Here at SpiralToys, we’ve written so much about the best STEM toys, but we don’t want to forget about STEAM (or the A for Arts)…
Let’s talk about music and some of the best toys to foster a love of the arts in your toddlers.
Music is a unique and exhilarating experience for children. To them, it’s less about being able to show off their talents and more about exploring the boundlessness of their teeny tiny bodies to produce all sorts of sounds and volumes. This means drumming on each and every surface, using their mouths and bodies to produce all kinds of sounds, and clapping a variety of objects together to see what kind of clanking and clattering it can make.
But this fondness for musical exploration isn’t without its perks. Studies show that music is a learning element that ignites a wide range of child development skills that prepares toddlers for school and a life outside the comforts of their homes. Some of these notable child development skills include school readiness, intellect, social-emotional capacities, motor skills, language, and overall literacy. Music binds and develops the mind and body in parallel ways by exposing them to new sensory experiences and words.
This is why it’s important that children be equipped with toys that will empower, encourage, and reward exploration. Kids simply need to be heard and with the right musical toys, they can have fun doing so, just as they learn. To help parents and their kids find the best match for their musical needs, here are the top 20 musical toys for 2022.
Since the subject at hand is the best toys of 2022, it’s only fitting that this list starts with a toy that showcases how far technology has come. The Playtime Engineering Blipblox Synth for Kids is an extremely modern innovation that mixes a variety of stimuli to take the kids through a music-based sensory experience.
This synthesizer is an actual and real musical instrument that allows kids to let their imaginations run wild by allowing them to create and design sound waves that will help them create their own songs and melodies.
Using their environment and even their own body to create an infinite number of combinations of sounds to play, children are constantly given the opportunity to explore noises, jingling, and clankings that their activities produce.
This toy features advanced technology that was simplified for kids to easily understand. The Playtime Engineering Blipblox Synth for Kids is a dynamic and understandable way to introduce the beauty of making music to kids as young as three years old and can even be used by children in grade school and high school levels.
As it is powered by AA batteries, this musical is portable and can be played whenever the kids want, wherever they want.
Experts believe that music is most effective for a child’s development when they are engaged and interact with the music that plays. The Baby Einstein Toddler Jams Musical Toy is specially designed to that just that, using music that has been clinically proven to be appealing to children to get kids moving and grooving to the sound of the best songs for learning.
The Baby Einstein Toddler Jams Musical Toy makes use of three different distinct music stations so parents can find their children’s favorite genres. The toy also includes over 30 different melodies and sounds so your kids can dance and interact with a variety of tunes that help nurture creativity and child development.
Embellished with an array of lights and a colorful composition, the toy was elaborately designed to be vibrant and bright to take the kids through a visual experience as they dance and prance to the music. The toy has a parent volume control so busy moms and dads can get some rest as the kids continue a more tame dance party. As the Baby Einstein Toddler Jams Musical Toy is battery-powered, it is highly portable so the party can be moved to wherever the kids want!
If the kids enjoy a good old-fashioned sing-along, the VTech Kidi Star Karaoke Machine is perfect for them. Giving kids their very own makeup that they can use themselves will boost their confidence and enhance their social and emotional capacities.
This musical toy’s color by Vtech is beautifully painted in violet and pink but the real highlight of this particular innovation is its accessibility, as it is connectible to smartphones or MP3 players for sync capabilities. To take it further, the VTech Kidi Star Karaoke Machine has a “magic mode” that turns down the volume of the main vocals in the songs that you play, giving your kids center stage as they perform their hearts out.
The machine has a feature that allows the kids to record their performance for five minutes. But the fun doesn’t end there; it also has six different built-in games and 180-degree lights that can light up the stage.
The primary focus of this innovative design of a musical toy is to reinforce the concept of cause and effect for children through effective stimuli. Upon pressing the colorful buttons, that itself is an exciting visual display, the Mirari Pop! Pop! The piano produces sounds that come with a ball pop to connect the sound and the movement, helping kids further understand that each action comes with a corresponding consequence. Each key pressed will result in a resulting sound and a ball popping up and bouncing.
The kids can also explore all sorts of sounds as the default, gentle, and classic piano sounds can be changed into silly and wacky noises through the buttons on the toy. Each piano key is aligned with a certain colored tube where the ball can pop up so children no which key corresponds with each sound.
The goal of Mirari, the hands, and minds behind this innovation is to provide a unique way to teach children important concepts that they need as they grow.
Often overlooked by manufacturers when it comes to making toys for kids is how excited children can become when they start playing. An excited toddler can be rough during playtime – and in some cases – toys are on the receiving end of their energy.
