The Best Fun and Educational Music Toys for Kids
Age is everything. A child's brain and abilities progress exponentially during their first three to five years. This means that a three-year-old will find more value in any one little toy saxophone or similar musical instruments than a five-year-old will and so on. The included features of any one specific musical toys for pretend play will determine its value to your child's state of acuity, development and abilities.
Plastic Saxophone Toys for Babies – Ages 0 to 3
There is no better time to introduce your infant to music. Babies do not yet have the ability to strum a guitar, play the piano, or squeal on the sax, but modern children can develop their love of music and pretend play through fun and educational music toys, specifically catered for their age range. Some good features to look for in toy musical instruments for babies from a reliable toy company are as follows:
- Colorful Flashing Lights
- Pre Recorded Songs
- Few Buttons
- No Small Parts
- Intuitively Simple Interaction
- Light Weight
- Effortless and Satisfying
- Mid-century modern appeal
Example
Click on the image to check it out on Amazon.
Music is the light of life and the My First Saxophone Toy by Small World Toys Preschool will bring musical illumination to your young one. This plastic saxophone has an element of education but is mostly just pure fun.
It captures the attention of babies and very young toddlers with a display of blinking lights, bright colors, and familiar nursery rhymes. Small World Toys recommends this toy instrument for children between 18 months old and 3 years. My First Saxophone Toy Features:
- Battery-Operated Toy
- 16 Pre-Recorded Nursery Rhymes
- Red, White, Yellow, Blue and Green Color Scheme
- Visually Stimulating Blinking Lights
- 13.6 Ounces
- No Small Parts
- Intuitive Interaction
- Easily Satisfying
- Electronically Generated Sounds
Plastic Saxophone Toys for Toddlers – Ages 2 to 5
Once your baby is old enough to say a few words, they are old enough to play their first song. Musical toys for this age range should still be simple to use, but they should also require a bit more acuity with which to interact. A toddler's brain wants to succeed, but their hand-eye coordination might still not be quite adept enough to handle a real instrument like a full-size saxophone.
That being said, toddlers need a toy that offers a good mixture of education and fun. A toy saxophone for a toddler should compensate for that which the child is unable to perform yet (such as breath control), yet give them a surmountable challenge to complete (such as playing a song).
For this reason, a musical toy with individually playable notes is a great idea. The toy does not need to be able to play an entire scale; however, should offer the very beginnings of a technical musical foundation. Some good features to look for, in toddlers music toys are as follows:
- Individual Keys
- Familiar Pre Recorded Songs
- Color Coordinated Notes
- Electronic OR Acoustic
- 4 to 8 Playable Notes
- Offers Reasonable Playing Challenge
- Satisfyingly Easy Interaction
- Lightweight to Medium Weight
- Some Effort with Quick Payoff
Example
Click on the image to check it out on Amazon.
Oh, to be a kid again, and play with all their awesome toys! This plastic saxophone combines fun and education in the best way. The Electronic Saxophone by CP Toys is designed for kids that are between 3 and 6 years old. It offers young children all of the visual stimulation and simple interface that will keep them engaged, as well as the ability to go freestyle on a full 8 key octave, for kids that are ready for a little challenge.
The speaker sits inside the saxophones bell, making it appear as if it is producing music acoustically. This is a great intermediary saxophone toy, as kids can jam along to pre-recorded tunes or take on the challenge of solo mode using 8 non-colored keys. Its features include:
- Dimensions –16 Inches Long
- Weighs 2 Pounds
- Multi-Colored Lights
- 19 Pre Recorded Songs
- Song Button Sync
- Solo Mode
- 8 Note Octave Buttons
- No Acoustic Wind Required
- Medium Weight Plastic
Plastic Saxophone Toys for Advanced Kids – Ages 4 to 7
At this point in a child's development, they are eager to take on challenges and pursue their passions—to an extent. A child in this age range is quite able to begin lessons for any instrument; however, many kids with a musical interest flip flop from this instrument to that in a short period of time.
Success equals interest. Even if a child of this age range is interested in playing the saxophone, it might still be a good idea to get them a mock-sax first, before going all in on a real instrument and lessons. Music toys, for this age range, must offer a challenge that is comparable to the real thing.
The biggest challenge for parents and teachers is to keep these kids interested in their instrument. A toy from the previous category might easily bore a child of this age range, which is why these musical toys are focused on the educational factor over the fun factor.
These toys offer two benefits. They enable a kid to prepare for a successful beginning to structured lessons and they allow parents to gauge their child's earnest level of interest in lessons before an expensive instrument is purchased. Features to look for in advanced music toys are as follows:
- Full Scale of Notes
- Acoustic Sound
- Life-like Playability
- Non-Colored Keys
- Life-like Interaction
- Life-like Sound
- Easier-than-Life Breath Control (Wind)
- Lightweight to Medium Weight
- More Effort = More Musical Satisfaction
Example
Click on the image to check it out on Amazon.
For kids who are ready to make some real music, the PowerTRC Saxophone is an excellent choice. Despite being a plastic saxophone, this toy instrument will provide the closest experience to the real thing that a child can actually use.
With a surprisingly life-like sound and a parallel structural design to the real thing, this fully-acoustic plastic sax enables early elementary school kids to discover their passion and affinity for music, without the expensive purchase of the real instrument. Its features include:
- Dimensions –18.1 Inches Long
- 13.4 ounces
- Color Coded Keys
- 8 Note Octave
- Acoustic Wind
- Lightweight Plastic
- Life-like Sax Sound
Kids are like sponges for learning. If you want to foster the development of a future Stravinsky, Straus, or even Kenny G the trick is to get them hooked early. Fill a child's life with the gift of music and they will fill your life with the same.
A plastic saxophone might just be a fun toy instrument, but it can facilitate the first steps into a world of musical education and passion. Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave comments and questions in the space below!
