Learn the R, L, U & F Moves
Practice and learn the R, L, U, and F face turns on a Rubik's Cube with simple drills to build control and understanding.
Step-by-step guide to learn the R, L, U & F moves
Step 1
Sit down at the flat surface where you will practice.
Step 2
Place your Rubik's Cube in front of you so you can reach it easily.
Step 3
Pick one face to be the Front and one face to be Up and keep that orientation while you practice.
Step 4
Practice the R move: look at the right face and turn that right face 90° clockwise once; repeat this slowly eight times to feel the motion.
Step 5
Practice the R inverse: look at the right face and turn that right face 90° counterclockwise once; repeat slowly eight times to build control.
Step 6
Practice the L move: look at the left face and turn that left face 90° clockwise once; repeat slowly eight times to learn the left-hand motion.
Step 7
Practice the L inverse: look at the left face and turn that left face 90° counterclockwise once; repeat slowly eight times to balance your skills.
Step 8
Practice the U move: look at the top face and turn the top face 90° clockwise once; repeat slowly eight times to master the top layer.
Step 9
Practice the U inverse: look at the top face and turn the top face 90° counterclockwise once; repeat slowly eight times to gain accuracy.
Step 10
Practice the F move: look at the front face and turn the front face 90° clockwise once; repeat slowly eight times to learn the front twist.
Step 11
Practice the F inverse: look at the front face and turn the front face 90° counterclockwise once; repeat slowly eight times to finish the set of drills.
Step 12
Share your finished practice and what you learned 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 we use if we don't have a Rubik's Cube for the R, L, U & F practice?
Use a 2x2 pocket cube, a printed paper cube with colored stickers, or a cube app on a tablet/phone to practice the R, L, U and F turns exactly as in the steps.
What should I do if I keep turning the wrong face or lose my Front/Up orientation during the drills?
If you keep turning the wrong face or lose orientation, place a bright sticker on your chosen Front and another on Up, say the move name aloud before each twist, and slow each repetition to match the 'repeat slowly eight times' instruction.
How can I modify the activity for younger or older children?
For younger kids, use a 2x2 cube, reduce each drill to four slow repeats and guide their hands, while older kids can increase to 12 repeats, practice faster, and combine moves into short algorithms after mastering single turns.
How can we extend or personalize this practice once the basic moves are comfortable?
To extend the activity, make a practice chart tracking the eight repeats for each move, color-code your Front and Up, time yourself to improve speed, and film a short demo to share on DIY.org showing progress and a simple R U R' U' combo.
Watch videos on how to learn the R, L, U & F moves
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Facts about Rubik's Cube face turns
⏱️ Top speedcubers can solve a 3x3 cube in under 4 seconds using fast finger tricks.
🎯 Each face turn has three forms: clockwise (R), counterclockwise (R') and a half turn (R2).
💪 Practicing single-face drills (only R, L, U or F) builds muscle memory and smoother control.
🔁 R, L, U and F are standard cube notation names for the Right, Left, Up and Front face turns.
🧊 The Rubik's Cube has 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 possible positions — that's 43 quintillion!
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