{"product_id":"piano-discovery-busy-board","title":"Montessori Piano Discovery Busy Board — Lights, Sounds \u0026 Gears, Ages 2–5","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEvery switch a toddler is told to leave alone, on a board that's theirs.\u003c\/strong\u003e Eight piano keys that play a full octave, four colour-labelled buttons that light in the colour they name, three gears that turn each other, real toggle and rocker switches, a rotary dial and a record disc that spins under a palm.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhy the colour labelling matters\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe four light buttons are printed with their colour word — \u003cem\u003eyellow, blue, green, red\u003c\/em\u003e — and light in that colour when pressed. A child pressing BLUE and seeing blue is getting the word, the symbol and the thing itself in one action, which is how colour vocabulary actually sticks at two and three.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eThe keyboard is a real octave\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere are \u003cstrong\u003eeight keys, not seven\u003c\/strong\u003e, and they sound C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C — a complete octave from one C to the next. Seven of them are numbered 1 to 7 on the key face. The eighth, the octave C, is marked with a small \u003cem\u003ei\u003c\/em\u003e rather than an 8, because it is the same note as the first key an octave up rather than a new one.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat is worth knowing before it arrives, because a child who counts the keys will find eight and a parent who read \"seven\" will think something is wrong. Nothing is: the numbering is doing the work of naming notes, and the numbers double as early number recognition. Press 3, hear 3, see 3.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAge guidance\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2 to 5.\u003c\/strong\u003e Two is cause and effect — press, and something happens. Three and four bring the colour words and the gears. Five works out that the numbered keys make tunes in an order they can repeat.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMaterials\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eBirch plywood board with the electronics and speaker fitted flush and screwed down behind the face, so there is nothing for small fingers to lever out. Ages two and up.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFrequently asked questions\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow many keys are there?\u003c\/strong\u003e Eight — a full octave, C to C. Seven carry the numbers 1 to 7 and the eighth is marked with an \u003cem\u003ei\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy is the last key marked \"i\" instead of 8?\u003c\/strong\u003e Because it is the octave — the same note as key 1, one octave higher — rather than an eighth different note. It is the manufacturer's shorthand, and it is a small piece of real music theory hiding on a toddler's toy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it loud?\u003c\/strong\u003e There's a volume dial on the board itself.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes it need batteries?\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes — this one is electronic, unlike most of our range. The compartment is screwed shut and opened by an adult.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it just noise?\u003c\/strong\u003e The colour words and numbered keys are doing real teaching work. The gears and switches are the fine-motor half.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Little Cubs","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47899994882225,"sku":"CJYD306924101AZ","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0528\/8476\/6897\/files\/pno-01-hero.png?v=1788919953","url":"https:\/\/little-cubs.com\/products\/piano-discovery-busy-board","provider":"Little Cubs","version":"1.0","type":"link"}