Science4You Creativity Cubes
If you have seen my previous review you will have seen what we thought of the Science4You Colour and Pet Turtle. The second of our Science4You toys was a box of Creativity Cubes. This is a set of twelve cubes with six printed themes across the sides of the cubes. First impressions were of brightly coloured cubes but I wasn't sure how engaging Bud would find them. I was pleasantly surprised.
Open up the box and you will see the twelve cubes alongside a twenty-eight page instruction book. The inclusion of the book makes the cubes come alive as it explains the six different designs and the ways in which they can be used.
The six designs are as follows:
- Two different sets of facial features
- A maze
- Three different orange and white pictures
The best way to show you the various combinations is from this page of the excellent instruction booklet:
The most basic way to play with the blocks is in the manner of a jigsaw, you place the twelve blocks in the correct position to create one of the images shown above. This is quite straightforward until you factor in the various patterns which can be quite similar on each side of the cube. It too a little while longer than a standard puzzle but Bud was soon able to complete the images himself. Bud's favourite one here was the maze, I think because it was the easiest but, with a little encouragement, he was soon making the more complex puzzles too.
Bud's favourite way to play with the blocks has been to create smaller designs using the shapes, as suggested later on in the instruction book. It's been interesting to watch him think outside of the box and create the different patterns. Some of the suggestions are for faces with three sections and, at first, Bud was selecting the top part of the head first. He quickly realised that, if he wanted to build the face as a tower, he needed to place the shoulders section first and adjusted how he built it accordingly. Problem solving skills in action.
Some of the designs are quite complex, especially those involving the orange and white sections and Bud needed help to attempt these, it was a really fun activity for us to work on together though. There are a few pages of maze puzzles at the back of the booklet and Bud hasn't been able to attempt any apart from the simplest. This again has allowed for a discussion between us on how the paths need to continue from one block to another to allow the pattern to be connected up. I think as his understanding increases he will be able to attempt the more difficult maps.
We've had the Creativity Cubes for a few weeks now and they have been played with frequently. Bud really loves the challenge of creating the puzzles and I'm aware of how well they are challenging him both scientifically and mathematically. At just £6:99 they are an absolute bargain and I would recommend them to anyone looking for a way to stimulate problem solving and mathematical skills in children aged around three to seven. We would highly recommend them.
The box is light and sturdy so I think that this is quite a portable toy, you don't need a lot of room to play with them and I can imagine this keeping children entertained on train journeys and on holiday.
The Creativity Cubes can be purchased from Science4You's Web Store or their Amazon Store. If the Creativity Cubes aren't for you then check out the rest of their range, it is excellent value, with lots of fun science-based toys for children to enjoy.
Disclosure: We received the Creativity Cubes for review purposes.