A music toy can only be as beneficial as its durability permits, especially for instruments that will involve some hitting and smashing to produce sounds. The Hape Pound & Tap Bench with Slide Out Xylophone is an award-winning musical toy that has been recognized for its extreme durability allowing it to provide a lifetime of fun for musically-inclined kids.
There are several ways to play with this bundle of fun. Aside from the xylophone that’s readily available for all-around musical fun, the colorful balls can be played with separately too as hitting the toy can send the ball popping up. A keyboard is also available for the kids to explore and play their own solos.
The many features that this toy has available for kids promote dexterity and hand-eye coordination. Children’s motor skills are also given their share of exercise as the Hape Pound & Tap Bench with Slide Out Xylophone encourages musical exploration through movement.
Winner of the 2018 Cribsie Award for favorite first musical toy suitable for ages 12 months to 3 years, the Hape Pound & Tap Bench with Slide Out Xylophone is a perfect way to get the kids into music through direct involvement and engagement.
Make your kids feel like a rockstar with the WolVolk Electric Big Toy Drum Set for Kids that gives them the complete drummer experience. The entire package comes with a plethora of features that are designed to keep the fun going on and on while kids stay comfortable and engaged.
The drum set comes with a pair of drumsticks, a comfortable but matching-colored stool, a microphone, and a cymbal to entertain the kids with the full rockstar experience. The drum set is also the life of the party as it is furnished with lights and bright colors that are sure to be a hit for the children.
The WolVolk Electric Big Toy Drum Set for Kids is designed to strengthen your kids’ attention spans and develop their fine motor skills through drumming activities that reward them with their own original music. It’s a fun and awesome way to get the kids interested in making music of theirs as the drum set is even equipped with a mic of its own.
The B. toys Wooden Toy Piano – Mini Maestro is that it makes children feel like the real and actual little musicians that they are! Nothing excites musical children more than a colorful musical instrument made for them specifically. The B. toys Wooden Toy Piano – Mini Maestro is an actual piano that helps children get used to the real thing. It sounds, looks, and works as an actual piano – the only difference is its size is scaled down to fit toddlers and their little hands and fingers.
It’s furnished with bright colors to make the colors exciting for children. The keys, as a matter of fact, or painted with colors that are easy to remember and recognize so children can play sounds according to the color of each key. This amazing musical instrument has 25 keys that can cover two full octaves so children can explore a considerable number of notes that they can sing and dance. The cherry on top is the button that the piano has that plays classical pieces by renowned geniuses like Bach and Beethoven.
To help children understand music even further, the B. toys Wooden Toy Piano – Mini Maestro comes with sheet music that’s color-coded to help kids learn and play six famous tunes on the piano themselves.
WolVolk Educational Kids Toddler Baby Toy Musical Activity Cube Play Center
The WolVolk Educational Kids Toddler Baby Toy Musical Activity Cube Play Center may look like it’s something straight out of a science fiction magazine but believe it or not, this toy is out of this world when it comes to all-out musical fun.
All six sides of this geometric marvel hold a total of 15 different fun activities that you and your children can enjoy for hours and hours of playtime. Each side the baby may face is a fun activity in wait. As there is a numerable amount of stuff to do, the fun will never end.
There’s a built microphone that children can use to let their voices out during playtime. The gears and buttons shaped like notes and stars can take the kids through an auditory adventure. Most importantly, however, is that the activities highlight and develop a variety of skills too. The activities that come with the WolVolk Educational Kids Toddler Baby Toy Musical Activity Cube Play Center require driving, talking, singing, using tools, and so much more. These exercises will surely develop critical thinking skills, problem-solving capacities, motor skills, and other important developmental essentials.
Designed to be an amazing visual experience as well, this model was painted in a wide range of colors that will stimulate and excite curious children as they play.
The Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube is an incredible tribute to the life and work of the master composer, the one and only Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a cornerstone in classical music. Classical music itself, according to high-profile studied, has been proven to be a beneficial marvel when it comes to child development. The research on classical music reveals that even as developing fetuses in a mother’s womb, exposure to this child development factor immediately impacts growth.
The beauty of this musical instrument is that it plays eight timeless masterpieces through five different instruments; each with unique sounds of its own. As each of the songs plays, the Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube’s innovative visual design also enhances the learning experience through visual stimuli that excites kids for the musical exploration ahead.
But perhaps the most impressive feature that kids can enjoy from the Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube is the orchestra button that plays all the instruments’ sounds all at the same time, harmonizing each unique melody amongst each other as it follows the brilliant composition of Mozart’s greatest creations.
The toy is an amazing toy for children of all ages and with the soft-rounded corners and intelligent design, the Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube is nothing short of safe for curious children who enjoy playing and listening to music.
