Stapelstein is a wonderful new addition to the Australian toy scene in 2023, and I'm so excited that Milk Tooth is one of Stapelstein's first ever Australian stockists! I reached out to one of my favourite customers, Tonille, to share her thoughts on these amazing new toys, as well as some ideas on how to play with them. - Kath
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© Tonille Barnhill @the_gorman_lane for Milk Tooth
Our first impressions of Stapelstein
I've wanted to add Stapelstein to our playroom for over two years now. For our first set, I bought the Stapelstein Rainbow Classic 8 and a Confetti Classic Balance Board.
The first thing I noticed upon receiving them was how lightweight they are. l actually thought the box they came in was empty! I had a good peek at them and was so excited to gift them to the kids. I decided to not wrap them and instead have them set out as stepping stones leading from the hallway out to the living room right up to the Christmas Tree - it looked so fun!
I thought I would share with you an honest review and some ways the kids and I have been using them. Stapelstein is open-ended, so there's no right or wrong way to play with them.
They were a hit the first day the kiddos had received them, especially the Balance Board (definitely need to add a few more of those)! The kids were timing each other on how long they could stay upright, adding one extra stone at a time underneath to increase the level of difficulty each time. This has become the most popular game to play for my older two children.
How we like to play with our Stapelstein
I haven’t really had to set up too much for the older kids, I love watching them find new ways to use our Stapelstein. With my youngest child, I've helped to set up quite a few activities. Here are some of the ways we've found to play with Stapelstein:
- Balancing challenges (described above)
- Setting up an obstacle course
- Using them in the forever popular game “The Floor is Lava”
- Paired with our play couch
- Sensory play: No need for a sensory table! I’ve used dried bases (for example, beans and rice) inside the Stepping Stones for some scooping and pouring fun and this was a huge hit! Other sensory bases we’ve used in our Stepping Stones include flurry, ice, foam, and cloud dirt
- Water play! Yes Stapelstein can be used with water; this is one of the main reasons I fell in love with them! Add in water and some cups and scoops and you have a whole lot of fun
- Colour sorting: Because our Stapelstein set is in rainbow colours, they’re perfect for colour sorting. This has been a wonderful activity for the littlest, who enjoys colour sorting out Grapat Mandala pieces and our other coloured loose parts in the bowls formed by the underside of the Stepping Stones
- Treasure hunt colour sorting: My youngest can easily carry our Stapelstein around because of how lightweight they are, so with the help of the older two we hide coloured items around the playroom and the three of them walk around and find them all, putting them into the correctly coloured bowls
- My kids like to use Stapelstein as stools to sit on at the IKEA Trofast, or even at the coffee table whilst having some snacks
- Flynn uses the Stacking Stones to reach books on the bookshelf and when playing with our play and display magnetic board
- If you stack your Stapelstein Stones facing upside down then add your Balance Board on top, you have yourself a “Wobble Seat”, as the kids call it
- Our Stapelstein Stepping Stones have also been used as a step stool in the bathroom to reach the sink easier
- The kids like to play with our Stones in the shower, filling and tipping and pouring (always supervised of course!)
- Stapelstein is also really fun outside with the sprinkler and they are actually perfect for water fights on a hot day!
Stapelstein was designed and made to get kids active and bodies moving. They have been a great tool for my five-year-old in helping with his balance and coordination; perfect for working on those gross motor skills.
Other thoughts on Stapelstein
Let’s talk price. Yes Stapelstein is on the expensive side, but I truly believe it's worth the pennies!
The Stacking Stones and Balance Boards are sustainable, are high quality, and are made to last. They can hold up to 180kg! As I say all the time, you pay for quality. Just like our beautiful block sets and playroom furniture, you invest in what you know will get the love in your home.
They don’t take up much space either, because they are stackable, lightweight, easily moved, and easily stored.
Stapelstein are easy on the eye too. I know our playroom purchases are not always about aesthetics, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. I find Stapelstein really brightens up our space when they’re all stacked up. This is so appealing to the kids and they gravitate towards them everyday!
They won’t be for everyone and that’s OK. I just wanted to share our thoughts and ways we have been playing with them, as they are new to Australia.
I am so excited that they are FINALLY heading to Australia, it’s been a long time coming! I definitely would like to add in some more, maybe two more Balance Boards and a set of the pastels. I find the Rainbow Classic 8 set isn’t quite enough for my three kids, so more are definitely needed.
Stapelstein is still quite new to our playroom but already so loved by the kids. I’m excited to see the new ways they find to use them over time, and I’ll be sure to share all the fun that we have.
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Other ideas we at Milk Tooth would like to suggest for playing with Stapelstein include:
- sitting in them to spin and wobble - who can spin the longest?
- creating a hopscotch grid
- incorporating them into pretend play as dinner plates or market baskets
- lining them up as a balance beam
- balancing a Board on the top of your head
- turning them over and stepping inside them one by one - they will be wobbly - balance required!
- forming domes using two stones, then hiding items inside or balancing one dome on top of the other
- spacing them out as stepping stones - try this in the garden!
- stacking them high into towers
- pretending they're a hat or a helmet
What else can you come up with? Let us know and we'll add your ideas to the list! - Kath
