Music Instruments for Preschoolers
Rhythm Instruments Include Shakers, Bells, Drums, Sticks, Sandblocks
A variety of musical instruments encourages young children to explore, experiment, develop a steady beat and tonal awareness, and to love music.
Preschoolers and music go hand in hand. Young children dance with abandon to any music they hear. They sing joyfully, usually off-key and often with their own words.
If you want to encourage or just enhance their music time, hear are some rhythm instruments young children will enjoy:
- Shakers: Egg shakers, box shakers, shakers of whatever shapes that are easy for young hands to hold. Good quality ones are sturdy, non-toxic, and washable.
- Bells: Bells are often single or in a cluster of three on a wooden or plastic handle. Also look for bells on wrist or ankle bands. For very young children, look for wrist bands with bells encased in mesh. Remember that small tongues can get cut if a toddler puts the bell in her mouth.
- Sticks: Rhythm sticks come in several varieties. What music catalogs call rhythm sticks are usually slender, 8 or 12 inches long, with ridges on one of them (“fluted”). Children can hit them together or rub for a different sound. Lummi sticks are smooth, fat and 6-8 inches long, and are made for smaller hands. Any of these can come painted or in a natural wood finish.
- Sandblocks: Sandblocks offer a variety of sounds and developmental skill levels. They are plastic or wood blocks with a knob-type handle and sandpaper on the bottom. They can be tapped together or rubbed back and forth for a scritch-scratch sound (more complicated eye-hand coordination). The sandpaper on new sandblocks can be rough, so supervision might be in order at the beginning.
- Triangles: The most common size for triangles is 4 or 6 inches. The triangles hang from a handle and come with a striker. Don’t hold the triangle with fingers or it won’t produce a good tone. It will also take practice for your preschooler to tap the triangle several times in a row without making it spin.
- Drums: Good quality drums can be delightful for the whole family. A buffalo drum has a cross of rope in the back to be hand held for the best sound. A table tom is meant to rest on a surface when played. Bongos have large and small drums connected together for different tones. And a gathering drum is large enough for several people to play at once.
To encourage your preschooler to appreciate the instruments, plan a special place to keep them. A shelf, a spot on their dresser, a place in a drawer, will all reinforce the idea that these are instruments, not toys.
Instruments for children can be hard to find at a local store, but are readily available in catalogs or online. Do an internet search for "children's musical instruments" and you'll find plenty.
For additional instruments, read More Instruments for Preschoolers. For musical activity ideas for home or school, read Children’s Music Activities.
