Musical Instruments for Kids
Updated July 28, 2007
We've seen those "push a button and it plays a song and lights up" toys, but those are not musical instruments, and the only thing they teach your kids is how to push buttons so a cheap computer can do the work for you.
Stick with real musical instruments. Many instruments come in child sizes and there are even toy companies that make durable children's instruments (just avoid the "push a button" ones). Percussion instruments are often the easiest and introduce children to rhythm, dynamics, and notes, but kids like wind instruments they can blow into as well. String instruments are fun, but there is always concern about how delicate the strings and necks often are, so you'll need to teach your child how to handle these with care.
Pianos, organs, or keyboards are essential. They teach children about scales like no other instrument can (without basic lessons). I prefer toy pianos that can also be used as xylophones for babies and toddlers who like to bang on their toys. Preschoolers may do better with a more traditional toy piano (but an adult piano can work out well too). Preschoolers also bang on their toys, but they'll also be intrigued by the melodies and chords they can create, and they can use it for several years. Any child over the age of eight can start using an adult piano, but you can buy an inexpensive keyboard instead if cost is an issue.
 | Melissa and Doug Band in a Box Every kid needs these. First Act 34" Acoustic Guitar Every kid wants one, and some kids are willing to take lessons. "Cool" kids are more likely to play guitars and drums, and the guitar gives them a chance to learn about melody and chords. First Act Harmonica Essential for learning about making music with chords. First Act Wooden Recorder Perfect for introducing a child to woodwinds. |
If you can't afford to buy instruments, make them.
Drums
Anything can be turned into drums. Pots and pans, oatmeal containers, cardboard boxes, buckets, books, and almost anything else. Drumsticks are very inexpensive, but pencils or wooden spoons easily turn into drumsticks if you don't want to buy them.
Shakers
Take anything, fill it with something, seal it up, and shake it. Make many different shakers to learn how different materials sound.
Jinglers
Take anything, put bells on it, and jingle away. Kids really think it's fun to wear bells.
Bottle Pan Flute
Fill up bottles with varying amounts of liquid. Line them up, and blow across the top of each one to hear the notes (this may take practice). Organize the bottles from the lowest note to the highest note, and add or remove liquid as necessary to make a scale. Then try to play songs with your bottle pan flute.
Jelly Jar Xylophone
You can actually do this with the bottles you used for your pan flute or with drinking glasses. I tend to avoid drinking glasses because I don't want them to get chipped or scratched. Fill up glass jars with varying amounts of liquid (like when making the bottle pan flute). Then line them up and tap each one with a drumstick or spoon to hear the notes. Organize the bottles from the lowest note to the highest note, and add or remove liquid as necessary to make a scale. Then try to play songs with your xylophone.
Rubber Band Harp
Put rubber bands (use a variety of sizes) around an open box (shoeboxes work well), so the rubber bands stretch across the opening. Pluck the rubber bands to hear the notes. Organize the rubber bands to make a scale. Then try to play a song with your harp.
Hardware Chimes
Tie washers, bolts, old keys, metal cans, and any other metal objects to strings. Tie the strings to a stick, clothes hanger, section of rope, or other durable item that can handle the weight of the objects. Hang up the stick (or hanger or whatever you used) with the strings of metal objects, and run your hands through them to make them swing and clank. If you tie some large flat shapes (made from wood, cardboard, plastic, pinecones, or any other material) to some of the strings, you can hang it up outside and let the wind make the music.
Cardboard Tube Microphones
Save your cardboard tubes from paper towels and toilet paper rolls (there are many kids' projects you can do with them). Have your kids hum, sing, and talk through them and hear their voices echo and amplify. They can also pretend that their tubes are trumpets. (Have them tape many tubes together and whisper into one side while somebody listens at the other for a fun lesson in the science of sound.)
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