With the ever-increasing number of options for kids development and countless toy ideas, it can sometimes become overwhelming for parents to choose the right one for their child.
To help you overcome the dilemma of choosing the right toy, we have come up with a super toy that blends learning with fun—the geometric play cube for children.
Let’s explore why this timeless piece deserves a place in every child’s playroom.
What is an activity cube?
An activity cube is a wooden activity set for toddlers. A multisided wooden cube with different activities on each side; the activity cube promotes diversity in play. The wooden play cube, equipped with moving gears, stacking games, and musical buttons, is a unique activity play toy.
Why does your child need an activity cube?
As children are naturally curious and love to explore things, an activity cube is one of the most thoughtful toys to soothe their hungry intellectual curiosity. From igniting their critical thinking to fostering creativity and independent play, the activity cube comes with plenty of benefits that make it a worthy addition to your child’s treasured toys.
-
Supports sensory development: The sensation of touching wood and playing with the cube positively supports sensory development in kids as they explore their senses of touch and sight.
-
Cause-and-effect relationships: As children turn gears and play with beads, they begin to understand the cause-and-effect relationship between their actions and their impacts. As they move the gears, their changed position makes them learn the impact of their actions.
-
Promotes cognitive development: Activities like sorting and stacking games promote critical thinking and problem-solving abilities in children, fostering cognitive development.
How do you play with the activity cube?
The best part of the activity cube is its simple yet thoughtful multi-dimensional approach to building. With a cuboidal structure, each side of the cube has a different activity to offer. This makes the activity cube both fun and educational to play with. Usually, the cube contains the following activities:
-
Bead maze top: The top of the activity cube is a bead maze toy. You can move the beads along the wire. This promotes motor skills and problem-solving in kids.
-
Puzzle game: The lateral side contains a wooden puzzle game to practice hand movement and motor skills in toddlers.
-
Turning Gears: Another side comes with beautifully coloured turning gears, or wheels, for stimulating dexterity and understanding cause-and-effect relationships between actions and outcomes.
-
Stacking games: Match the stacking blocks on the cube with the corresponding slots. Such stacking games promote early learning in kids. You can explore more sorting and stacking games for kids who love to match blocks against the corresponding slot.
-
Musical buttons/other activities: Different cubes come with different activities. Sometimes, they include musical buttons or instruments on the side. They often come with engaging activities like a mirror, musical instruments, or other educational games for kids.
Quick tips for parents
As a parent, you can do more than purchase an educational toy for your little ones. You can try and play your own role in making your child’s playtime more educational with the activity cube by engaging with them like a friend.
Some quick tips for parents while their toddlers are busy with their play sessions are:
-
Try to introduce your child to the basics of a cube and what activity each side presents.
-
Be patient with your child while you explain things and let them understand at their own pace.
-
Encourage them to ask questions, or you may pretend to ask them to keep them engaged with the activity.
-
As your child progresses through and completes an activity, applaud them for the milestone so they feel encouraged.
-
Lastly, keep rotating the activities so your child doesn’t lose their interest, and rotation also helps to spice up the sessions by bringing diversity to play.
Cleaning and maintenance tips
High-quality wood ensures the durability and safety of wooden activity cubes for play. Yet, it is important to keep the cleaning and maintenance of the toys in check for longevity.
It is advisable to clean the activity cube with a soft cloth. You can keep the cloth slightly wet for extra cleansing. Don’t use detergents or any hard soaps, as they can deteriorate the quality of wood and are unhygienic for child play.
For proper maintenance of the wooden cube, do keep a check if there are any loose parts or sharp edges that can be potentially harmful for babies. Make sure no parts need repair, and if they do, replace them right away because kids can swallow small things. Therefore, we always recommend adult supervision.
Conclusion
A wooden activity cube is a valuable tool that supports your child’s growth and development. It’s more than just a toy. Based on Montessori principles, the play cube offers endless opportunities for children’s development. Additionally, we have crafted our wooden toys with international safety standards to ensure your child’s safety because that is our topmost priority.
We hope that the guide above gave you useful insights and will help you find the next best toy for your kids. Explore our entire collection of toys at Barnshenn for newborns and toddlers. Are you in search of additional inspiration? Hop on to our social media handles, like TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram, for more gift inspiration for toddlers. See you in the next blog.