This large, attractive cube demonstrates how musical instruments cooperate to create lovely tunes. Featuring eight classical song pieces from Mozart, the Mozart Magic Cube is a toddler-friendly toy that invites exploration and exposes young children to the joys of music.
Each of the six sides of the interactive cube features a large, light-up button that activates music. Five of the sides feature a musical instrument--piano, french horn, violin, flute, and harp. The image of the instrument lights up and flashes along to the tempo, offering kids visual reinforcement of the instrument they are hearing. Children can push the piano button to listen to a solo piano excerpt, for example, and then select the flute to hear the two instruments play at once. Pushing the piano button as the music plays will disable it until the button is pressed again, and touching the violin will add the instrument to the mix. As children experiment with the toy, they learn how instruments sound on their own and in tandem.
The sixth side of the cube features an Orchestra button. Press on it, and any of eight Mozart selections plays with input from all five instruments. Kids can subtract instruments to hear how the song is affected, add them back, and/or add more instruments in any combination. Another tap of the Orchestra button triggers a different tune.
The toy is well-designed with soft corners, bright colors, and responsive buttons. It is rather heavy, however, so parents will likely need to monitor play to prevent the toy from being thrown and causing injury. Also, we wish there was a volume control setting. All things considered, however, this is a smart and engaging toy that will please the senses of babies, toddlers, and their parents.
Also available from em-bry-on-ics, and similar to the Mozart Magic Cube, is the Sing With Me Magic Cube. This toy is designed the same way, but in the place of eight Mozart pieces is an equal number of children's favorite songs like Pop Goes the Weasel and This Old Man.
