We’ve all experienced our toddler banging on pots and pans, stomping their feet, or repeating a tune all day. It can be annoying at first, but did you know music is critical for child development? Every time your little one engages with music, they strengthen neural pathways and learn valuable skills.

Music can help your child at all stages of development and in all areas of learning. Even just listening has benefits! As parents, we can encourage our children to engage with music on an educational level.

The right tools can make a difference and it doesn’t have to be expensive to start up! We’ll start with all the amazing benefits of music for children, then dive into our favorite wooden musical toys. 

The Benefits of Music for Child Development

We all love and enjoy music. It brings us together and makes us feel emotion. And, it’s fun–so fun that we don’t even realize how much we learn when we listen to and play music.

Music helps our kids develop academically, socially, and emotionally. The Institute of Learning and Brain Sciences found that babies’ prefrontal and auditory cortex look different after routinely listening to music. Music changes how our brains work, and strengthens critical developmental areas.

As children grow, so do the benefits of music. Children gain the most through learning music, including playing an instrument, reading sheet music, and singing. Academically, music helps with reading, math, and vocabulary skills.

Learning music helps with physical development, too. Your child will practice motor skills and hand-eye coordination, whether they hit a drum or strum a guitar. If your child reads music, they will translate language on a page to movement and sound.

Finally, music helps children emotionally and socially. It’s no secret that music can calm a fussy baby or bring a smile to your toddler’s face. But, practicing an instrument also builds your child’s confidence, empathy, and creativity.

Why Wooden Musical Toys?

Wood musical toys are the perfect starter instrument for young children. A quality wood instrument will feel like the real thing, make pleasant sounds, and last through years of play. They’re an effective and budget-friendly way to introduce your child to instruments.

Choosing wood instead of plastic has many advantages, including: 

• Natural materials: Wood is a sustainable and safe material. It has no harmful chemicals or toxins and it’s eco-friendly.
• Sensory appeal: Children love the texture of natural wood. The feeling and sound helps them develop a deeper connection to their instrument.
• Open-ended play: Wooden toy instruments are more open-ended than plastic. There are no buttons, speakers, or flashing lights. Your child decides what their instrument can do, so there are no limitations.
• Durability: A wood instrument toy is more durable than plastic. They can withstand rough play, and there’s no risk of sharp plastic bits breaking off. They’ll last your child a lifetime, and become treasured family hand-me-downs!

Our Favorite Wood Music Toys for Montessoi Learning

So, what’s the best musical instrument for your child? Truth it, it’s gonna depend on your child! Every little one is different, so see which instrument calls to your child. 

We can make recommendations based on your child’s age, though. Steering your little one toward age-appropriate musical toys is important for their safety and developmental benefits. Your one-year old might be drawn to a cool, shiny guitar toy, but you don’t want them to get discouraged when they can’t play it.

Ages 0-1: Sensory Exploration

Our youngest kiddos are just starting to learn about the world through their senses: touch, taste, sight, smell, and hearing. Musical toys that easily stimulate multiple senses will capture their attention and fit seamlessly into the earliest stages of development.

At this stage, rattles are a great choice. A soft rattle that offers tactile stimulation with pleasant sounds will engage your baby’s senses. They’ll focus on the sound and feel and start working on their concentration.

Closer to a year old, you can also consider maracas, musical eggs, or even jingle bells. These instruments are easy to make sound with. Choose ones with vibrant colors and interesting noises to really get your baby excited about music!

You can also introduce music to your infant by singing to them or playing music for them! Nursery songs, lullabies, or anything you like to sing are great ways to encourage language development early.

Ages 1-2: Motor Development

Get ready for the toddler terror days! At this developmental stage, your child will start walking, running, sitting, and exploring. Their world is opening up, and they’re getting that first taste of independence.

Now, you can start introducing more children-guided musical toys. You’ll probably notice your child practicing rhythm by dancing, banging on a table, or clapping. You can encourage this with the right toys.

Look for play drums, simple xylophones, rainmakers, and maracas. Anything your toddler can easily practice rhythm, motor skills, and sound creation on are great options. They’ll create their own rhythms and songs.

A harmonica can also be a fun instrument to introduce at this stage. It’s a simple wind instrument that encourages oral development during this developmental stage. 

We love wooden toys because they encourage open-ended play and let your little one create their own tunes. Many plastic or electronic instruments will include preset sounds or songs, flashing lights, and other limitations. These toys limit your child’s creativity, so instead, pick an instrument that lets them explore and create their very own songs.

Singing or playing music is still great for this stage of development, too. Your little one should be learning to talk, so any songs with lyrics are great for language development. Pairing words and sentences with a noise and rhythm helps children learn the words–that’s why nursery rhymes are so effective!

Ages 2-4: Imagination Goes Wild

Now your child’s imagination is really picking up speed! They’ll start making and remembering their own melodies and lyrics, and maybe even playing along with their favorite songs. They’re also still refining their motor skills, so pick instruments that encourage mental and physical development.

Now you can give your little one more complicated instruments. Xylophones with more keys, drums, and any percussion instruments. Kazoos or ocarinas are also a great step up in wind instrument difficulty from a harmonica.

Really encourage your child to think about creating loud or soft noises, fast or slow tunes, and physical movement. Your child should start to think about how they influence the music through their actions, and they’ll start intentionally shaping their tunes.

Ages 5+: Musical Prodigies!

Around ages 5 and up, little ones really take off. Their imagination, motor skills, and language development are already solid, and they just keep getting better. Now you can really let your child explore different musical options.

A recorder is a very popular wind instrument to introduce children to. Starting between ages 5-7 is ideal. It’s an inexpensive option that encourages children to develop new connections between their mind, breath, and hands.

You can also start looking at more complicated percussion toys and even string instrument toys. A quality toy guitar, banjo, or ukulele will be an entirely new experience for your child to explore. 

As your child gets older, around elementary school, you can consider enrolling them in musical classes or private lessons and getting them a real, big-kid instrument! Group classes are a great way for your child to practice collaboration and teamwork in a creative setting. 

Consider Musical Instrument Toys for Your Child!

Music has so many benefits for your child’s development! Whether your child likes banging on a set of wooden drums or dancing along to catchy songs, music encourages development in so many ways. 

If you’ve decided a musical toy is right for your child, then shop our curation of high-quality, natural wood toy instruments and rattles. Encourage a love of music early, and watch your child flourish!