Portability and music wherever and whenever is the highlight of the Baby Einstein Take Along Tunes Musical Toy. The goal of this innovation from Baby Einstein is to empower your children to go on a musical adventure as they physically venture through the outdoors themselves.
As one of the most beloved Baby Einstein products in the market, the Take Along Tunes Musical Toy has been a recipient of a high volume of five-star ratings online. As it is easy to use, portable and requires no assembly, the toy can seamlessly fit in with your kids’ playroom.
The babies, through this Baby Einstein bestseller, can be introduced to a variety of melodies through 10 different songs that can be played through this toy as they go about their playtime at home, in the car, at the park, and even at school.
Chriffer Kids Musical Instruments Toys, Percussion Instruments Set for Toddlers
Percussion instruments have a special place in learning through music. According to advanced research, babies, and people in general, have a natural talent for playing percussion instruments through shaking, tapping, and hitting things together. It is also in these studies that it was revealed that playing percussion instruments and even the simple act of clapping two things together is an important developmental musical exercise for kids.
The Chriffer Kids Musical Instruments Toys, Percussion Instruments Set for Toddlers is an amazing wooden toy set that empowers children to shake, beat, and cling and clang to their hearts’ content by providing them with a percussion set that allows them to explore all sorts of sounds that come from various percussion instruments.
Aside from percussion instruments, the package also has wind-based instruments to take the musical experience even farther. Through fun activities like shaking, tapping, beating, and blowing on the instruments, children can make music of their own and can play, dance, and sing along to other melodies that they enjoy hearing. As each of the instruments are completely wooden in composition, all 15 naturally-made pieces that make up the package are 100% eco-friendly and safe to use.
Mustering the power of technology, the Fisher-Price Bright Beats Smart Touch Play Space is cutting-edge and state-of-the-art. This modern marvel, through the wonders of today’s technology, provides children with effective and versatile playtime that revolves around music, dancing, and learning.
The Fisher-Price Bright Beats Smart Touch Play Space makes use of an extremely interactive technology that helps keep children engaged with its many moving parts that excite creativity, imagination, and enthusiasm. The model is equipped with Smart Touch technology and responds to the kids’ touch to facilitate three fun and different ways to play.
The Fisher-Price Bright Beats Smart Touch Play Space is a three-in-one entertainment and education nook that provides children with a piano that children can play with by standing at the center and touching the bar in front of them that produce sounds and lights that makes for a wonderful sensory experience.
This futuristic entertainment system for kids can also turn any playtime into a dance party. Equipped with a touch-sensitive light bar and sound system, this toy can definitely get the kids on their feet and encourage them to get moving and grooving with the music.
The last feature that is, perhaps, the most direct educational function, is the games that the unit can facilitate that teach children about the alphabet, counting, and numbers while involving auditory and visual cues to enhance the learning experience.
Designed to excite the drumming musicians in your kids who love pounding on their percussion instruments. The BESTAMTOY Wooden Educational Hammering Gopher Toy also doubles as a xylophone while it provides children with a sneaky percussion instrument that’s designed as a hammering gopher toy as well.
Despite being made out of lightweight wood, this toy is still very durable and can power through the most enthusiastic and energetic play your kids can unleash. This wooden educational toy is both for music and play, as the colorful bench that has a gopher game can double as a flexible percussion instrument, too. Playing with this, and the xylophone can boost fine and gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and improve artistic expression and creativity.
As this toy is all-natural, made out of sturdy wood, and safe paint, every component is suitable for kids of all ages and is non-toxic, BPA-free, phthalate-free, and TIN-free.
One of the most important and beneficial ways to aid child development is through physical movement and play. An efficient way to hit two birds with one stone is facilitating physical play through a musical exploration with the Kidzlane Floor Piano Mat for Kids and Toddlers, a toy that makes use of a giant piano mat that works like the actual instrument. Featuring 24 different keys, kids can dance and prance from one key to the next to produce all sorts of sounds as they land on the piano notes.
The toy package comes with 10 song cards that the kids can learn from and eventually do themselves. If the children just want to chill, watch, and learn while they listen to some good music, the Kidzlane Floor Piano Mat for Kids and Toddlers also comes with built-in songs that you and the children can just play in the background.
To ensure that both mental and physical aspects of child development are covered, the Kidzlane Floor Piano Mat for Kids and Toddlers also comes with a sound recorder and a playback feature that can play the sounds and melodies the kids create during playtime. This particular feature is an excellent way to develop kids’ creativity, note recognition, and understanding of cause and effect.
