A first instrument with real notes: tuned metal bars on a beechwood frame, and one mallet. The small size has six bars, the large has eight, low to high.
Montessori musical instruments stay quiet until a child plays them. Tap a bar, beat a drum or tip a rain stick, and the sound that answers is one they made.
These wooden instruments suit ages 0 to 5, from a single xylophone with tuned metal bars to whole band sets. Every sound comes from your child's own hands.
8 products
The first organs which begin to function in the child are the sensory organs.
In the same passage she turns to hearing. At first a child takes in every sound around them at once; telling sound from noise, and one sound from another, comes later.
A musical instrument gives that sorting something to work on: a high bar and a low one, a loud tap and a soft one, each made by the child's own hand.
Every instrument on this page makes its own sound, from wood, metal or falling beads, and nothing on it plays a recording.
Four ways to make music together
They take a few unhurried minutes and no music lessons.
Show one sound, then hand it over
Play one slow note or one gentle shake, then pass the mallet across. A short demonstration is enough, and the exploring after it belongs to your child.
Copy their beat
Tap back whatever rhythm your child plays, then add one small change for them to copy. Taking turns like this is a music game that works with any instrument on this page.
Play in a quiet room
Switch off the TV and the speakers first. With nothing else playing, a child can hear the difference between a high bar and a low one, or a loud tap and a soft one.
Name what you hear
High and low, loud and soft, fast and slow. Give the sound a word right after your child makes it, then pause and let them try it again.
Where to start
One instrument with real notes, one for quiet listening, and a whole music corner on one table.
A calm one to begin with. Tip it over and the sealed beads trickle past the colored baffles like rain, so the whole game is listening.
A whole music corner on one low wooden table: a xylophone, a cymbal-bell, wind chimes, a scraper and two drums, with two mallets. The stations lift out and rearrange.
How to choose a first instrument
Start with how your child already likes to make sound. A child who taps everything with a spoon is ready for a mallet, and a child who shakes every box will want something to shake.
- To tap out notes. The Wooden Xylophone has tuned metal bars on a beechwood frame, six on the small size and eight on the large. The Wooden Bear Xylophone has five tuned bars, each a different color, in a bear-shaped frame.
- To listen closely. The Wooden Rainmaker Rain Stick sounds like falling rain when it is tipped, and comes in a small or a large size. The Wooden Spinning Drum turns on its stand while wooden balls roll inside it.
- To try a little of everything. The Wooden Music Table - 6-in-1 Instrument Set holds a 7-note xylophone, a cymbal-bell, wind chimes, a scraper and two drums on a tabletop about 39 x 23 cm (15.4 x 9.1 in).
- To start a band. The 7pc Wooden Music Set is six instruments and a mallet in a kraft gift box with a printed play booklet. The Wooden Montessori Music Band Set has eight, including an 8-bar xylophone, a triangle, a tambourine and two maracas.
Shopping by age instead? See 3 year olds and 4 and 5 year olds. For more listening play, try sensory toys; for a present, gift ideas.
Setting up a music corner at home
A music corner works best when it is small, low and easy to tidy.
- Put out one or two instruments at a time. A xylophone and a rain stick on a low shelf are easier to choose between than a full basket. Swap one for another when interest drops.
- Give every piece a home. Mallets, beaters and shakers are the parts that wander. A tray, or the box the set arrived in, makes putting them away part of the game.
- Read the box contents first. The sets here range from six instruments to eight, and each product page lists exactly what is inside.
- Keep the wood dry. Wipe instruments with a dry or lightly damp cloth and keep them out of water, which can lift the finish.
Questions parents ask about musical instruments
Start with one instrument that answers right away with a clear sound. The Wooden Xylophone, with tuned metal bars and a single mallet, and the Wooden Rainmaker Rain Stick, which sounds like rain when tipped, are both easy first choices. Add a set once your child plays on their own for a few minutes.
If your child already enjoys one instrument, a set adds new sounds to compare. The 7pc Wooden Music Set has six instruments and a mallet in a kraft gift box, the Wooden Montessori Music Band Set has eight, and the Wooden Music Table puts six sound stations on one tabletop. For more presents by age, see our Christmas gift guide for 3, 4 and 5 year olds.
They are child-size instruments made for play. The xylophone bars are tuned metal, so they play real notes, and the chimes, triangle and cymbal-bell are metal too. Every sound comes from your child: no batteries, lights or recorded songs.
Real materials, a sound the child makes with their own hands, and one clear thing to do at a time. Nobody certifies the word Montessori, so the useful test is whether the toy does anything by itself. Here is the test we use.
From babies to 5 year olds. Each product page shows the ages that instrument is made for, so check it before you buy. Keep the sets with loose balls, beaters or mallets out of reach of younger brothers and sisters.
Wipe them with a dry or lightly damp cloth and let them air dry. Keep them out of water and do not soak them, since that can loosen the finish over time. Each product page lists its own care notes.
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