Guides for parents

These pages are for grown-ups teaching a child, and for beginners who want the names PLL, COLL, and ZBLL in plain language. They match the sets TopCuber teaches. They are not a substitute for a first solve.

• How to teach your kid to solve a Rubik's Cube

  A calm order for a first solve: name the pieces, keep one home color, and practice one step at a time.

• What is ZBLL, and is it worth learning?

  What ZBLL is, why people say 493 cases, and how to tell whether a child is ready.

• PLL vs COLL vs ZBLL, explained

  The same last layer, three different jobs: 21 PLL cases, 40 COLL cases, and 472 ZBLL cases.

• Best speedcubes for kids: how to choose

  What to feel for in a child’s cube: turning, size, colors, magnets, and small-part safety.