The Best Activity Cubes for Your Kids

VTech Busy Learners Activity Cube

Bright lights, tons of fun

This plastic activity cube is sure to be a hit with its interactive noises and lights.

Best Overall

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First up on this list is a cube that’s awesome for those horrified by those germ-infested wooden activity cubes at the doctor’s office. Why is it awesome, you ask? It’s made of plastic (BPA-free, of course) that’s super easy to clean. This cube has five unique sides that’ll keep toddlers engaged. It aids in sensory development, with bright pops of color and other attractive features. And whereas most activity cubes tend to favor fine motor skills, this activity cube works with gross motor skills as well. The built-in motion sensor activates with fun sounds, which in turn will entice newly mobile babies to begin crawling.

Pros:

• Volume control, auto shut-off, and removable batteries. I can’t be the only parent that finds this a pro. Noisy toys sometimes need to be muted, if you know what I mean.
• 25 songs to help develop musical creativity and early vocabulary.
• Appropriate for around 6 months to 3 years.
• Easy to clean.

Cons:

• The audio on this activity cube could use a bit more clarity.

Toyventive Wooden Kids Baby Activity Cube

The gift of play

With an included set of stacking blocks and a book, this activity cube comes gift-wrapped as well.

Best Gift

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As someone who has always struggled with math, I’ve made it a goal to expose both of my kids to developmentally appropriate mathematical thinking skills right from the start. With Toyventive’s adorable wooden activity cube, you can do just that. With counting, shapes, and cubes built-in, your little one will be exposed to emergent math lessons from the start. And although being able to tell time is a skill that comes much later, the adorable clock face exposes young children to the idea of telling time. And that’s really the name of the game: exposure. Beyond math, your little one will absolutely love playing with this cube while building fine motor skills and sensory development.

Pros:

• Comes with a set of stacking blocks and a word-board book.
• Includes access to a Play Ideas e-book.
• The bead cube can be detached for a more focused playtime.

Cons:

• There is no cover for the bottom of the box, so blocks and stacking cups must be stored separately.

Battat Discover Farm Animals Activity Center

Fun on the farm

Old McDonald had an ... activity cube? This farm animal-themed toy is sure to be a favorite.

Best Wooden

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Bringing to mind a vintage activity cube, this farm animal center is just about as adorable as they get. Made of impeccably crafted rugged wood, this interactive cube is ideal for any animal lover out there. With spinners, rollers, doors, beads, and plenty more, this activity cube has it all. We love that through animals, your youngster will work on hand-eye coordination, cause-and-effect, math and language skills, and more.

Pros:

• The colors used for this activity cube make it almost vintage – and we love it.
• The large size (18 inches tall) and durable wood material make this an appropriate toy for standing toddlers and non-mobile ones alike.
• The farm theme is cohesive throughout each panel.

Cons:

• This activity cube weighs quite a bit, which makes it less than ideal for easily bringing this engaging toy on trips or for easy storage.

Hape Country Critters Wooden Activity Play Cube

Laugh and learn

This is the sweetest activity cube for your growing little one, with multiple panels that offer educational aspects as well as pure fun.

Best For Group Play

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Hape is known for its high-quality educational toys, and this activity cube is no different. With all-wooden features, this interactive toy definitely encourages independent play, imagination development, fine motor skills, and emergent math and language skills as well. Seriously, if you want an activity cube that grows right along with your kiddo as they develop new skills and abilities, this is the activity cube. We especially love the turn plate maze. Although this activity cube is on the pricier side, we found that its construction and features make it well worth it.

Pros:

• Non-toxic finish and solid wood construction for both safety and durability.
• Appropriate for a wide range of ages: 12 months to 6 years.

Cons:

• A bit on the pricier side for an activity cube.

ALEX Toys Discover My Busy Town

It can take a beating

This hefty wooden educational activity cube is sure to last for a long, long time.

Best Durability

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Like the farm animal activity cube featured above, this one also touts a solid wood construction and vintage colors, reminding us of our favorite activity cubes from our childhood. Featuring 5 sides of multi-dimensional fun, this educational toy is perfect for kids wanting to explore mazes, letters, and math skills. Perhaps the best feature? The top panel has one seriously cool beaded rollercoaster that will definitely test your little one’s fine motor skills.

Pros:

• Super solid and dependable construction. This cube is really durable, and we appreciate that.
• Nice size of 16″ x 12″ x 12″.
• Multiple options for interactive play on each panel.

Cons:

• As with other activity cubes, this one can tip over if used as a standing device for pre-walkers. While this isn’t necessarily a problem, the construction of this activity cube means that it weighs a bit more.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the age recommendations of activity cubes?

An ideal baby toy, the individual pieces are typically attached to the cube and therefore can’t be removed. Additionally, activity cubes tend to be highly interesting to young ages, and they’re bound to keep your little one thoroughly engrossed as they age. This aids in developing attention span, imagination, and independent play. Typically, activity cubes are recommended for around 12 months and up, although they can be interesting to a 6-month-old as well.

What skills do activity cubes help develop?

While it depends on the model of the activity cube, typically every cube has similar activities that hit essentially the same developmental components. While wooden ones typically don’t have sound components, there are sensory explorations, fine motor manipulations, and math, coordination, and fine motor skills, to name a few.

Okay, so about those germs … how do you clean an activity cube?

Still not convinced that you need one of these toys after hearing the horror stories of how germ-infested they can become? Listen, if you get one of these for your home’s playroom, you likely won’t have to worry about it. However, in the name of keeping a tidy, healthy home, it’s actually fairly easy to keep these activity cubes clean. A simple spray of your favorite cleaner or disinfectant, followed by a wipe-down, should do the trick. I used to work in a preschool where we’d wash the toys in a bleach solution. While I don’t use bleach in my home, this is certainly an option if you’re just really grossed out by germs.