instruments for the preschool virtuoso, musical toys are popular because they're interactive and fun. With improvements in technology, toys that play music have improved in sophistication over the past five years while prices have come down. Selecting one of these toys is an excellent way to foster creativity in your children even if it may send you looking for the ear plugs!

Why Buy Music Toys?

The initial objection most parents have to the idea of a musical toy is the state of their own nerves. They don't want to listen to musical toys for children all day. There's no denying that when a child becomes fixated on a particular sound or melody and plays is over and over and over again parents want to throw the toy out the door. Fortunately most music toys today have volume controls and some even have jacks for headphones. The developmental benefits of these toys far outweigh any possible annoyance.

Music increases spatial-temporal reasoning in children. But just listening to music does not have as much positive effect on intelligence as actively making music. Musical toys allow children to do that before they are old enough to learn an instrument. Also, interactive musical toys help a child to develop creativity. What may sound annoying to you is, to the child's ears, their very own beautiful little melody.

Guide to Popular Music Toys

There are many popular music toys on the market today:

Musini MagicSensor

The Musini MagicSensor is a music box that senses the child's movements. As they dance, jump, and wave their arms, the toy translates the motion into musical responses and helps the child to learn the principle of cause and effect. "If I do this, Musini does that." The box will play in five musical styles from jazz to classical and retails for $49.95.

Rhythm Band Set

Rhythm band sets are excellent for groups of children because they contain as many as 25 instruments from drums and castanets to whistles, bells, and triangles. Kids can make their own band and bang away to their hearts' content. Various sets retail from $50 to $136 depending on number of items included.

Tub Tunes Water Drums

Water Drums are specially designed to be used at bath time. By changing the water level in the plastic drum, the "note" it produces is altered. An instruction book with color coded notes is included to kids can learn familiar songs.

Whacky Music Boomwhakers Boomophone

A new take on the classic xylophone, the Boomaphone is portable and actually creates a full octave musical scale in whole notes from Middle C to high C on the rainbow colored pipes. Thanks to the color coding, children can learn familiar songs with the included music booklet and as they get older, they will come to understand the standard musical notation system.

From pullstring musical toys to a musical toy bench or toy box, music is an important and interactive teaching tool. No matter what musical toys for children you choose, you're helping them to develop their creativity and perhaps encouraging them to pursue a real instrument as they grow old enough and gain enough discipline to do so.

Continue to : Start Your Toddler Out with Toy Musical Instruments and Music Blocks

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