Best baby activity cubes for fun and learning

best baby activity cubes

by Samantha Ball |
Updated on

If you're looking for the best toys for your child, you can't get any better than baby activity cubes. With each side offering a different activity for your youngster to engage with, they're often a multifunctional toy that tests different skills and encourages motor skills development.

A baby activity cube is a great toy for your one-year-old. It will also help with fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, imagination, and problem-solving skills, all while encouraging your child to recognise shapes, colours, animals, and so much more.

Best baby activity cubes at a glance:

Best overall baby activity cubes: Hape Country Critters Play Cube - Buy now on Amazon UK
Best aesthetic baby activity cubes: Little Dutch Activity Cube Little Farm - Buy now on Kidly
Best creative baby activity cubes: Battat - Wooden Activity Cube - Buy now on Amazon UK
Best large baby activity cubes: Wooden Activity Cube Hanoi Theme - Buy now on Vertbaudet

Like activity tables, an activity cube is ideal if you're not looking to take up that much space and can often be taken on the go if needed. Some also look great as nursery decor until your little one is old enough to play with them.

Best overall baby activity cubes

Best baby activity cubes Hape Country Critters Play Cube
Price: £154.66
Alternative retailers
Walmart$21.98View offer
Macy's$19.79View offer
Kohl's$21.99View offer
Tractor Supply$24.99View offer

The Hape Country Critters Play Cube is a well-made and durable fun activity cube toy made from sturdy wood and child-safe materials like water-based paint. One reviewer who bought this for their one-year-old's birthday described it as "By far the best toy we've bought." They have recommended the toy to their friends with children of similar age, saying their child had not stopped playing with it all week. They also loved how well it was made, being nice and sturdy.

The toy is designed to give your toddler hours of fun for years to come with plenty of challenging activities that will inspire their imaginations and allow them to practice motor skills, logic skills and perseverance. One reviewer bought it for their one-year-old son and said, "At the moment, he's most drawn to knocking the balls through the holes in the lid with the mallet and rolling them down the track on the side - but I'm sure he will start to play with the other parts too as he develops." They said the toy's parts seem to have different complexity, meaning there's a lot of scope to play with it for a long time. Other reviewers mentioned the pull mechanism might be tricky for small children, but as the toy is designed to grow with your child, don't worry if there are certain things they struggle with at the moment. They will discover the more advanced features when they are more developed later.

We love this toy cube! It is a hub of activity, with a beaded spiral, shape sorter, turn table and a tap to the bottom activity. With five sides of fun and engaging activities, this cube is also coloured beautifully and designed to be attractive and visually appealing for your little one. One reviewer says, "This is a really lovely toy. It looks gorgeous, better than in the photos. The colours are very appealing. It's very sturdy and beautifully made."

Pros

  • Beautiful, brightly coloured design that is attractive for little ones
  • Lots of fun activities to encourage motor skills, logic skills and perseverance
  • It has 10 pieces featuring wooden balls, shapes, a wooden pounder and more
  • Activities include: a beaded adventure land, shape sorter, stand in a queue, turnplate and tap to the bottom game
  • This is a durable toy made from sturdy wood and water-based paint
  • Toddlers 12 months and older will enjoy playing and learning with this toy
  • Also encourages imaginative play and storytelling

Cons

  • Some mentioned the pull mechanism might be tricky for small children
Suitable for ages:1 to 10 years
Dimensions:35 x 35 x 50cm
  • Animal-inspired sort and discover puzzle toy
  • Activity play cube with five sides and 10 pieces
  • Made of sturdy wood
  • Child-safe materials and water-based paint

Best aesthetic baby activity cube

This Little Farm Wooden Activity Cube is a great addition to your child's toy collection, as it helps to encourage problem-solving and develop fine motor skills. It has spinning tiles, rotating gears, a bead spiral and a shape sorter. One reviewer wrote, "Lovely gift for my one-year-old grandson’s birthday. He really enjoyed it and wouldn’t put it down. He especially liked moving the beads on the wires"

The toy is also aesthetically pleasing to look at, with a beautiful design featuring soft colours. We think it'll look lovely in a child's nursery. One reviewer who bought this for their 7-month-old son, who loves grabbing and moving things with his little hands, likes that it keeps him completely occupied while they cook or fold laundry. They say, "It’s also very pleasing to the eye."

