The 10 Best Baby Drum Sets
This wiki has been updated 34 times since it was first published in September of 2015. As any parent of a young child knows well, little ones always seem to be happiest when they’re making a racket. To channel that energy constructively, here's a selection of sturdy and colorful baby drum sets that they can bang away on to their hearts' content. In addition to being just plain fun, they can also help kids develop motor control, rhythm, and musical ability. When users buy our independently chosen editorial choices, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
1. Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn
2. Baby Einstein Magic Touch
3. Infantino Cover Band
Editor's Notes
March 17, 2020:
Today we added in the innovative and award-winning Baby Einstein Magic Touch, which features four flat wooden circles that produce sounds when they’re touched. Each features a fun, colorful animal friend. Incorporated are high-end speakers that produce clear sounds, and your child will be treated to the likes of Vivaldi’s “Violin Concerto No. 12,” Shubert’s “Military March,” Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9,” and Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.” It’s easy-grip handle and light weight make it a breeze for your little one to carry it around house as they wish.
Another new addition is The Learning Journey Bongo, which is built with two pads that light up brilliantly when tapped. It offers four modes for melodies, rhythms, silly sounds, and free play. The modes can be selected easily when you press the any of the four corresponding buttons. It’s “Demo” star-shaped button comes in handy when kids want to sit back and listen to fun, familiar songs.
The Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn retains its top spot on the list. This choice is appropriate for those aged six months and up, and kids can bang on it with their hands or use the green rattle to activate lights, music, and phrases. They’ll enjoy listening to recognizable songs and listening to exciting drum sound effects.
As a rule, always supervise children with their toys to ensure a safe and fun playtime. If your little one is also ready for a toy piano, check out our list of the best toddler pianos which, like the drum sets, often come with interactive features like preprogrammed songs and brightly flashing lights.
Special Honors
Lakeshore Learning Heavy-Duty Drums Designed for kids aged 24 months all the way through sixth grade, this set of four classroom-tough drums will stand up to years of energetic tapping and pounding. Each is made of sturdy plastic and comes with a large tapered mallet that’s easy to grip. The mallets are conveniently made to be stored into the side of the drums. Each drum measures eight inches in diameter, and they come in an assortment of colors including blue, green, purple, and orange. lakeshorelearning.com
Uncommon Goods Kids’ Classic Drum Set This kit comes with everything little percussionists need once they turn three and outgrow their baby set. Included are two drums, drumsticks, a cymbal, and a guiro (a grooved Spanish instrument that makes fun sounds when you run the drumstick back and forth across it). All the pieces are connected, except for the drumsticks. It’s made from recycled materials and features vibrant red covers on the drums. uncommongoods.com
4. VTech Beats
5. The Learning Journey Bongo
6. Bright Starts Safari Beats
7. Amosting Educational
8. Little Tikes Tap-A-Tune
9. Bright Starts Light & Learn
10. Edushape Bongo
Benefits Of A Baby Drum Set
Infants can often grasp melodies and tempo long before they recognize shapes or colors.
You might be physically cringing at the thought of buying your little one a baby drum set. Calm down. Try breathing into a paper bag, and then hear us out.
The earliest benefit your little one will see is a boost to his cognitive development. Some studies have shown that children exposed to music at an early age and throughout their education are capable of employing more logic and critical thinking skills than many of their peers. Infants can often grasp melodies and tempo long before they recognize shapes or colors.
Baby drum sets are a good outlet for stress relief - for your baby. You, unfortunately, are out of luck unless you buy your own set. If you have a little one who is emotional and struggles to express his feelings, a drum set can help him express himself constructively.
Your little tyke will improve his gross and fine motor skills. He will learn how to grip the sticks and hone his hand-eye coordination while learning to alternate hands. Some drum sets will even help him to learn colors, shapes, and numbers using interactive settings.
Playing a musical instrument provides continued opportunities for learning. Your child might start out by tapping away haphazardly. But as he grows, he will learn a more organized way of playing. He might even decide that he wants to play a traditional drum set and advance his musical knowledge. From there, he might learn other instruments, reading music, and how to collaborate with a group.
That brings us to the next point - playing the drums promotes improved social skills. At first, your baby or toddler might learn to take turns with a friend or sibling. As he grows, he might learn to play along with others by joining the school band. An interest in music is something many people share, and young children often associate music with warm memories of family members or friends. This aspect is especially helpful for children with special needs and creates a great deal of cognitive and social benefits.
How To Buy The Right Baby Drum Set
Now that you know how beneficial a baby drum set can be for your child, how do you decide which one to buy? While it’s not a complicated choice, there are still a few things you will need to consider before forking over the cash.
Others like toys with light and sound that keep their little one engaged and entertained.
First, consider your child’s developmental level. Do you have a small infant or an older toddler? An infant’s interests will be basic, and a simple drum can help you teach him to recognize or even tap a rhythm with his hands. Older children can use more complicated drum sets with sticks and even learn patterns, shapes, colors, numbers, and the alphabet from the electronic sets.
Second, consider your budget. Most baby drum sets on the market won’t break the bank, but if you can save a few pennies here and there, why wouldn’t you? Decide how much you want to spend, and choose accordingly.
Next, decide your or your child’s preference. Some parents try to avoid electronic, battery-operated toys and go with a more classic style. Others like toys with light and sound that keep their little one engaged and entertained.
Finally, determine the purpose of the drum set. Do you want it to be primarily educational or fun? Do you want your child to have a toy or are you trying to introduce a love of music? Some drum sets light up in sequence to create a memory game, teach specific songs, and encourage learning of colors, shapes, and letters. Others are basic sets that focus on only drumming.
A Brief History of the Baby Drum Set
Proof of drums being used dates back as far as 6,000 BCE. Drums have also been discovered in the Mesopotamian regions dating back to 3,000 BCE. North and South American natives often used their own versions of drums constructed of wood or gourds in religious ceremonies and tribal rituals. Various cultures have created and used drums over thousands of years.
North and South American natives often used their own versions of drums constructed of wood or gourds in religious ceremonies and tribal rituals.
In the early days of bands, each type of drum was generally played by a different person. However, this was cumbersome and difficult to coordinate. Companies that produced musical instruments began trying to consolidate so that one person could play all the drums - snare, bass, cymbals, and more - at the same time.
In 1909, Ludwig & Ludwig Co. in Chicago, Illinois introduced the foot-operated bass drum. The jazz era in New Orleans prompted the need for more customized drums and gave way to a great deal of innovation. It wasn’t until the 1930s that Ben Duncan collaborated with other jazz musicians to create a standard drum arrangement that worked well for everyone. It consisted of a bass drum in the center, a snare, one raised tom-tom, and one floor tom-tom. Some preferred to add cymbals to the ensemble.
Today’s modern drum sets can be customized to fit preferences and accommodate the type of music played. The basic kit remains the same while many additions can be made, and the drums can often be rearranged.
The art of drumming has grown along with the music itself and given way to a wide range of social, societal, educational, and cognitive growth in both children and adults. Their popularity has prompted toy manufacturers to capitalize on demand and create drum sets specifically for small children to introduce music as early as possible.
Karen Bennett lives in Chicago with her family, and when she’s not writing, she can usually be found practicing yoga or cheering on her kids at soccer games. She holds a master’s degree in journalism and a bachelor’s in English, and her writing has been published in various local newspapers, as well as “The Cheat Sheet,” “Illinois Legal Times,” and “USA Today.” She has also written search engine news page headlines and worked as a product manager for a digital marketing company. Her expertise is in literature, nonfiction, textbooks, home products, kids' games and toys, hardware, teaching accessories, and art materials.