Why a Tongue Drum is a GREAT IDEA for your kids – AND YOU!

This guide will run through the benefits of buying a Tongue drum for the kids. And will go on to explain, why this instrument is so good, how long it will last, and why it is better than some alternatives.

What is the best tongue drum for Kids? – The Muslady 5.5 Inch Mini 8-Tone is recommended for children thanks to its durability, lightweight design, and size. Being small adds portability so that your child can take it anywhere, providing entertainment in a range of situations.

Check the availability and price on Amazon

OK, let’s lay it on the line. A Tongue drum, in whatever key you choose, will provide something that will get bashed about, but will not sound as bad as those terrible multi-colored xylophone things!

The Best Tongue Drum for Children

You may have arrived here searching for Handpan for Kids – To be honest, the tongue drum might be a better option in any case, but please check out the handpan for kids article where you’ll find more information too.

As mentioned above the best tongue drum for kids, is the Muslady 5.5 inch version that comes with a bag, mallets and some stickers and a book for some basic learning.

It is small enough to be portable allowing you to take it with you on a trip out, to the park, to grandmas’ pretty much anywhere and it is not going to take up valuable space.

Multi-purpose – You can play it too!

This instrument is such good quality, that you might find yourself picking it up and getting a little addicted to what you can do on it as well!

It can be played softly, you might even be able to use it to send your little one off to sleep. Then you can take it away and continue some meditative tunes to release the stress of the day yourself!! Me time!

Word of Warning

The tongue drum is a beautiful instrument, and this version has had some reports of being out of tune when unboxed. While this is unacceptable, be aware that with the smaller instruments and certainly with the cheaper brands, the quality of the tongue drum does fall off a little bit.

Still, if the drum is badly out of tune, you should look to return and get a replacement, but in the main, I think you will be OK

It would be the same with a kids xylophone or guitar. Compared directly against a professional instrument they will be pretty poor.

This recommended product is just about the best for the money when considering the accessories that come with it too.

Reasons Why You Should Consider a Tongue Drum for Kids

Let’s take a look at why a tongue drum might be the best gift you could buy your child this year. You’ll thank me later when you hear the comparison video later

Your Ears – It’s not a xylophone

For me, no matter who is playing it, or what is being played on it, those kids multicolored xylophones just go right through me. Even more so, when the tune is no more than random bashing.

With a tongue drum, what we have is an instrument that can not play a bad note thanks to the scale and tuning. So those harsh dings and rings will not resonate in your head, especially when it is already thumping!

Check out what random playing sounds like on a Tongue Drum by a mere toddler.

I think you will agree, that is a way better sound than is produced from most children’s instruments!

So this has now come round to being about the benefits for you, not your child. So we had better move on and take a look at that!

Tongue Drums for Babies

Plainly a tongue drum for a baby to play is a bit of a daft idea, but actually, if you are a parent, how about getting a tongue drum to play to your baby?

Benefits of Music with Babies

You can introduce musical sounds to babies by playing the instrument to them. Interaction occurs when you let them join in with playing the tongue drum.

When you play you can introduce rhymes, and let your actions catch and keep their attention. Watch their reactions to see what they like and dislike

The beauty of the tongue drum for babies is the softness of the tones as opposed to other types of children’s instruments like the xylophone and various drum types.

Tongue Drums for Toddlers

With more ability to interact join in and take over a toddler can quickly demonstrate their interest and perhaps love for music and playing.

Toddlers can also be pretty heavy-handed with toys too, so the tongue drum is ideal for kids as they do tens to be pretty hard-wearing.

Playing music with your toddler is a great way of bonding and enjoying time together, you can teach and they can learn. Adding some words can help with vocabulary development and regular playing can help with habit and routine building.

As their skills develop, or you become more interested in a tongue drum, take a look at the best tongue drums for beginners, to scale up.

Benefits of Children Playing Tongue Drum

There is a range of benefits for your child in learning to play an instrument.

Learning to play the tongue drum, whether in a serious fashion or just for play will teach some important lessons, not least patience, and commitment.

Trying to recall melodies and tunes will benefit the improvement of memory. And IQ development as your child figures out what notes go with others just by ear.

The ability to focus will be practiced, as they try to perfect their new found skills, especially when they want to present something to you for praise.

All of the above lead to increased neural activity and brain function.

Keep them interested by sharing videos on youtube of tongue drums being played, and encourage then them that they could learn and play as well. perhaps even making a video of them playing on a mobile

What about even starting a YouTube channel of progress. There is little more encouragement than seeing complete strangers compliment and praise.

Encourage them also to put on a show for family and friends with their new tongue drum. As mentioned previously, you’ll not be subjecting your family and friends to the awful sound of the cheap glockenspiel/xylophones made for kids. This tongue drum will actually sound very good.

What is the Easiest Instrument for a Child to Learn?

Since the invention and development of the handpan, and latterly the tongue drum, I believe the latter is by far the easiest instrument for children to learn thanks to the set up of the notes and scale and the limited errors that can be made. It makes learning, easy and encouraging to be able to master and develop quickly.

Previously the most popular choices for easy instruments for kids to learn would have been

• Guitar
• Violin
• Clarinet
• Trumpet
• Drums

I honestly believe that the tongue drum, usurp all of these on the basis that beautiful sounds and tunes can be produced from a limited number of available notes, and would provide a great introduction to learning music without the frustrations and limitation some more complex instruments can present.

I know as a child, I tried to learn several instruments but lost interest when progress plateaued. I think If I had learned music on a tongue drum first, I might have done better with other things like the guitar, which has been a lifelong frustration to me.