A clever feature of this toy is its flip-over space-saving lid, which means the top can be flipped inside the cube for easier storage. One disadvantage is that the design is a bit simpler than others, so it may not have the scope to last as long in terms of your child's development, but this will depend on how much your little one enjoys playing with it.

Pros

  • We love the tasteful shades of this toy that will look great in the nursery
  • This toy encourages problem-solving whilst having fun
  • the different activities help develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination
  • The top can be flipped inside the cube to save space

Cons

  • This activity cube has a more simple design compared to some
Suitable for ages:18+ months
Dimensions:40 x 20 x 20cm
  • Activity cube with five sides of fun
  • Features a flip-over space-saving lid
  • Activities include:
  • Bead frame
  • Chunky shape sorter
  • A maze and gears to turn

Best sturdy baby activity cubes

Battat - Wooden Activity Cube

Rrp: £102.98

Price: £59.95
Alternative retailers
Walmart$97.99View offer
Kohl's$59.99View offer

This Zany Zoo Wooden Activity Cube has child-friendly bright colours, five different sides of fun, and games to entertain and educate your little one. Each side encourages a different kind of play – with doors to open, animals to explore, a bead maze to wind through, and colourful spinners to spin. It's perfect for toddlers! One reviewer who purchased it for their 1-year-old girl pointed out that the size, and in particular, the height of this toy, promotes a toddler to stand, bend and use their hands in many different ways, making it a very active toy for physical and mental development.

Because this activity cube offers so much to explore and discover, it will grow with your little one as they develop. One reviewer wrote, "We ordered this for our youngest (5 months), but our older two (5 & 3 years) have been playing with it already." The toy is also well-made of sturdy wood, built to be handed down through family generations. One reviewer says they already had some other small items from this brand that were all very premium and solid. They say that this toy is even better. They recalled seeing similar toys in doctors' waiting rooms to entertain the kids and said they remembered those ones with stickers on wooden boxes that peeled off over time. This toy has everything painted on instead, and they felt it would last a lifetime. Although, some have mentioned that the wood can chip easily.

Pros

  • We love that this cube is designed with child-friendly bright colours
  • Five sides with different functions, including activity doors, spinners, bead maze
  • Lots of opportunities for learning and development with animals, colours, and shapes
  •  Games to improve fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, problem-solving skills
  • Helps build self-confidence through cause-and-effect actions/hands-on activities.

Cons

  • Some mentioned the wood can chip easily
Suitable for ages:12+ months
Dimensions:34 x 30 x 45cm
  • Bright and fun colourful wooden activity cube
  • 5 sides of fun – including activity doors, spinners, bead maze

Best large baby activity cubes

We love the unique features of the Wooden Activity Cube Hanoi Theme – it has plexiglass sides with a sorting shape game, so your little one can see their shapes drop inside the cube! Sadly, we couldn't find any customer reviews for the product as it doesn't seem to be widely available; however, we wanted to include it in our line-up as it offers young ones the opportunity to see where the shapes go after they have pushed them through the slots, instead of them just "disappearing". The toy also has a bead slide, gears to turn and other interactive elements. It is suitable for children from 10 months old and helps stimulate sensorial development and encourage perseverance.

Pros

  • The Plexiglass windows offer lovely surprises for children to discover
  • Plenty of fun activities, including an abacus, turning cogs, bead maze and more
  • The fun colours and shapes stimulate sensorial development
  • With plenty to do, the toy helps develop motor and visual coordination
  • Designed to encourage perseverance

Cons

  • No onsite reviews
Suitable for ages:10+ months
Dimensions:30 x 48cm
  • Variety of activities:
  • Abacus
  • 1 x Plexiglass sides with 5-shape sorting game
  • 1 x Plexiglass window with a bead "slide" (3 beads)
  • 4 x gears
  • 1 x baby elephant to move
  • 1 x mirror
  • Animals to put together
  • Suitable from 10 months

Best musical baby activity cubes

toy
Price: £52.90 (was £67.90)

www.kideno.com

The xylophone sticks might not be suitable for small hands, so this is one for slightly older children, with each side of the Lewo Wooden Activity Cube introducing a way to play a different game. One reviewer says, "It keeps the small one entertained. And she can use it on her own as she gets older. But for now, watching me do all the stuff is enough" Another reviewer who bought this for their 8-month-old says she loves it, and it keeps her entertained for ages. They said it seems very well made and solid, and the one they bought for their nephew the previous year is still going strong, and he still enjoys it now he's 2 years old.

