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There are many musical toys for kids out there, but are there any in particular that are better for kids? Is a drum set better than a keyboard mat, for instance?
I doubt it matters much beyond the child's individual preference. Take the kid to a toy store and see which musical instrument he or she gravitates toward, then go with that.
audioaudio90 wrote on Tue, 25 September 2012 17:16 I doubt it matters much beyond the child's individual preference. Take the kid to a toy store and see which musical instrument he or she gravitates toward, then go with that. I agree. I think the benefits of music aren't dependent on the specific instrument, so you can purchase whatever the kid wants (and you can tolerate).
I don't think one type of instrument is better than another for stimulating their creativity or whatnot, but I definitely think some instruments are easier for the parents to tolerate while the kid is still learning to play it. If you buy them drums, you had better stock up on Tylenol!!!
Personally, I would go with the guitar. It's one of the easiest instruments to learn and one you can be the most creative with once you learn. But if my daughter had her heart set on an oboe instead, I would get her that.
My kids are still very young and they have multiple musical toys, and my advice would be to pick the musical toys that would annoy you the least. We have quite a few musical and talking toys that have made their way to Grandma's because they were about to drive me out of my mind.