Shape sorters, a fun way for your little one to learn the colours and shapes

Crawling or walking, we all know that little hands need to be kept busy. From the time they can sit up, babies will start to enjoy all kinds of activity toys, with a shape sorter being one of the most popular. A children’s classic, shape sorters were enjoyed by our parents, grandparents and long before that. The toy's longevity lies in its versatility. From naming shapes and colours to sorting, stacking and counting there are plenty of ways for your little one to play with their shape sorter. View our take on the classic and discover the perfect gift for your little one.

Read more..
Our favourites
Price (low to high)
Price (high to low)
wooden toy sorting blocks from Petite Amélie

Baby Toy | Wooden Shape Sorting Box | Foret

12,95
Wooden activity table in Beige and Blue wood with 60x40x60,5 dimensions from Petite Amélie

ACTIVITY TABLE «MÉTÉO» | MULTICOLOUR

69,95
Wooden activity table in multicolour wood with 60x40x54 dimensions from Petite Amélie

ACTIVITY TABLE «FORÉT» | MULTICOLOUR

79,95

Shape sorter

A shape sorter is a classic children’s toy featuring a robust casing and slots cut out to allow shapes to enter. Most suitable for the youngest of children, shape sorters can be enjoyed by babies and toddlers into childhood. Once your baby is sitting up, or even before that, your child is ready to start exploring their shape sorter. Listening to the clinking of the shapes will keep them busy for a while! Older babies and toddlers will enjoy emptying out the shapes to start all over again, while older children can practice naming their shapes and colours.

Essential play for babies and toddlers

A shape sorter provides several different forms of essential play for babies and toddlers:

  • Naming shapes
  • Identifying colours
  • Counting
  • Hand-eye coordination
  • Fine motor skills development
  • Problem solving

1.What age is a shape sorter for?

Children aged between 1 and 3 are most likely to enjoy playing with a shape sorter. A one year old will need some supervision handling the heavy cube to ensure they don’t hurt themselves, and is likely to show interest in moving around the colourful shapes both inside and outside the sorter. Around the age of two your child will be able to insert some of the pieces accurately before really gaining confidence and progressing to naming and categorising the shapes.

2.What is the purpose of a shape sorter toy?

A shape sorter toy is an excellent resource for your child’s learning and development. A shape sorter toy will enable them to develop their hand-eye coordination, problem solving and fine motor skills. On top of this, a shape sorter toy will help your child increase their vocabulary and start naming shapes and colours. You won’t believe how quickly they pick up the names of the different shapes once they start using their new shape sorter toy. Young children will also love organising the pieces of their new shape sorter toy into different categories. You might even find your little one making a tower out of the blocks of their new shape sorter toy or lining the pieces up to make a pattern. Our premium quality shape sorter toy makes the perfect gift, browse our complete range of children’s toys and furnishings and discover the rest of our collection.

3.How do I teach my toddler to use their wooden shape sorter?

If your child isn’t showing much interest in their new wooden shape sorter, don’t worry, they just need a little more time. You can try demonstrating how to insert the shapes into the slots of their wooden shape sorter, or even simply rolling the shapes or shape sorter itself around on the floor to encourage your baby to pick it up. Younger children may also enjoy seeing an older sibling or friend use the wooden shape sorter, and this may encourage them to try it for themselves. The natural wood of your new wooden shape sorter means this new toy will look beautiful when displayed on a shelf or on top of a chest of drawers in your baby’s room.