Whose toddler doesn't own a stacking toy of some sort? It really is a great developmentally multi-purpose toy with lots of work for those little fingers, the all important hand-eye coordination and more. You can keep a toddler busy stacking his favorite train for hours (well, maybe not that long, but for minutes at a time for sure -and that's your chance for a quick dinner prep!). A stacking toy is built with recurrence of action in mind and recurrence creates an opportunity for practice. Now, did you try using your stacking toy to create opportunities for repeating sounds and words? It's simple enough! Practice using spatial concepts "on" and "off" as you stack your trains, cups, rings, or blocks. For more advanced kiddos incorporate labeling colors, include verbs, or simplify your stacking game down to a single sound if your little one isn't fully verbal just yet. You can just do 'd' for down as you stack the next piece. For each chance to stack, have your child imitate whatever it is you are working on- practice makes it perfect!