1 Side 1 Minute: Cubing Challenge
Try to make one face of a Rubik's Cube all one color within one minute, practicing basic turns, planning, and quick problem solving.
Step-by-step guide to 1 Side 1 Minute: Cubing Challenge
Step 1
Sit at a table with your Rubik's Cube and timer so you have a clear flat space to work.
Step 2
Pick one color you want to make into a single face and hold that color facing you as your target.
Step 3
Scramble the cube by turning random faces for about 30 seconds so the pieces are mixed up.
Step 4
Practice basic turns by turning a face clockwise then back and turning a face counterclockwise then back until you feel comfortable.
Step 5
Set your timer to 1 minute but do not start it yet.
Step 6
Press start on the timer to begin your one-minute attempt.
Step 7
During the minute focus first on bringing all edge pieces of your target color onto the target face.
Step 8
During the minute next focus on moving the corner pieces of the target color into the target face.
Step 9
If you get stuck for more than 10 seconds quickly try a different short sequence of turns instead of repeating the same moves.
Step 10
Stop turning the cube immediately when the timer rings.
Step 11
Write down whether the face is all one color and which moves helped or where you got stuck.
Step 12
Try the challenge up to three more times practicing a different plan each time to get better.
Step 13
Share a photo or description of your finished one-color face and your best strategy on DIY.org
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can I use if I don't have a physical Rubik's Cube or a separate timer for the challenge?
If you don't have a Rubik's Cube, use a 2x2 cube, a cube app on a phone, or a cardboard box with colored paper squares, and use your phone's stopwatch or timer instead of a separate timer as in the instructions.
I'm often stuck and run out of time—what step should I change to avoid getting stuck during the one-minute attempt?
Follow the instruction to practice basic turns beforehand and when you get stuck for more than 10 seconds switch to a different short sequence of turns or reorient the cube so your target color faces you to regain progress quickly.
How can I adapt this 1-minute Cubing Challenge for younger children and older kids?
For younger children simplify by using a 2x2 cube or fewer scramble turns and increase the time to 2–3 minutes, while older kids can tighten the challenge by using stricter scrambles, reducing time to 30 seconds, or aiming to solve adjacent faces after the chosen color face as suggested by repeating the challenge up to three more times.
What are some ways to extend or personalize the activity after finishing the one-color face?
Extend the activity by writing detailed notes about which moves helped (as step 11 asks), trying different strategies across the three extra attempts, decorating your cube with custom stickers, and sharing a photo plus your best strategy on DIY.org to compare results.
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Facts about Rubik's Cube solving for kids
🧩 There are 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 possible Rubik's Cube positions — that's about 43 quintillion!
⏱️ Many beginners can learn to make one face within a minute, while top speedcubers routinely solve the entire cube in under 10 seconds.
🔁 Finishing a single face often needs just a few basic turns and simple planning, making it a perfect first goal for new cubers.
🧠 One-minute cubing drills train finger dexterity, short-term planning, and pattern recognition — great brain and motor-skill practice.
🎲 The cube was invented in 1974 by Ernő Rubik as a 3D teaching tool for geometry before it became a worldwide puzzle toy.
