A musical toy is a sure-fire hit for most babies.
No matter how many times they hit that drum, shake that rattle or press a button that plays a pre-recorded tune, they will love coming back for more - much to the pure joy and happiness of their parents, of course...
As well as creating a lovely racket, musical toys are great sensory toys in that - quite obviously - they engage the ears and often the eyes and the sense of touch to boot. Some can also help develop fine motor skills and even improve memory.
What’s more, playing with musical toys can be a bonding experience between child and adult. It is a lovely moment to have a jam or a rock session (whatever that might look like!) with a child of any age.
Musical toys can range from something simple like a drum all the way up to pianos for kids. So, what are some of the best options on the market? We’ve listed some below that are suitable for a variety of ranges.
Happy playing!
From birth
MORI Wooden Rattle Ring
A simple rattle is always a great gift for newborns. It is made from natural FSC beech wood plus MDF and is painted with non-toxic paints, meaning it’s suitable from birth and durable too. It has been made to stimulate the senses and encourage fine motor skills plus hand-eye coordination and cause-and-effect.
Buy now £12.00, Mori
INFANTINO Baby’s 1st Teethe and Play Music Set
This is essentially a mini music set suitable for even the tiniest of people. Each of the four instruments combine a musical element with a soothing teether. You have the rock and teeth guitar, clack and clasp trumpet, shake and sing maracas and the tappity tap tap tambourine. Each instrument is nice and small - so these are great to keep your child occupied while out and about.
Buy now £10.00, Amazon
Mamas & Papas Grateful Garden Frog Chime Toy
This jittering friendly frog is a great, musical toy for newborns. Made from soft linen, it moves when you pull on the cord and jingles lightly as it goes or is shaken. Also comes with a teething ring that doubles up as a pushchair attachment so it can go anywhere you do.
Buy now £8.00, Mamas & Papas
Six to 12 months
Infantino 3-in-1 Tummy Time Pillow and Piano
Tummy time is super important for babies to help build up the strength in their upper body. However, not many enjoy it - especially at the start. Enter this musical toy tummy time pillow that can be used to prop up your baby, while also providing a bit of entertainment as they build their strength. It includes three modes of play including melodies, animal sounds and piano tunes that are played as they hit the keys of the piano.
Buy now £24.99, Amazon
TINOTEEN Crawling Caterpillar Toy
Another multi-purpose musical toy is this Tinoteen caterpillar that helps encourage children to crawl. Children can press on the back of the catepillar to make it move forward while it plays a song - the theory being they will then want to crawl after it. The caterpillar also has flashing lights that illuminate in time to the music, helping cognitive development and memory.
Buy now £16.99, Amazon
Baby Einstein Hape Magic Touch Piano
This is a super little musical toy - your baby’s first piano! The keys play notes or animal noises depending on what mode it is in. Pressing the middle blue button plays a selection of familiar tunes that your child can play along to. It also comes with sheet music so that older children can practice colour coordination by matching the notes on the sheets to the keys on the piano. A really good buy.
Buy now £26.99, Amazon
12 months
Halilit Shake n Roll Musical Set
This is a great two piece set perfect for babies who love to drum and shake. The flat ocean drum can be hit or moved from side to side, while the small colorful beads are fun to watch over the seaside scene. The rainmaker can also be shaken or tipped and upended to hear the beads fall through the sections, like rain. Technically suitable for 12 months plus but children under that age will love it with supervision.
Buy now £18.99, Amazon
Janod Confetti Musical Table
The Janod musical table is great value in that it includes a xylophone, cymbal, drum and drumsticks for under £30. The set means your baby will have everything they need to start making music. It is not bad to look at either.
Buy now £27.00, Kidly
Janod Pure Pull Along Wooden Snail
This cute little musical snail creates a lot of joy when just pulled along - but it also has hidden musical elements. The shell, which turns as you pull it along, is removable and includes a tambourine and a small xylophone. The antennae double up as little wooden drumsticks.
Buy now £30.00, Trotters
24 months and over
JoJo Maman Bébé Toy Drum
Embrace your own little drummer boy or girl with this colourful drum that includes sticks and an adjustable strap so it can be carried around easily. Though whether that is actually a plus when you cannot escape your keen musician is another story...
Buy now £22.00, JoJo Maman Bébé
Toniebox
A feature on the social media pages of many momfluencers, the Toniebox is a music and audiobook box for children. It works through fun, collectable figures that are placed on top of the box that then play a book or a collection of music. So The Snowman figure plays The Snowman book, the figure of Peter Rabbit the classic Beatrix Potter tale... you get the picture!
It is a great buy for problem sleepers as well, as the Toniebox will lul them to sleep with their favourite story and then automatically turn itself off as your child falls asleep - and there are white noise figures as well.
Buy now £79.95, John Lewis
Melissa & Doug Band-in-a-Box
When your baby has outgrown the Infantino music set, they can graduate to this band in a box. It comes with ten instruments - including a triangle, cymbals and a tambourine - this is a great set for budding music maskers. It comes with a wooden crate to keep the kit together and is a fabulous gift or toy for children aged three and above.
Buy now £32.99, Amazon
