Quick Setup Guide

Ready in under 10 minutes

Follow these steps and your child will be listening to their first story before bedtime tonight.

6 simple steps ยท One-time setup

What's inside the box?

Check all items are present before you begin.

๐Ÿ“ฆ
Cubbie Box
๐Ÿป
Little Cubbie Toy
๐Ÿ“–
Activity Book
๐Ÿ”Œ
Charging Cable (Micro USB)
โœจ
Stickers & Goodies

The setup

Do these steps in order โ€” they take about 10 minutes total.

1

Charge the Cubbie Box

Connect the Micro USB cable to the box and plug it in. Charge for at least 2 hours, or until the Magic Top turns solid green โ€” that means it's fully charged and ready to go.

๐Ÿ’กIf the box came charged from the store, you can skip straight to Step 2.
2

Check your Wi-Fi is 2.4 GHz

The Cubbie Box only connects to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi โ€” it cannot use 5 GHz. Before starting, make sure your phone is on a 2.4 GHz network.

โš ๏ธMany routers broadcast both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz under the same name. If setup keeps failing, log into your router settings and separate them. Connect your phone to the 2.4 GHz network, then try again.
๐Ÿ“ฑUsing an iPhone hotspot? Go to Settings โ†’ Personal Hotspot โ†’ turn on "Maximise Compatibility" to enable 2.4 GHz. You'll need a second device to complete setup.
3

Download the Little Cubbie app

Search for "Little Cubbie" on the App Store or Google Play and install it. You'll use this to connect the box, set parental controls, and track your child's progress.

โœ…Make sure Bluetooth is switched on before opening the app โ€” it's needed to find the box.
4

Switch on the Cubbie Box

Set the Magic Top dial to All Play mode โ€” spin it until the Little Cubbie logo faces you. Then press and hold the Play/Pause button for one second. You'll hear a startup tone and the lights will flash Red โ†’ Green โ†’ Blue.

๐Ÿ”„The Magic Top is the round rotating disc on top of the box. Spin it gently until the logo faces forward โ€” that's All Play mode.
5

Connect via the app

Open the Little Cubbie app, register with your phone number, and follow the on-screen instructions to connect to the box. Location access is required so the app can detect the box nearby.

๐Ÿ”ตThe box glows blue while waiting to pair. To manually trigger pairing mode, press and hold the Forward and Rewind buttons simultaneously for a few seconds until the lights turn solid blue.
โš ๏ธDuring Wi-Fi setup watch the lights: Blue = connecting ยท White = success ยท Red = failed. If you see red, double-check your network is 2.4 GHz and try again.
6

Place your Cubbie โ€” and enjoy ๐ŸŽ‰

Once the Magic Top glows solid green, you're ready. Place your Little Cubbie toy on the Magic Top. You'll hear a "cling" tone and the top will light up in the character's colour โ€” then the stories begin!

โฑThe very first time you place a new toy, wait 30โ€“60 seconds while it downloads its content. You'll hear a "downloading" message and see yellow lights โ€” just give it a moment.
โœˆ๏ธAfter the first download, no internet is needed. The box plays completely offline โ€” great for travel and car rides.

The Magic Top dial

Spin the top to choose what your child hears. It changes instantly โ€” no buttons needed.

๐ŸŽต
Mode 1
All Play
Stories, songs and activities in one seamless adventure
๐ŸŽถ
Mode 2
Songs
Educational tunes and singalongs only
๐Ÿ“š
Mode 3
Stories
Immersive tales and narrated adventures
๐ŸŽฎ
Mode 4
Activities
Interactive learning games and Q&A sessions

What the lights mean

Your Cubbie Box communicates through colour. Here's a quick reference.

Switching on
Red โ†’ Green โ†’ Blue flash sequence on startup
Cubbie detected
Solid light in the character's theme colour
Downloading content
Solid yellow on Magic Top and both ears
Wi-Fi setup / Bluetooth
Solid blue โ€” ready to connect or pair
Wi-Fi connected โœ“
White light โ€” connection was successful
Wi-Fi failed
Red light โ€” check you're on 2.4 GHz and retry
Ready to play / Fully charged
Solid green โ€” all set!
Charging
Blinking orange โ†’ turns green when full
Low battery
Blinking red โ€” plug in soon or it will turn off
Software update
Cycling colours โ€” takes ~5 mins, don't unplug

Troubleshooting

Most issues are fixed in seconds. Here are the most common ones.

Almost always a 5 GHz vs 2.4 GHz issue. Confirm your phone is on the 2.4 GHz network. If your router combines them under one name, log into your router admin panel and split them into two separate networks, then reconnect your phone to the 2.4 GHz one and try setup again.
If it's the first time placing this toy, wait 30โ€“60 seconds for the content to download โ€” you'll hear a "downloading" message and see yellow lights. If there's still no sound, press the + button on the side to raise the volume, and make sure the Magic Top is set to a content mode (All Play, Songs, Story, or Activities).
Make sure Bluetooth is on and that location access is granted to the Little Cubbie app. To manually enter pairing mode, press and hold the Forward and Rewind buttons on the box simultaneously for a few seconds until the lights turn solid blue. Then try connecting from the app again.
Try a soft reset: press and hold the Play/Pause button for 5 seconds. The box will flash red and shut down. If that doesn't work, use a pin or unfolded paperclip to press the hard reset button in the small hole next to the charging port.
Yes! Once content has been downloaded, the box plays completely offline โ€” no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth needed. It can store up to 100 toys. Wi-Fi is only needed for the initial setup and the first time you place a new toy to download its content.
Yes โ€” all Little Cubbie and Cubbie Friends toys are compatible with any Cubbie Box. However, the app only controls the specific box registered to your account, so don't swap boxes between households.