Babies and toddlers put EVERYTHING in their mouths. Because so many toys come from China, toy safety is always a concern. One of my goals in creating this website is to share what I have learned from teaching babies, toddlers, and young children. Below I will share my favorite musical instrument sets for toddlers that are safe for children under age 3 years old. There are many quality brands that are tested and trusted by parents. Please shy away from the best “deal” on Amazon as those toys are often knock-offs and not safe for young children.

The musical instrument sets below have been used in my early childhood music classes so I can personally attest that they are high quality. Children develop gross and fine motor skills at an individual rate, so abilities will vary in the first three years of growth. Please use your best judgement as to the age appropriateness of each musical set.

What musical instrument can a baby play?

Babies are becoming aware of their surroundings. Soft toys are perfect beginning musical toys. Also, toys that make a soft sound are ideal as loud sounding instruments can startle babies. I especially love small, light toys that can velcro to baby’s ankles or wrists so that the child can move and create the sound on their own. All baby toys should be washable.

What musical instrument can a one year old play?

One year olds can grasp and hold onto small items, but they are still developing the gross motor skills to play musical instruments. Shaker instruments like eggs and maracas are perfect beginning instruments for this age and you can see the delight on a child’s face as they make sounds with their instrument. Of course babies are equally happy to drop or throw their instrument to create a sound.

What musical instrument can a two year old play?

Two year olds are beginning to develop some fine motor skills for playing instruments. They still put everything in their mouths, so it is best to have child-friendly age appropriate instruments that are easy to clean. Two year olds love to play drums and xylophones and are very interested in many other percussion instruments. I also have another blog post about my favorite 20 musical instruments for preschoolers. Many of these individual music instruments would also be appropriate for toddlers. You can check out that blog post here.

Quality toddler musical instrument sets

The musical instrument sets below are appropriate for babies age 3 months and older. Any of these sets are a great first musical instrument set and appropriate for birthday presents, baby shower gifts, or Christmas presents. Check out 15 of my favorite songs that your toddler can sing, dance and play their musical instruments with here.

(disclaimer: The links below include affiliate links which means if you purchase an item through these links I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I thank you for your support, as it provides income that supports this blog and helps me be able to create new musical products for parents and children.)

If you have more recommendations that you have personally tested and would like to recommend, I would love to have you leave a comment!