When I saw my first wooden rainbow toy, it was love at first sight!
Like most people, it was the original rainbow stacker that got me hooked — a perfectly symmetrical, brightly-colored wooden rainbow toy.
I played with my original rainbow stacker thousands of ways before I other options even crossed my mind.
But when I did, I found an entire world of unusual wooden rainbow toys — so many shapes and styles that I had no idea existed!
That’s exactly what I’d like to share with you today.
Here are eight new and unusual styles — many of which you’ve probably never seen before.
Cheers! To finding your new favorite!
Before we start, I want to give a well-deserved shout-out to Grimm’s for popularizing rainbow-shaped wooden toys in the first place. Much love!
Affiliate Link Disclosure – If you see a product you like and click through to buy it, I would genuinely appreciate it. I may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you. It would mean a lot, thanks!
Cloud Rainbow Toys
Where there’s a rainbow, there is a cloud! We all know wooden rainbow toys are great for open-ended play.
You could just imagine the clouds or make them yourself, but there’s a wide selection of unusual wooden rainbow toys with clouds built right in!
Like this one, with cloud pieces that fit perfectly at the base of both legs of the rainbow.
Like these, which take the original rainbow stacker design, and add a cute little cloud block that fits at the peak of the rainbow.
This one comes in soft, soothing pastel colors. Just looking at it, I’m reminded of unicorns, pixie dust, and Care Bears.
This one’s rainbow stripes come in natural wood colors that resemble skin tones. Great for educating your child about diversity through open-ended play!
Or this unpainted cloud rainbow stacker. You can simply enjoy the look of the natural wood, or choose a color scheme and paint it yourself!
Waldorf Rainbow Toys
There’s an entire series of wooden rainbow toys named after the world-famous Waldorf education. Waldorf education develops pupils’ intellectual, artistic, and practical skills holistically, with a core focus on cultivating imagination and creativity.
Whether or not Waldorf education advocates accredit Waldorf rainbow stackers as “actually being Waldorf” is a topic for another day. But the fact that people call them Waldorf toys is enough for me!
This genre of wooden rainbow toy looks almost like the original rainbow stacker, but not exactly. The key difference is its acute peak — which makes Waldorf rainbow stackers slightly taller and narrower than the original rainbow stacker.
Also note that Waldorf-style rainbows give less attention to perfect symmetry, and leaves more room for adorable imperfections in the cut of wood.
It’s called creativity:
Specialty Rainbow Toys
Imagine yourself as a woodworker, making rainbow toys for children (and adults) day in and day out. After months of making the same old rainbow shape, your mind might start to wander a bit.
Well, that’s exactly what happened here! Specialty rainbow stackers — aren’t always rainbow stackers at all.
They incorporate the overall arched-shape and multiple-layers just like any wooden rainbow toy. But they’re made to look like objects that are not rainbows.
Like this one, that looks like a succulent red apple:
Or this one, resembling a mouthwatering slice of watermelon:
Or this one, with its core piece in the shape of a tree:
Or this one, that is a tree!
Tall Rainbow Toys
This is an extremely rare kind of wooden rainbow toy. In my years of following block culture, I’ve only come across a handful of them.
Their top is perfectly semi-circular, just like the original rainbow stacker. What’s unique is that their legs extend long and straight down, making them stand tall — hence the name.
With those repeating arches, it makes me think of the middle-eastern architectural style of a desert temple.
Mountain Rainbow Toys
Odd-shaped blocks are my absolute favorite. No wonder — I run a website called Oddblocks.
Mountain rainbow stackers are as odd-shaped as wooden rainbow toys can get!
Personally, I see them as abstract art pieces. The artists give them mountain names just to keep the art grounded in reality.
The defining characteristic of mountain rainbow toys is their unapologetic asymmetrical curves, warped in any shape imaginable.
Many are designed with multiple peaks, resembling a mountain range. Like these:
Others maintain a single peak, like the original rainbow stacker, but with those funky curves I’m talking about. Like these:
In our shop, we offer a series of artistic concept blocks that fit the bill nicely:
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Thick-Cut Rainbow Toys
I gotta say, I’m a big fan of chunky blocks. Just as the name suggests, this style of wooden rainbow toy is a lot like the original rainbow stacker — just cut thicker.
If your kid plays rough with his or her toys, this is a sturdier, more durable option to consider.
There’s a saying “go big or go home”. Well, this unique wooden rainbow toy lets you “go big inside your home”.
Check them out:
Organic Rainbow Toy (With Bark)
For the naturalist inside of you, organic rainbow stackers are where it’s at!
Cut straight from the trunk of a tree, a solid segment of wood is fashioned into an all-organic toy you and your children can enjoy.
What people love about these most is the tree’s bark is kept on the outer piece for a completely natural look and feel.
For purists and outdoorsy-types — also if you are a family of bears — this is the perfect wooden rainbow toy for you.
Even indoor play will feel like the great outdoors. Behold the natural beauty:
Boho Rainbow Toys
The boho wooden rainbow toy is where the line between play toy and home decoration gets a little less clear.
Notable features of this type of rainbow stacker are it’s tall and skinny arches.
Many are designed so that the pieces don’t fit together — even when lined up, there’s space between the layers. Their height makes them easier to topple over than most rainbow stacker style.
Honestly, they’re not the best kind of wooden rainbow toy for children to play with. But if you’re curious as an adult, I’d recommend having a go.
Without a doubt, they also make a great decorative piece for your home.
They’re stylish for sure:
Over to you!
Are you falling head over heals for all the exciting, new, and unusual wooden rainbow toy styles?
Me too, I know the feeling!
I hope you found something new — something you love.
I’d love to hear about your favorite rainbow stacker style!
Let me know in the comments below!
