Playing Musical Instruments is a Great Activity for Children

Introducing children to music at an early age can be a wonderful gift that creates both immediate pleasure and a solid foundation for childhood development.  After all, the act of performing a song, whether through vocalizing or playing a xylophone, actually utilizes both sides of the brain. But don’t rush off just yet to buy your toddler a cello; below we’ve listed some instruments that are ideal for young, budding musicians that can accommodate their size and currently limited capabilities.

Percussion

Percussion instruments are some of the basic and oldest instruments that there are.  For thousands of year, humankind has been producing sound by hitting things.  While technically speaking, something as simple as two stones brought together to make a sound could be a percussion instrument, you may want to start out with something like a simple drum or chime as a first instrument for a young child.  Percussion instruments not only allow give a child their first experience with music, they are also one of the best instruments to teach basic rhythm patterns.

Toy drums are easy to find and, while they wouldn’t be found in any symphony orchestra, they will be as loved as a Stradivarius Violin to your toddler.  After your child has been working with the drum for a little while, it may be the time to introduce a pitched percussion instrument, such as a chime, or toy xylophone.  A simple xylophone such as those made by Orff could be a wonderful first instrument for a child to explore the way notes relate to one another on a scale. What makes Orff products unique is the ability to remove bars/notes as you please; if you want to make creating music a group activity, you can make sure that all of the possible sounds produced will harmonize with one another so you don’t have to sit there covering your ears.

Recorder

While percussion and drums can be a great first musical experience for children, to expand their horizons, you may want to introduce a simple wind instrument such as a recorder, found here. This member of the woodwind family is a type of duct flute but, unlike its more complicated cousins, beautiful sounds can be produced almost immediately without training about how to position your mouth. Affordable and straightforward, the recorder enables your kids can learn how to play their favorite melodies  without having to commit to substantial practice. This instrument is an excellent way to determine whether your child is musically inclined and whether a more costly alternative is worth the investment; if your youngster struggles to find motivation to practice his or her nine-dollar recorder, perhaps you should hold-off on buying that bassoon.

Keyboards

The piano is not only incredibly popular and beautiful, but it makes fluently reading notes a breeze; the ability to see the keys in front of you in a logical order instead of learning through touch will make the process infinitely easier. Before financing a large instrument worth thousands, consider temporarily renting a piano or procuring a more reasonably priced keyboard like this.

Music can be a wonderful way for children to both expand their artistic horizons and occupy themselves for hours!  Early introduction to musical instruments is a great idea for parents everywhere, and especially for stay at home moms looking for more ways to keep their children entertained while still learning!  These basic and relatively inexpensive instruments can be an excellent gateway to more expensive and more complicated endeavors.

Do your kids like to play music? Are they interested in a certain instrument?