The toy includes alphabet and animal recognition, the musical xylophone, a teaching clock, spinning gears and more. We also love the A-to-Z letters and shapes for your little one to spin and learn. One reviewer chose this toy because of its bright colours, which they say were great for encouraging their autistic son to interact and improve his motor skills. they say, "He loved it and played with it as soon as he saw it. He doesn't normally play or interact with things, so this was a nice surprise."

Pros

  • The bright colours are attractive to little ones, helping to sustain interest
  • One side has a musical xylophone for sensory enjoyment
  • Helps with letter and animal recognition
  • The bead maze on top can be removed and played with separately
  • The bead maze can also be inverted for easy storage or use as a travel toy
  • The natural solid wood has smooth edges and non-toxic water-based paint
  • Designed for body movement, natural observation and logical mathematics

Cons

  • The xylophone sticks might not be suitable for small hands
Suitable for ages:3+ years
Dimensions:39.4 x 26.5 x 22.3cm
  • 5 in 1 wooden activity cube includes:
  • Shape sorting activity
  • Spinning gears
  • Sliding ocean animals
  • Teaching clock
  • 3D bead maze
  • Removable bead maze on top
  • Made from natural solid wood with smooth edges
  • Non-toxic water-based paint

Best baby activity cubes with seven sides

Best baby activity cubes TOP BRIGHT Wooden Activity Toy
Price: £29.99

Shaped more like a hexagon than a cube, the TOP BRIGHT Wooden Activity toy has even more sides for your little one to engage with – seven in total, including a bead maze, rainbow gears, recognition clock, shape sorter and animal flip board. The top can also be inverted and placed in the box with shapes for easy storage.

One viewer who was making a conscious effort to buy non-plastic toys where possible was very impressed with this mostly wooden activity cube. They loved the many different activities in one toy for stimulation and education and appreciated the vivid painted colours, quality wood with smooth edges, and even finish. Their review concluded, "Not the cheapest toy but worth the money for quality and engagement value."

Some have mentioned that the circle block is a bit small, so this might be something to be aware of if you're worried about little ones putting them in their mouth. Another thing to know is that the box doesn't actually have a bottom, which means it isn't designed to store the shapes; although you could still pop it on a shelf with the shapes inside to keep them together, you just won't be able to take it down with the shapes still inside.

Pros

  • Seven engaging sides with interactive activities to keep little ones interested
  • Encourages toddlers to recognize shapes and colours
  • Helps develop hand-eye coordination and promotes problem-solving skills
  • It is sturdy and durable, made from high-quality wood with smooth edges
  • Decorated with non-toxic water-based paint
  • The vibrant colours and cute cartoon animal faces attract attention easily
  • Easy to store with the removable bead maze inverting into a lid to keep pieces inside

Cons

  • Some mentioned the circle block was a bit small
  • More expensive than some others on the market
  • The box doesn't have a bottom for storing the shapes
Suitable for ages:1+ years
Dimensions:32 x 25.5 x 29cm
  • 7-in-1 baby activity cube
  • No assembly required
  • No small parts
  • Activities include:
  • Bead maze
  • Rainbow gears
  • Recognition clock
  • Shape sorter
  • Animal flip board
  • Made from high-quality wood with smooth edges
  • Non-toxic water-based paint

Best light-up baby activity cubes

Best baby activity cubes VTech Busy Learners Activity Cube
Price: £19.99
Alternative retailers
Walmart$24.21View offer

This VTech Busy Learners Activity Cube is great for encouraging youngsters to sit up while they play, working on their balance and motor skills. One reviewer said, "This was the best purchase to help our daughter sit up independently at 6 months old. After a week of use, she learned to sit up independently and loves playing with this daily. She’s 9 months now, and this is still a favourite toy."

The cube has many fun features to keep little ones engaged, with five fun activities encouraging them to explore and discover. There are light-up buttons that will introduce them to animal names and sounds, as well as shapes, and a songbook of 25 different songs. This toy cube will definitely have something to capture your child's attention. One reviewer warns that the toy doesn't have a volume control setting, though, so it can be a little loud depending on where you are, but they said that it's great for learning, and the songs are catchy.