To give the kids options on what kind of music to play, the Kidzlane Floor Piano Mat for Kids and Toddlers can shift from the piano to seven other different instruments.
ZoZoplay STEM Toys Tube Locks 72 Piece Tubular Pipes & Spouts & Joints & Whistles Learning Educational Building Block Set
When it comes to finding classic and proven ways to boost child development, music is certainly among the top options. However, another activity that instantly comes to mind is the timeless block-stacking exercise.
With music and STEM learning at its core, the ZoZoplay STEM Toys Tube Locks 72 Piece Tubular Pipes & Spouts & Joints & Whistles Learning Educational Building Block Set combines the benefits of music and the creativity-building block-stacking activity to create a new and novel experience.
The goal of the toy is to have your kids build their very own original instrument through the brightly colored 72 interlocking pieces. This activity will cultivate children’s creativity and imagination early on through the shapes and colors that the toy has.
At the minimum, this toy can form 56 different shapes that include numbers and letters. Going through each of these combinations can help kids develop fine motor skills, critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and color recognition and perception.
The pipes and joints that have been locked together can all be connected to a whistle, which all comes together as a single complex instrument.
Music is most beneficial for children whenever they interact and engage with the music itself. The Kidzlane Dance Mat is a way to get children interested in music and help them progress through child development without them even noticing it.
This novelty from Kidzlane focuses on movement and physical exercise to familiarize children with music. Kids’ legs will be on the move constantly as the colorful arrows light up to guide how children should move as they dance to the music.
The Kidzlane Dance Mat has built-in music to which children can dance and prance. But if they have a favorite song that they specifically want to party to, the sound system can be connected to their favorite track through AUX and Bluetooth options.
Kids can enjoy three different games with the Kidzlane Dance Mat as it is able to facilitate an exciting game of Simon Says, a dance mode where they follow the blinking lights, and a free dance mode too. With sturdy and durable padding, the musical toy can certainly withstand the rigors of spirited and exciting play.
Enhance the playtime experience for your active toddlers and kids by adding the LeapFrog Learn and Groove Musical Mat into the mix. Children can twist, dance, leap, count, and learn through the various activities that integrate physical exercise and music.
The kids can go through a musical exploration as they play by listening through the 50+ songs that are built into the LeapFrog Learn and Groove Musical Mat. The entirety of the playmat is about four feet long and is embellished with numbers that range from one to ten and child-exciting designs like animals and bright colors.
There are three different ways to play with the LeapFrog Learn and Groove Musical Mat. Stepping on each of the numbers on the mat can help children explore a variety of information like numbers, instrument names and their sounds, and animals as well. The numbers also correspond to certain songs which children can listen to. There’s also a free play mode and a tune-creation function that can nurture and cultivate your kids’ musical creativity. Last but not least, the LeapFrog Learn and Groove Musical Mat also comes with an instructional game where the toy releases audion instruction that will take the kids through a series of exercises to follow for a fun time.
To help kids with their everyday experimentation with music. The VTech Record and Learn KidiStudio allows children to record and playback the sounds they make and produce to allow them to recognize cause and effect and create a tool that will empower them to express their creativity without boundaries.
There are limitless possibilities for children to record. With the use of ordinary tools around them, their own bodies, and even actual instruments, your kids can create any song they want using their own power and capabilities. This will encourage them to venture into the world and experience it for themselves.
The VTech Record and Learn KidiStudio have an extensive number of features like a recorder, a real microphone, and even a voice changer. It also hosts up to over 40 unique songs that the kids can sing and dance to so they can stay engaged as they interact with the beats and melodies from each tune. The genres of each song range from jazz, techno, and rock and roll to provide a broad assortment of tempo and bops to enjoy. The lights blink and dance with the music as well, so the fun isn’t only auditory but also visual.
The kids can also play and experiment with the built-in instruments to expand their creativity. The VTech Record and Learn KidiStudio have drums, a scratch disc, and a whammy bar with the keyboard.
Unleash your kids’ inner rock star with the Little Tikes PopTunes Guitar!
With a stylish rockstar design and bright colors to match, not only can the kids look the part but they will also be able to create music of their own to complete the musical role play. Children can also enjoy the pre-set tunes built-in with the product and mix and match them together through the strings and buttons.
The guitar has an amazing visual design that was coupled with an easy-to-handle form and high-quality speakers to assure parents and children an exceptional sensory experience.
Hi, my name is Elena Jones, and my full-time job is a teacher. Through teaching, I have discovered that children learn in many different ways, and have seen the positive impact both STEM and Montessori toys have on children.
Through this site I hope to educate parents and adults about these toys, providing them with useful information on how they can be used, and provide some in depth reviews of different toys to consider too.
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