or textures that draw your little one in - squeezing, throwing and building has never been more fun. As children grow, they can play with blocks in increasingly sophisticated ways. Even with babies as young as 2-3 months, you can place a block into their hand and they’ll move their hand around to look at it from all directions. Gradually they will learn to pick up the blocks by themselves and will start to sort or stack blocks.

Best at a glance:

Best overall soft block for babies: Triblox, £23

Best creative thinking soft block for babies: Clemmy Soft Blocks, £15

Best sorting and stacking soft block for babies: Baby Einstein Explore & Discover Soft Blocks Activity Toy, £14.99

As well as hand-eye coordination, you'll usually find that soft blocks help with numbers, shapes or animal recognition too. Here's our pick of the best soft blocks, ideal for babies to play with.

Best soft blocks for babies 2024

Best soft block for teaching kids letters

Description

Any munchkins getting their first teeth come through will appreciate these baby blocks. Not only are they great for building and counting numbers, but they are chewable. We love that they are made from non-toxic silicone that is free from BPA.

Review: "Perfect for my seven-month-old who loves to put anything in her mouth. I have peace of mind that these aren’t going to hurt her mouth like some other bulky plastic toys. I love how each side has something different, which will be perfect to show as she grows."

Pros

  • Set includes 12 pieces blocks
  • Each blocks has an embossed animal, shape, fruit, Arabic numerals and geometrical patterns on the sides

Cons

  • Suitable for aged 6 months and above

Best soft block for sensory

Description

From being able to put these blocks in the washing machine to the bold, colourful design, there are many reasons that parents and children alike will appreciate these baby soft blocks. As well as stacking these toys, infants can match the print, play catch and build a fortress. Amazing!

Review: "A friend has this toy for her baby, so I already knew how great, soft and light it was. One thing that lots of parents worry about is toys smacking them in the face and hurting them, especially their eyes. However, these are light and soft. So even if they threw it in the air (which they will trust me) and hits them in the face, it won't hurt one bit. It is super durable as my friend's baby had it for AGES, and it looked like recently bought. I especially love that 1-2 of the blocks have a little bell in them, which catches their attention even more."

Pros

  • 6 colourful foam-filled fabric cubes 
  • Ideal for squeezing, throwing and building

Cons

  • Machine wash only

Best soft block for exploring new textures

Description

Rattling, jingling and crinkling their way into your child's toy box are these budget-friendly soft blocks. Each block features a fun character and pattern as well as a number and letter. This multi-sensory toy is bound to put a smile on your child's face during playtime.

Review: "Bought for my five-month-old who likes to chew, shake and bat at them, now six months old and exploring the shape and how to hold them gets her coordination going. We are now enjoying knocking down a tower I built, which is fun. The fact that each one sounds different is good. The crinkly one is a clear favourite. The tabs on them are genius as you can attach them to the pram, car seat etc. Or it's a convenient bit for babies to hold on to, practising that pincer grip."

Pros

  • Stack, giggle & grow with multisensory blocks 
  • 4 soft blocks feature a variation of crinkles, rattles & jingles

Cons

  • Not portable

Best soft block for sorting and stacking

Description

Your little one will enjoy squeezing, stacking and tossing these soft blocks, adorably designed with their favourite underwater animals. The multi-sensory activity will aid your little one's development of fine motor skills, and provide hours of endless fun.

Review: "My daughter loves these soft blocks! Beautiful colours and textures. They are easy for her to grab and move around. Great for developing her fine motor skills right now. We always make sure we have one or two during a car ride because she chews, squeezes and kicks them around. They're easy to wash and I would highly recommend them!!"

