The 15 Best Musical Toys for Toddlers to Foster a Life-Long Love of Music

This thoughtfully designed collection from parent-favorite brand Lovevery introduces toddlers to music in a hands-on, sensory-rich way. Each of the six included instruments is crafted from sustainable wood and non-toxic materials, ensuring safe, durable play, along with an instructive toddler-friendly songbook. The set encourages rhythm, coordination and creativity, with notes in the book matched by color or letter across the pentatonic scale (five simple notes) for each instrument. While it’s pricier than other instrument sets for toddlers, the quality is unmatched and the price tag is well worth it for all that you get.  Plus, the minimalist, Montessori-inspired design blends beautifully with any playroom, which parents love. 

The KiwiCo Piano Xylophone and Shaker Set is a fun way to introduce your toddler to the idea of notes while honing in on their rhythm and fine motor skills. The xylophone doubles as a piano, offering two ways to play, with each note a different color. My toddlers loved using shakers like the egg-shaped ones in this set to keep a beat, but they also had a blast shaking their shakers as hard as possible. This set’s shakers are perfectly sized for toddler hands and the piano is compact and durable.

If you want an engaging introduction to classical music for your little one, The Mozart Magic Music Cube is a fantastic pick. With easy-to-press sides, toddlers can layer different instrument sounds — think piano, violin and drums — to compose their own melodies. It’s a simple but captivating toy that lets tots explore new combinations of sounds in a screen-free way. The cube’s lightweight design makes it easy to carry around, but it’s durable enough to last through multiple kids.

Until they’re big enough to sit at a real piano, the Melissa & Doug Learn-To-Play Piano is a great option for budding pianists. With 25 keys and a color-coded songbook, it helps little ones explore pitch, rhythm and basic melodies. My younger cousins had a piano just like this one, and they absolutely loved putting on “recitals” for me when I would babysit. The sturdy wooden construction held up well, so they passed this piano toy down to my boys, who also adored banging away on the keys. If your toddler is truly into learning the piano, they’ll outgrow this two-octave set of keys into their preschool years, but until then, it’s a fun and pretty addition to the playroom.

Active toddlers will twist and leap their energy out across this musical mat, wiggling or dancing along to tons of instrument sounds and melodies. Four play modes mean there's plenty of fun to be had with this mat, from hearing different instruments to touching and kicking the keys to recording your tot's own special tune. You’ll appreciate having one more way to keep your little busy body moving and exploring.

According to Dr. Suskind, choosing a musical toy that’s connected with your toddler’s interests can be beneficial. “For a child who likes books and/or likes the satisfaction of cause-and-effect toys, you might consider a musical book that plays certain sounds or songs when a button is pushed,” she explains. Since “Baby Shark” is this generation’s toddler hit, this musical sing-along book is a fantastic pick.

Parents love that this version of the tune doesn’t involve screen time. The book’s form and buttons are designed for little hands, and built-in speakers provide a surprisingly rich sound. Each page features a playful image and lyrics that pair with the song button.

Hit it! Work your child’s memory and musical creativity while releasing pent-up energy. The drum pads and cymbal light up and make a unique sound when tapped with a stick. Toddlers can either free-play or jam along to nine rock, dance and pop melodies. Four play modes also teach kids letters and numbers.

The small, sturdy design of this toddler-sized acoustic guitar fits little hands comfortably so they can easily mimic their favorite musicians. Unlike more advanced instruments, this guitar focuses on fun instead of precision, so toddlers can strum away without the potential frustration of learning specific notes. My kids loved pretending to perform with a wooden guitar like this one as toddlers, and theirs was used well into elementary school. Overall, it’s a great toy for encouraging imaginative play and an early love of music.

Toddlers are curious, and this toy is packed with buttons to inspire exploration and play. Four settings play more than 20 songs on the piano, violin, xylophone or saxophone. Light-up piano keys help your child to follow along with the melody or learn to play a song. The whammy bar and scratch disc encourages fine motor skills with fun sounds. Kids will love hearing themselves on the working microphone as they sing along to more than 100 songs, sounds, and phrases.

An echo mic is a simple but endlessly entertaining toy that amplifies toddlers’ voices without any batteries or buttons. My kids loved belting out songs and hearing their voices echo back in an echo microphone just like this one. It was pure, giggle-filled fun and I truly think it was this exact toy that paved the way for their future singing performances. Lightweight and easy to carry, it’s perfect for impromptu performances or car ride karaoke. It’s a fantastic, low-tech way to encourage confidence and creativity.

Watching your toddler create their own melodies on this xylophone is pure joy. It’s the kind of toy that entertains but also builds important skills like fine motor development and hand-eye coordination as tots tap the keys or hammer the balls through the top shelf. Parents appreciate its versatility and the fact that the xylophone and balls are removable, so little ones can play with each piece separately if they want. However, the hammer isn’t attached by a string, which some parents prefer to avoid tangles or accidental throws. Made with sustainable wood, water-based paint, and non-toxic finishes, it’s a safe and durable option for young musicians.

Rock out and play a variety of kid-friendly tunes with the Baby Einstein Together in Tune Guitar. Toddlers can jam to four different play modes and 10 different melodies. Your toddler can hear real guitar sounds when they touch the colorful frets (which are super-receptive to touch, so your toddler won't have to slam down on the frets to hear noise). The frets are also buttonless, which makes this wooden toy particularly easy to wipe clean. Your little one can even play with other friends or family members who are using Together in Tune instruments nearby by connecting wirelessly via radio signals. Parents will also appreciate the off, low and high-volume control panel.

This Melissa & Doug wooden instrument set gets the whole family involved in your toddler’s jam sessions. It has everything they need in one convenient box, with 10 total pieces including maracas, a tambourine, cymbals, and more, so there’s a variety of instruments to explore and learn to play. My kids had a similar set and absolutely loved trying each instrument and playing as a “band” performing together. (Bonus: it encouraged teamwork and creativity!) This is a fantastic starter set for introducing more music into your toddler’s play.

This toddler-size turntable will allow your little one to whip up their own mixtapes with song overlay controls according to pitch, tempo and volume. The 18-key synythezier allowchoose between four different musical instruments and 18 different sound effects, Pressing different buttons and keys also emits flashing lights for extra fun. including playful choices like meows and bubbles. Parents were impressed with the quality and catchiness of then tunes, noting it’s captured the attention of young and older toddlers alike. However, do note that this is currently on backorder. 

Watching your toddler create their own melodies on this xylophone is pure joy. It’s the kind of toy that entertains but also builds important skills like fine motor development and hand-eye coordination as tots tap the keys or hammer the balls through the top shelf. Parents appreciate its versatility and the fact that the xylophone and balls are removable, so little ones can play with each piece separately if they want. However, the hammer isn’t attached by a string, which some parents prefer to avoid tangles or accidental throws. Made with sustainable wood, water-based paint, and non-toxic finishes, it’s a safe and durable option for young musicians.