Posted by Even if you don’t plan on your kid growing up to be the next great composer or a rock star (but hey you never know!), encouraging play and interaction with music is an excellent way to develop a variety of skills. Exhibit A: there are a ton of musical baby toys on the market. Are some better than others? What else can you do to help your child’s development? We have our list of the top musical baby toys, as well as a WSS promo code today.
WSS Promo Code for Footwear
Wait, hold up. Isn’t this an article about musical toys for babies? What does a WSS promo code have to do with that? Depending on the toy, potentially a lot! I’m sure you’ve seen those bronzed baby shoes in at least one persons house, but those old stiff shoes actually aren’t great for babies that are learning to walk. Or, playing in a musical saucer/bouncer. For babies that are learning to walk and stand, you’ll want something soft and flexible but that has a grippy non-skid bottom. WSS has an excellent selection of shoes for babies and toddlers that fit the bill quite well. And because babies won’t be in these shoes for long, we don’t want to spend too much on them. Hence the promo code! Of course it’s not absolutely necessary for a baby to wear shoes while using a musical saucer or bouncer, but they can help them get used to the feeling and get grip while they are learning to stand and use their legs to move around.
Best Musical Baby Toys
Alright, the reason we are all here: the best musical toys for babies. Here is our list of the top 5 best musical baby toys.
- Parum PUM PUM from B. Toys: This is both a functional drum, as well as a carrying case for 6 other musical intstruments such as castanets, shakers, a tambourine, and a whistle. Recommended for ages 18 months and up, this toy set will teach children about rhythm and enable them to get creative and make their own music. Despite it being a drum set, it’s not super loud either so you won’t have any irate neighbours. If they keep drumming into their teen years though…
- Skip-Hop Baby Guitar, Rock-A-Mole: So aside from the design and name of this guitar for babies being absolutely ADORABLE, this is a fun toy for babies 6 months and up. It does require 3 AAA batteries. Your baby can play a variety of songs and guitar riffs by pressing buttons and spinning the avocado pit in the center. I’ll admit, I mostly like this one for the cute factor.
- Piano Mat from N Sanmersen: Although not quite the giant keyboard floor from Big, this will definitely entertain little ones while teaching them about music. It also has animal pictures & sounds to help develop recognition. This one does require two AA batteries, but you can adjust the volume via a dial which I think is a very helpful feature! It can be folded for storage so it won’t take up a ton of room.
- Leapfrog Learn & Groove Musical Table: This is one of the toys where a pair of shoes may come in handy while they are learning to stand and move around the table. It has plenty of features to interact with, and has both a learning mode and a music mode. It plays a variety of different popular children’s songs such as Itsy Bitsy Spider and Old MacDonald.
- Xylophone Table from Music Toys of Ohuhu: This one is very cool because it doesn’t just play the music on it’s own, it will also teach your child how to play the songs themselves! There are 18 different songs for them to choose from. It also teaches animals, colours, and numbers.
Benefits of Musical Play for Babies
Musical toys are excellent for helping babies in terms of sensory development, and also in hand eye coordination and motor skills. There has also been research that suggests that listening to music helps children to speak more clearly. There really isn’t much that music doesn’t positively impact in terms of child development: it helps with brain power, memory, patience, confidence, and also fosters social skills and creativity. A 2012 study showed that babies who participated in musical classes with their parents had better communication skills as well as just smiled more! It is highly recommended that you give babies musical toys to play with.