Tips For Buying Musical Instruments For Your Kids
Although parents shudder at the idea of buying their kids musical instruments, they do more good than harm! What’s a little bit of extra noise every day if your children are benefiting from learning about music? Here we’ll convince you of the benefits of musical instruments and tips on what to buy, so take notes!
Why Are Musical Instruments So Beneficial?
The benefits of learning an instrument go beyond your children just enjoying music. Other than developing fine-motor skills and manual dexterity, learning music is also linked to mathematical skills, memory and creativity. Children who have been introduced to learning musical instruments from an early age have proven to grasp the concepts of abstract reasoning, maths, counting, patterns and sequences much faster. If you want your children to get a better start in school and enjoy a hobby that is both fun and stimulating, kid’s musical instruments are an excellent option.
Buy The Real Thing
If your children are still toddlers, buying a toy musical instrument is a great way to introduce them to the concept of their actions making a sound and then being able to use those sounds to create a tune. Handheld bells are an excellent example, as well as play drums and toy xylophones. If you are going to buy toy musical instruments for your kids, make sure that they’re well-made. Nothing will put your children off from learning music like an instrument that breaks easily! That will only teach them that the real instrument is something they can’t enjoy for fear of damaging them.
Otherwise, toy instruments are a wonderful introduction to an interest in music, but if you see their enjoyment is something that can be nurtured, buy them the real thing when they’re older. Children are smarter than you think! The real thing gives them better insight into learning the instrument, and you can find them in children’s sizes so that they aren’t overwhelmed by a giant instrument that they can’t hold.
Make Sure The Instrument Is Age-Appropriate
Age-appropriate toys are essential if you want to introduce your kids to musical instruments. If you buy your five-year-old a saxophone, you can’t expect him to be the new Kenny G. Brass instruments – like the oboe, tuba and trombone, are challenging to play and are not appropriate for young children. If you’re interested in a wind instrument, the recorder is a good place to start. If your child struggles to play an instrument and it’s too mature for them, they’ll lose interest quickly. Guitars, ukuleles, drums, keyboards and violins can also be found in age-appropriate sizes if you’re sending them for lessons from a young age.
String Instruments: Consider The Ukulele
Most string instruments are appropriate for kids aged 11 and older, even though you can find child-sized guitars for those who are younger. However, the ukulele is a perfect size for younger children! Ukuleles are similar to guitars and kids as young as four years old can learn to play them. They’re much smaller, perfect for little hands and arms to hold them comfortably. They also only have four strings, as opposed to six on a guitar, and they’re placed closer together, which makes learning chords much more manageable. The strings are usually made out of synthetic material, which is better for soft fingertips than the steel strings on a guitar.
Pianos And Keyboards
The keyboard is an instrument that your child could enjoy, and keep learning well into their teens. It’s a great instrument to play for children who want to keep up with music and improve their abilities over the years. You can find child-sized keyboards that make learning easy and are an inexpensive way to find out if your kid is the next Elton John. If not, they can still learn to play keys and enjoy it; there’s no pressure.
Drum Sets
Age-appropriate drums are easy to find for your kids if you’re looking to introduce them to musical instruments. Part of the percussion family, you can buy little toddler-friendly drums that they can bang on with their hands, spoons, or anything else they get their hands on. When they get older, you can improve their drum sets to bigger and better models, and even introduce other percussion instruments, like a glockenspiel, or even a marimba!
Kid’s musical instruments are varied but easy to find. There are tons of options available for you to try to introduce music with your children, from as young as four years old. Start simple, with toys at a young age to nurture the interest. Soon you’ll be booking music lessons and attending concerts!
