For young children, grasping, and color recognition

Xylophone:
Great practice in grasping mallets and striking the keys, comes with a book to follow along to color coded songs!
Egg Shakers:
Great practice for grasping larger objects, easy to play and so fun!
Maracas:
Easier to grasp than egg shakers, fun to play and very colorful!
Find links to these items here.

Fine Motor Skills and Instrument Learning

Tinker Tar:
This simple one string instrument has numbers and colors to follow along with to learn familiar songs. It comes in a variety of shapes and colors, it is great for fine motor skills and is a great starter instrument!
Ukulele:
Four stringed instrument that is another great starter instrument! There are an abundance of free online resources to get started. Great for fine motor skills and learning an instrument.
Keyboards:
These come in a variety of sizes and price ranges. They are a great starter instrument and have many fun settings!

Find links to these items here.

Large Guitar Pick:
Larger guitar picks are easier to grasp and maneuver than the standard size.
Chord Buddy:
Chord Buddy is an adaptive tool that makes it easier to play guitar chords. The musician can press one button as opposed to holding fingers on multiple strings at once.
Bells:
We’ve linked bells that have velcro straps so someone can play the bells without needing to be able to grasp the instrument.

Find links to these items here.

“Old MacDonald”:
Any books with familiar songs are so fun and great for practicing reading or for creating a caregiver/child connection moment. This book also has a variety of tactile sensory input throughout.
“Chicka Chicka Boom Boom”:
Fun book for practicing the alphabet and rhyming!
“What a Wonderful World”:
Very colorful visuals throughout this book, you can listen to the Louis Armstrong version or sing it yourself!
Find links to these items here.

Steel Tongue Drum:
This is a beautiful instrument that is very easy to play. It creates beautiful sounds and can be a great tool for relaxation and grounding.
Kalimba:
The Kalimba is also a beautiful instrument that is played by plucking the metal tines with your thumbs. The Kalimba creates soothing sounds that support relaxation and grounding.
Find links to these items here.

Ocean Drum:
The ocean drum mimics the sound of waves by rolling around metal beads inside of the drum. It creates a beautiful auditory sensory experience as well as a beautiful visual sensory experience watching the beads roll around.
Cabasa:
The cabasa is a percussive instrument played by moving the metal beads around the instrument. This creates an auditory experience as well as tactile experience in feeling the beads. People who enjoy tactile sensory input often love to roll the instrument around their arms and legs.
Rain Stick:
A rain stick mimics the sound of rain by flipping it over and allowing the beads to fall. This provides auditory and visual input and can be a very soothing experience.
Find links to these items here.
For the Songwriter
Songwriter Notebook:
We’ve linked a notebook has lined paper, staff paper, and fret diagrams for guitar fingering so that your songwriter can write in whichever way they prefer!
Live your Values Deck:
We’ve linked a deck of cards explores values, their definitions, and what it might look like to live by each of these values. These cards can be great inspiration and creative prompts for songwriting.
The Moth Presents: A Game of Story Telling:
We’ve linked a game provides a deck of cards with different prompts to tell stories from your life. These work as great prompts for songwriting as well!
Find links to these items here.

Songversations:
We’ve linked a deck of cards that provides prompts for sharing different songs. Families can sit down and learn about each others’ music tastes while playing along!
Microphone:
Karaoke can be a great family activity! We’ve linked a a wireless bluetooth karaoke microphone, get ready to sing your heart out!
Toniebox:
This is an audio box designed for children, it is easy to use and is a great screen-free way to listen to music and stories. The family can gather around, choose music/stories, and listen together!
Find links to these items here.