Date:  Mar 24, 2016

I think it is a great idea to teach kids how to solve Rubik’s Cube.  Believe or not, I have lived 46 years and I did not manage to solve any Rubik’s Cube until now.  And the reason is very simple, I simply don’t have to the patient to learn in the past.  I knew there are solutions, I knew there are formulas you need to remember, and I knew it can be solved all the time, and yet, I have not managed to do it.

But when you have kids, it is different now.  Whatever cannot be solved suddenly become solvable. You will take the time to watch Youtube.  There are many solutions out there, just stick to the one you like, the one that is easy.

And it is fun to teach your kids to solve it too.  1) to demonstrate how you want to teach them.  2) to teach them patient.  3) to teach them that everything is possible.  4) to teach them how to overcome difficulties and don’t give up.  4) to teach them to see and solve slowly evolved from relying on formulas.

It is a fun thing to watch them learn.  It is a fun thing to give them a hand when they start feeling hopeless and teach them the correct way to boost their confident.  It is a fun to see them grow.

And there you are, my two kids are now capable of solving 2×2 puzzle.  And Jay can solve the 3×3 Rubik’s too.  Let’s have a little competition…

Here is my cheat sheet for Kay Kay to learn how to solve the 2×2 Rubik’s cube.

Learn how to solve the white face with the first layer colours solved.  Then, position each cube in the second layer in the correct position matching the colour both side.  If you need to switch the two cubes, apply formula 1.

Then, finish it by doing the formula 2.

As for solving 3×3 Rubik’s cube.  Here are the initial cheat sheets of formulas.

First, you need to put four white edge pieces beside the yellow center.  Then, align the second layer center pieces on each side with the same colour pieces just below those four white edge pieces and bring the white edge piece down to the bottom with the white centre piece.  Then, you solve the 4 corner white pieces according to their corner colours.

Once you done that, you will need to solve the four corner pieces on the 2nd layer.

After you finished solving the 2nd layer.  You can proceed to solve the yellow cross.

After the yellow cross, you can use formula to complete the Yellow face (all nine of them).

Then, you will need to solve the two corner colour of each face of the bottom layer.

And lastly, move the middle piece of the last layer either clockwise of anti-clockwise.

And there you go, you can complete it.  I saw how Jay Jay feel disappointed that he cannot solve it after the first few tries and trying to understand the logic.  But you only need one success, to boost his confident up.  And that is when he sees the possibilities, and that is when he sees that he can do it.  After that, it is all about practicing to make it fast, and by doing the Rubik’s cube, he is exercising his brains.

So boys, are you guys ready for this?  First, daddy will need to learn it first.  hahahaha