Fads & Finds
Keiki Cube gives toddlers better grip for playing catch

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer

Two-year-old Travis Murayama hoists a Keiki Cube. It's a soft square toy for catch games, easier for some small hands to hang onto than a round ball. Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser

But then we turned the Murayamas on to the Keiki Cube, and within minutes, Travis was catching like a pro and couldn't stop playing with the square, fabric-covered block.

"It's easier to catch than a round ball because it doesn't bounce and it's not hard. The square corners also enable Travis to grasp the ball firmly," said proud Dad.

Patricia Lei Murray designed Keiki Cubes for her grandchildren. She wanted something "catch friendly" that wouldn't slip through little hands.

The bright keiki and Hawaiian print fabrics (even palaka) make the cubes as cute as they are clever. They have a gros-grain ribbon handle that makes them easy to carry when not in toss mode. Available at Native Books & Beautiful Things for $19.95.