Colour painting birch(?) plywwod

[Wabiloo]

I’ve picked up this beautiful “fantasy cube” toy for a bargain. It’s in pretty good state but with obvious signs of use. I would like to repaint/varnish some of the pieces and make some new “accessories” for it (bits and bobs that can fit in the various holes...

I think / guess that’s it’s birch plywood (or beech?). My question is: how do you get this kind of mat coloured finish for it? What product / what technique and what top layer?

and what about the non-coloured boards (which need re-doing) such as:

 

[Cabinetman]

Hi Wabiloo, The purple bit and the turquoise bit look to me as if they have been dyed, that bit we can do! The red and the yellow looks like paint to me, I’m sure you can buy child safe paint if you hunt about. I have used Mixol dye in the past, you mix a few drops of it in with water-based polyurethane varnish, the effect is quite staggering. The plain wood just needs rubbing back where it is marked till the marks are removed and then use the water-based polyurethane varnish again. Ian