Pros

  • Made for little hands to squeeze, stack, toss and tumble
  • Colourful blocks

Cons

  • Only suitable from 3 months

Best soft block for creative thinking

Baby boy playing with soft blocks Photo credit: Argos

Description

Kids can chew, squash and demolish this pack of 24 soft blocks, and they'll still be good as new. The hardwearing blocks will develop skills like problem-solving and creative thinking and tots will have hours of fun stacking and slotting these together. Review: "I bought these for my little boy for his Christmas presents, have started Christmas shopping early, but I opened them to have a look at them to see see the quality of them. I am happy with them, thank you very much - I will be buying stuff from you guys again."

Pros

  • Made with non-toxic and washable material
  • Contains 20 colorful Baby Clemmy bricks

Cons

  • To be used under the direct supervision of an adult

Best soft block for open-ended play

Jellystones design blocks Jellystones Designs
Price: £23

Description

Build, stack, and learn! Great for playtime and to keep your little one entertained, these colourful block features a number and matching artworks on each side, to add to your baby’s learning development. Triblox is a brilliant way for your child to get creative and use their own imaginative skills. 

Review: "One of our favourite toys it’s such a great toy for open play and skill development. Its soft and flexible and easy for them to hold. It comes with numbers one side and a pattern on the other side. So, you can use them for painting and play dough too. They are silicone so easy to clean. I would definitely recommend this product 10/10"

Pros

  • 9 Triangle Blocks made from toxic-free silicone 
  • Perfect shape and weight for little hands to explore, line up, balance, and stack

Cons

  • Not many colours to choose from

Best soft block for reflection

Baby Clementoni Black and White Soft Activity Blocks
Price: £16.99

Description

From the squeaker to the bell and crinkle fabric, these blocks will encourage your child's curiosity. The best thing about it? One of the four blocks features a mirror, which is brilliant for helping tots recognise their reflection.

Review: "These set of blocks are a great tool and learning resource for any age - I have two children, both different ages who equally love playing with them. I love that they're really easy to wipe clean because of the material used."

Pros

  • With black and white images in 4 contrasting colours
  • Ideal for developing visual and tactile perception in infants

Cons

  • Only features 4 blocks

Best soft block for safari theme

Amazon Safari cubes
Price: £14.95

Description

Does your little one love wildlife? Look no further than these safari-themed plush cubes. Featuring a lion, giraffe, crocodile and elephant, your bub will enjoy stacking, tumbling and (inevitably) throwing them around over and over again. Also a perfect match for a safari-themed nursery...

Review: "I love these and so does my baby. It had made tummy time easier as I can play with him. He likes to watch me stack them and he knocks them over and giggles. I was not expecting all the varied faces, but I love it. For reference the faces are high contrast, animal, animals, a texture, something 3d and numbers. Very impressed with that variety and each one is different. My teething baby has dripped and sucked on these for ages, and they still look great."

Pros

  • Jungle theme
  • Multiple sensory features including colours, patterns, textures, and noises

Cons

  • 100% polyester

Best soft block for basic counting to shape recognition

Jellystones designs pastel Jellystones Designs

Description

Each individual block has a number on each side and helps to add some fun to your child’s learning experience. From counting to identifying different shapes, Triblox introduces your little one to a whole new world of creativity.  Easy to hold, it will also boost their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

Pros

  • Adds a pop of colour to playtime 
  • Provides a safe and stimulating experience for children as they explore, stack, and create

Cons

  • May not be ideal if your little one prefers bright colours

Why are soft blocks good for babies?

According to Verywell Family, "Even the simplest set of blocks contains the seeds of imagination, creation, and destruction. Your toddler will enjoy stacking a tower of blocks as high as possible and then watching what happens when they knock them down. This is one way that toddlers develop fine motor skills and explore concepts like early math, geometry, problem-solving, and cause and effect.

"After they figure out the blocks' properties - size, weight, shape, and stability level - it won't be long before they're building cities complete with roadways and bridges."

Lily Anderson has contributed to various Bauer Media brands such as Mother&Baby YoursWhat’s The Best,Closerheat and Spirit and Destiny as a Deputy Commercial Content Editor since 2019 and currently works at CPSL Mind as a Deputy Campaigns and Communications Manager.

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