That kid needs to be in a band as soon as it is safe again!
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Musical gift for a toddler
- Thread starter casualmadness
- Start date
That kid needs to be in a band as soon as it is safe again!
My daughter is 19 now. Things to NOT get.
An ukulele that you will upset if it gets broken. I got my daughter a $3 cardboard uke from Goodwill. She did not break it, but the next kid. I did not care.
Drums. The louder the drum set, the more you will be cursed. Maybe an electronic drum?
An electronic keyboard is a good idea. My mother got herself a new, high end, keyboard, and gave her old one to my daughter. We had several years of fun.
edg
An ukulele that you will upset if it gets broken. I got my daughter a $3 cardboard uke from Goodwill. She did not break it, but the next kid. I did not care.
Drums. The louder the drum set, the more you will be cursed. Maybe an electronic drum?
An electronic keyboard is a good idea. My mother got herself a new, high end, keyboard, and gave her old one to my daughter. We had several years of fun.
edg
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When my granddaughter was 3, I got her bongos. She loved them. When she was 4, I gave her a small keyboard. She loved that even more.
She is now 7 and is slowly but surely becoming proficient on electronic drums and keyboard. Her mother has recorded her playing several songs she came up with on her own. She even wrote some very creative lyrics and sings with a beautiful voice. Occasionally, she dabbles on her father's guitar and bass although her hands are a bit too small.
I really believe the earlier you introduce children to music, the better they are as adults.
I had one of these when I was a kid... loved it! It was portable, tough and fun. I'm sure someone's making something similar.
One more thing that I would like to add: Exposure to all kinds of music, specially stuff that the kiddo won't hear from their peers.
My daughter got: Johnny Cash, The Who, The Beach Boys, George Strait, Warren Zevon, etc. Not so much anymore, but she gets pre-war Hawai'ian music and jazz when we are in the car together.
edg
My daughter got: Johnny Cash, The Who, The Beach Boys, George Strait, Warren Zevon, etc. Not so much anymore, but she gets pre-war Hawai'ian music and jazz when we are in the car together.
edg
2 questions, do you live close? are the parents close to you?
if NO??? DRUMS DRUMS & MORE DRUMS !!!
you can laugh all the way home !!!!!
if NO??? DRUMS DRUMS & MORE DRUMS !!!
you can laugh all the way home !!!!!
Maybe not quite at 3 years old, but I'd start them on the bass early with this 1-string Kala Paddle Bass. They'll jump into the fretless world right away too. 
Paddle Bass by Kala® - Kala Brand Music Co.
Paddle Bass by Kala® - Kala Brand Music Co.
My parents bought me an album around 1975 that I think really sparked my interest in music, an album supposedly geared towards children. But it just had good pop oldies from the 40's, 50's, 60's. Not really "children's songs" per se. Give her the gift of musical enjoyment, and the rest could take care of itself. Music that's slightly more challenging than whatever is offered by Disney or other kid oriented stuff. Right now I'm thinking of good stuff like 60's British pop/rock, 70's pop, 80's new wave, etc. Maybe some jazz thrown in.
DIY, hands on (and kind on the ears / domestic soundscape)
… You could dress it up so there's an association she'll love and easily recognize — something meaningful like a favorite story or some familiar, ideal characters. Or you could make it a novel adventure. And you can jam together, right off the bat. Bongo Fury! 
As Uncle, your unwritten duties are to find the noisiest, most obnoxious sounding instrument to give to a child. This tradition has been handed down since the dawn of time.
As a father of a 3 year old, and as a preschool teacher:
Uke: super fun for pretending to make “music” but probably not useful (for its intended purpose) at this age. Still, not super annoying for parents, and gets lots of play time.
Keyboards, toy piano or electric: magnetic attraction for kids. May or may not be used musically. A lot depends on parents guidance. The electric keyboards with their canned “music” have a danger of becoming a passive entertainment device, rather than a musical instrument.
Hand percussion: a high quality drum can be a very age appropriate gift. Cheap drums will be junked quickly. The important thing is teaching them “hands only,” and to respect the instrument.
Stick percussion: usually a mistake . My guy has a “kid” set and even with my skilled guidance, it can be a bit much. He still has moments where he surprises me with steady rhythm and actually pulling off something great.
View attachment 3839626
xylophone: those fisher price rainbow things are crazy loud, but a lot to be said about reinforcing the major diatonic scale at this age. Again, depends on how much the parents guide them.
kazoo: dark horse! Actually, an amazing instrument at this age. They easily understand how to use it, it’s not crazy loud, and encourages them to play with their voice and sing.
happy shopping, you’re a good uncle
...and You are my favorite Da/pre-school Teacher from Ithaca!
Be safe! ✌
️Mi madre gave us a key board when my daughter was 2 or 3yo. That was used for 5 or 6 years, just goofing off with it, making sounds. I got her a $3 3 string cardboard uke from Goodwill. That got playing time. My daughter never developed an affinity for percussion, though she had that as well.
Get the kiddo something cheap, it does not have to approach Squier sound quality. It just has to make musical noise & be robust enough to survive a kid, or cheap enough that you don't care if it survives.
edg
Get the kiddo something cheap, it does not have to approach Squier sound quality. It just has to make musical noise & be robust enough to survive a kid, or cheap enough that you don't care if it survives.
edg