Pros

  • There are 5 sides of play to encourage your little one to explore and discover
  • The 4 light-up buttons introduce animal names, animal sounds and shapes
  • There are 25 playful songs and melodies to help keep little ones engaged
  • The toy has 14 interactive features to help develop fine motor skills
  • A motion sensor activates sounds when the cube is moved to attract attention
  • The design is nice and durable for heavy-handing little ones

Cons

  • Requires batteries
Suitable for ages:6 months+
Dimensions:15.7 x 15.7 x 16.5cm
  • Activity cube with 5 sides to enjoy
  • 4 light-up buttons with sounds
  • 14 interactive features develop fine motor skills
  • Motion sensor activates sounds
  • 25 songs and melodies
  • Durable design

Best baby activity cubes for compact design

A sweet and compact design, the Woody Treasures Activity Cube has a fun bead maze, animal sliders, a spinning frog, an abacus counter, and a fun shape sorter. Its four corners are finely polished and rounded, preventing injuries and accidents. It's also small enough for little ones to grab and turn easily, so they can play with any side they want.

One reviewer says it was the perfect size for their granddaughter to play with. They said, "She is one, and it is just the right size. She can pick it up, so she is able to turn it around to play with the different activities." They liked that the top comes off, too—you can invert the bead maze so that it is more easily stored inside the box along with the blocks. They also like that it's made from brightly coloured wood, as their granddaughter loved all the colours.

Another reviewer who purchased this as a gift for a 7-month-old said that although the baby is young, it is still stimulated and enjoys the colourful activity box. They said, "She shows a lot of interest in this wonderful toy, which is extremely sturdy. It is well made and will bring joy with long-lasting fun for many years."

Pros

  • Bright and colourful to attract children's attention and keep them engaged
  • 5 fun activities challenge and entertain, providing opportunities for learning
  • The design is finished with rounded corners for safety
  • No assembly or batteries required
  • Practical design enables neat storage of loose blocks

Cons

  • Some complained the product was smaller than expected
Suitable for ages:18 months +
Dimensions:30 x 23 x 19cm
  • 5 activities:
  • Bead maze
  • Animal sliders
  • Spinning frog
  • Abacus frame
  • Shape sorter
  • Durable and non-toxic materials 
  • Smoothly polished corners
  • Rounded design for safety
  • No assembly required
  • No batteries required

Best baby activity cubes for teaching clock

The TOP BRIGHT Wooden Shape Sorter Activity Cube features some great learning tools. It has various fun learning activities, like the teaching clock, shape sorter, and insects, to teach babies about the world around them. It'll help them with some of the skills that are key to their learning and development.

Some people have mentioned that the toy is smaller than they thought. However, one reviewer who purchased it for their grandson's first birthday said, "I read the reviews prior to purchasing, so I knew it was on the smaller side. It is perfect—not too heavy, brightly coloured. The shape blocks are the perfect size—not too big for his little hands and not too small to cause a choking hazard."

Another reviewer, on the other hand, had a different experience though and wrote: "My 1-year-old loves this toy; however, the blocks that come with it for the shape sorter are very small, and as he still puts toys in his mouth, they are very dangerous. He nearly got one stuck in his mouth." If your little one has a tendency to put things in their mouth, this is definitely something to be aware of.

Pros

  • This is a bright and colourful activity box with lots to do
  • Designed to encourage hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills
  • Kids can enjoy colour and shape matching as well as learn the time
  • The toy is great for practising natural observation and logical mathematics
  • The blocks are designed for little hands with activities to suit older children too
  • Built to last, the toy is made from sturdy wood with water-based paint 
  • Remove the bead maze to play separately and invert to use as a lid for storage

Cons

  • Some mentioned it's smaller than the pictures suggest
  • Some express concern that the blocks are small enough to fit in a child's mouth.
Suitable for ages:12 months+
Dimensions:16.5 x 16.5 x 17cm
  • 5 activities:
  • Wooden shape sorter
  • Removable bead maze lid
  • Spinning gears
  • Sliding inserts
  • Teaching clock

What age are activity cubes suited for?

The typical age range for an activity cube for babies is around one year old up to four years old. However, once your baby can sit up unaided, they might start showing an interest in the cubes, so some could act as toys for babies aged six months and up. Just ensure that you check there are no small parts or potential choking hazards.

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Our product recommendations are based on a combination of real-world testing from our burgeoning army of mum testers and the extensive knowledge of our experienced editorial team and product specialists. Where we can, we also consult experts who specialise in that field to ensure you get the right advice along with the right product, and we listen to what you say as well.

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Samantha Ball is a Product & Lifestyle Writer for Mother&Baby and freelanced for the website for two years before joining the team full time. She's a mum of two and loves browsing for the best products and cute outfits.

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