{"product_id":"rocket-busy-board-gears-bead-maze","title":"Montessori Rocket Busy Board — Gears \u0026 Bead Maze, Ages 1–4","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTurn one gear and the others turn with it.\u003c\/strong\u003e A standing wooden rocket with three interlocking gears on its face, a looping wire bead maze curving round it and a row of counting beads set into the panel — on a weighted base that keeps it upright while small hands push at it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhy gears, this early\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eGears are a child's first encounter with a machine that \u003cem\u003etransmits\u003c\/em\u003e — push here, something moves over there. A one-year-old doesn't reason about it, but they notice it, and they repeat it. Take one gear off and the others stop, which is a discovery children make on their own and find genuinely satisfying.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe bead maze is the finger-control half.\u003c\/strong\u003e Sliding a bead round a bend requires a wrist rotation a toddler can't yet do deliberately, so the wire teaches the movement by only allowing the right one.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eWhat's on it\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThree interlocking gears\u003c\/strong\u003e that drive each other\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLooping wire bead maze\u003c\/strong\u003e with captive wooden beads\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA recessed \u003cstrong\u003ebead-counting window\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA grooved slider track on the reverse face\u003c\/strong\u003e — turn it round and there is a second thing to do\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeighted slate-blue base with plain wooden fin legs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSize\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e30 cm tall and 22 cm across the fins\u003c\/strong\u003e — about the height of a school ruler, so it sits on a low table or the floor without taking over the room. Weighs 1.2 kg, which is what keeps it steady when it is pushed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAge guidance\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1 to 4.\u003c\/strong\u003e One bats the beads along the wire. Two discovers the gears drive one another. Three and four use it as a fiddle toy while doing something else, which is a use worth having.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMaterials\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eSolid wood with a painted finish and a steel bead wire. Beads are fixed to the wire and cannot come off. Supervise under-threes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFrequently asked questions\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow big is it?\u003c\/strong\u003e 30 cm tall, 22 cm wide. It is a tabletop busy board, not a floor-standing activity centre.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes it launch?\u003c\/strong\u003e No — it's a rocket-shaped busy board that stands on a table or floor, not a launcher.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs there anything on the back?\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes — a grooved track with a wooden slider, so it works from either side.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes it have wheels?\u003c\/strong\u003e No — it stands on fixed wooden fin legs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDo the beads come off?\u003c\/strong\u003e No, they're captive on the wire.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes it need batteries?\u003c\/strong\u003e No.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Little Cubs","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47895135486129,"sku":"CJYZ135532301AZ","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0528\/8476\/6897\/files\/rac-01-hero.png?v=1788920123","url":"https:\/\/little-cubs.com\/products\/rocket-busy-board-gears-bead-maze","provider":"Little Cubs","version":"1.0","type":"link"}