Which Instruments Can Young Children Play
In many ways, young children are just inexperienced adults – people that are new to life. They are keen and eager to learn and thrive with love and encouragement, especially when they are successful.
Choosing instruments progressively gives them a head start in successful musicianship. Just as we introduce addition before multiplication, musically we can introduce rhythm before melody.
Instruments listed here are progressive, and absolutely not exhaustive!
3 Bell Jingle
These colourful jingles create a gentle jingle sound!
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-4s
Chime Bars
Create a drone using the chime bar in the song key!
- Ideal Age Group: 5s-7s
Sand Blocks
Easy to hold, fun to scrape or tap!
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-4s
Egg Shakers
Easy to hold and shake and roll!
- Ideal Age Group: 0s-27
Agogo / 2 tone rhythm block
Scrape a high or low sound, tap a high or low sound!
- Ideal Age Group: 5s-7s
Baby cage bell
A gentle jingle to shake and explore with little hands or mouths.
- Ideal Age Group: 0s-2s
Ukulele
Thumb down the strings, holding down the bottom string to the left (C chord)!
- Ideal Age Group: 5s-7s
Tom Tom Drum
Tap the edge for a clear sound; scrape the top for a long sound; tap the side for a deep sound!
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-4s
Chiquita
Gentle shaking sound, perfect for small wrists!
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-4s
Clatterpillar
Enjoy the clickety-clacking wave-type motion!
- Ideal Age Group: 5s-7s
Claves
Hold firmly and tap together for a crisp, clear sound.
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-4s
Combibells
Play together as a drone chord; play separately to simple tunes!
- Ideal Age Group: 5s-7s
Cow bell
Tap for a long, resounding chime!
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-4s
Double wooden tone block
Alternate sides as you tap for lower and higher pitches!
- Ideal Age Group: 5s-7s
Finger Cymbals
Gently hold the elastic to tap the cymbals together without touching!
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-4s
Finger piano
Play one note as a drone; play 2-4 notes in a drone pattern!
- Ideal Age Group: 5s-7s
Fish Shaker
Safe to shake, safe to explore with tiny hands and mouths!
- Ideal Age Group: 0s-2s
Frog guiro
Gently scrape (away from yourself) for a short, sharp clickety sound!
- Ideal Age Group: 5s-7s
Gathering Drum
Big enough for all the group to tap together!
- Ideal Age Group: 0s-7s
Glockenspiel
Hold the beater underhand to create a long, chiming sound!
- Ideal Age Group: 5s-7s
Guiro tone block
Scrape away from you on the ridges for a long sound; tap for a short, sharp sound!
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-7s
Guiro
Scrape away (from you) on the ridges for a long sound; tap the top for a quick, short sound!
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-7s
Handle Castanets
Shake up and down for a short, wooden clickety sound!
- Ideal Age Group: 5s-7s
Zigzag Blocks
Like sand blocks, scrape together for a long sound, tap together for a short sound!.
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-4s
Indian Bells
Holding the string or ribbon, gently tap the edges of the cymbals together for a gentle chime!
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-7s
Jingle Bug
Perfectly safe for little ones to jingle and explore with little fingers and mouths!
- Ideal Age Group: 0s-2s
Jingle Stick
Shake to create a sleigh-bell or tambourine sound!
- Ideal Age Group: 5s-7s
Bongos
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- Ideal Age Group: 5s-7s
Lollipop Drum
Tap with the beater for a rich, short sound!
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-4s
Maracas
Shake apart with each hand – but not on each other!
- Ideal Age Group: 0s-7s
Metal Agogo
Tap together for a short metal sound; strike with a beater for a longer chime!
- Ideal Age Group: 5s-7s
Mini Cabasa
Rub the beads back and forth with your hand for short metal sounds!
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-7s
Monkey Drum
Using a quick wrist-flick with one hand, or rub the handle between both hands, so that the beads will tap the drum!
- Ideal Age Group: 5s-7s
Ocean Drum
Slowly lift the drum at an angle, creating a long, ongoing sound!
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-7s
Octochime
Slowly stir a beater on the inside for a glissando effect – or tap the outside for individual notes!
- Ideal Age Group: 5s-7s
One Bell Jingle
Gently jingles for small wrists to hold and shake!
- Ideal Age Group: 0s-4s
Castanets
Tap together for a slow clicking sound!
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-7s
Short rainstick
Slowly alternate lifting each end to create rain sounds!
- Ideal Age Group: 0s-4s
Long rainstick
Slowly lift one end of the stick for gentle rain sounds – or quicker for heavier rain sounds!
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-7s
Ribbon Bells
Gently hold the ribbon to tap the bells together for a long chime!
- Ideal Age Group: 5s-7s
Shaker guiro
Shake to the beat, tap to the beat, scrape to the beat!
- Ideal Age Group: 0s-4s
Single Tone Block
Tap for a short, sharp sound!
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-7s
Tambour
Tap on the edge for the clearest sound, by hand or beater!
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-7s
Tambourine
Tap on the edge to jingle on the beat, or shake for an ongoing jingle!
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-7s
Thumb Drum
Easy to hold, easy to tap on the edge for the clearest sound!
- Ideal Age Group: 0s-7s
Triangle
Hold the string or dangle on one finger for a crisp, long chime!
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-7s
Tulip Block
Gently tap for a full, brisk sound!
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-7s
Vibraslap
Hit the ball against the block for a vibrating sound!
- Ideal Age Group: 5s-7s
Wakatube
Tap with a gently beater, tap on the floor, tap on your arm or leg – or 2 tap two notes together!
- Ideal Age Group: 5s-7s
Wind Chimes
Add a long, gentle sound by gently dragging your finger or a beater across the bars!
- Ideal Age Group: 5s-7s
Wood block
Hold the beater underhand and tap for a short, sharp, crisp sound!
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-7s
Wooden Double Agogo
Scrape or tap, long sound or short, and create a high or low pitch!
- Ideal Age Group: 2s-7s
Wrist Bells
Wrap around wrists or ankles for a jingly time!
- Ideal Age Group: 0s-2s
Xylophone
Hold the beater like you’re shaking hands, not eating dinner!
- Ideal Age Group: 5s-7s
Ocarina
Similar to the recorder, cover holes nearest your hand!
- Ideal Age Group: 5s-7s
Recorder
Learn to hold correctly with your left hand at the top, covering holes accordingly!
- Ideal Age Group: 5s-7s